Shelby couldn't believe she was lounging in an antique bathtub, sipping champagne and casually chatting with the man she'd just had sex with.Noel sat in a wicker chair across from the tub, a glass of champagne in his hand and his predatory gaze fixed firmly on Shelby. It should have made her nervous, but it didn't. She'd never slept with someone she didn't really know before, but with Noel, she already felt comfortable. It was as if they'd known one another, on some level, forever.Right now they were trying to solve the puzzle of how they'd gotten here and how they were supposed to get home, though between the sex, the champagne and the hot, scented bath, she was too relaxed at the moment to really care."So, you said your dad claims to genuinely believe in holiday magic," she said. "I'm surprised you haven't sent him in for psychotherapy."Noel shrugged and Shelby couldn't help but admire the way it nudged the neckline of his robe open just a little farther. The man was built li
"Good morning, sweetheart."Shelby woke to the sensation of Noel's lips on her nipple and his hand toying with the hair between her legs. Oh wow, it wasn't a dream. "Morning," she croaked in response as he slid a finger into her already-wet pussy."I figure today we can try out a few other rooms. Seems like a waste to spend all our time in this one." he whispered, his breath hot against her breast."Sounds...good." He'd replaced one finger with two and it was getting hard to speak, let alone think. She reached over to find his cock and gripped it in her hand, happy to find he'd already put on a condom. With a little shove, she pushed him over on his back and straddled his hips.Noel smiled up at her. "I guess you're a morning person.""Is that a problem?" She wriggled her hips as he used his hand to position himself while she slowly slid down over that magnificent erection. He filled her perfectly and she hummed happily before she started to move."Well, I'm usually not," he said
Shelby and Noel finished their meal, making little more than small talk. When they were finished, he looked at her as if to say, "What now?""How about we check out the library?" Shelby asked. "Maybe we can find out more about what's going on?" And she needed a little time just to be focused on something other than sex or food for a while. It was so hot, so intense, it was getting hard to remember it wasn't real. She needed to step back and take a breath. When this weekend was over, she'd have to go back to her ordinary accountant's life and she'd still have to face Noel at the office every day. Having a wild fling with him was one thing, but she had to be careful not to let herself fall in love - all the way at least. Unfortunately, she was already more than halfway there."Sounds good." He stood, immediately moving to pull her chair back for her. "I suppose we can assume the dishes will be taken care of."She nodded. "Probably as soon as we leave the room."The library was as stu
"It's good though," Shelby assured Noel, reaching up to cup his cheek with her hand. He hadn't shaved, so his cheek was rough and stubbly, but she didn't mind. "The magic isn't harmful, I don't think. Really, it's all kind of cool.""You're right." His tense shoulders relaxed and he turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand. "I really can't complain about this part. Now let's forget the serious stuff and look at those postcards you found.""Okay." She handed him the stack of maybe twenty cards."Ah, the uses of photography," he joked as he flipped through the first few, all women in various stages of undress. "Oh, now this is interesting." He held out the photo of a man and woman in full Victorian dress, except the woman was kneeling between the man's legs and holding his erection in her hand, her head bent as if she was just about to take it into her mouth."That would work," Shelby murmured. She hadn't had a chance yet to taste Noel's cock and the idea made her squirm. "Any ot
Noel couldn't believe she was going for this. He'd never have guessed, but it was looking like Shelby was the perfect woman for him - shy and sweet but totally uninhibited once she let herself go. Was that why the magic had put them together? To show him she might very well be the one? He was beginning to think that was the deal. He'd been so busy with work he hadn't thought he had time for a real relationship, but he was quickly coming to realize that being with Shelby would be worth making time for. In fact, he was pretty damn sure he was falling in love.Noel in love. Wouldn't that make his brothers laugh their asses off? He shrugged off that thought. Too fucking bad. If he got the chance to keep her in his life, it would be worth all the ribbing they could dish out. He'd know damn good and well that he was the lucky one.A few minutes later he returned with the oil, a pile of condoms, a towel and a couple of damp washcloths. Shelby was still lying there, just as he'd left her, id
"You're spoiling me rotten, you know," Shelby said as she sat cross-legged on a plush Persian carpet while Noel carefully combed the tangles from her wet hair."Yeah, but I'm having fun doing it." He paused while she took the last sip of her hot tea. As soon as she set the cup down, he resumed his task.A tea tray had appeared on the table while they'd luxuriated in the tub. It had been a tight fit for two, but being snuggled up against Noel's broad chest and having him wash every inch of her skin had been wonderful. After the bath, they'd wrapped up in their robes and sprawled on the rug in front of the fire with the tea tray and gobbled down scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream - or so Noel had told her - before he'd picked up the comb and told her to turn around."So, are you going to see your mother for Christmas?"She was so relaxed from the bath and the food and so soothed by his hands on her hair that she'd almost dozed off. As it was, it took her a minute to shake h
Shelby was running scared. She had been for the last two days.Noel wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one - he hoped it was good. Not for the first time he wished he had his sister Summer's sense of strategy. Not one of them had ever been able to defeat her at board games or even cards. If ever there was a campaign that needed to be won, it was Noel's battle for Shelby's heart. She was meant to be his, damn it. She just didn't know it yet.Noel had grown up in a household filled with love. His parents were practically stupid with it, even after thirty-five years of marriage. Okay - thirty-five and a half. Noel would be hitting that birthday on Christmas and his parents had been married a whole six months when he was born. Yet never once had either of them hinted that they'd been forced, or that they regretted it - or him - for a second. Nope, they'd just loved each other and all their kids with a warmth that colored every aspect of their lives. His father might put on his
"It doesn't have to be the end, you know." He leaned down until they were nose to nose. "I don't want it to be the end.""I don't either, Noel. But it has to be, don't you see? This has been - well - magic. But it's not reality. In the real world, you're the boss's son and I'm an employee. You're the rich, good-looking artist and I'm the boring number cruncher with no social life. It would never work, Noel. In your heart, you know that. But thank you. It means the world to me that you even thought about it.""But, Shelby..."She laid her mitten-covered hand over his lips. "Stop. Let's just enjoy what little time we have left. Please?"She felt him sigh before he nodded. When she moved her hand, he kissed the tip of her mitten before he spoke. "I'll stop talking now, sweetheart. But as soon as we're back in Charleston, you're fair game. I'm not giving you up. Eventually you'll figure that out."Shelby shook her head. "As soon as you're back in your glitzy world with your models and
Sam watched Evie survey the last few kids out and about. He was just about to turn off the lights and call it a night. Time for one last interlude with the woman he loved. Her song had haunted his mind all day. Likely it would the rest of his life.He saw the young teen walking alone and heard the car come around the corner far too fast. In the moonlight, his heart lurched as he saw Evie start to run.Sam vaulted the porch rail and nearly caught up to her just as she shoved the kid out of the path of the car.He was just close enough to see it strike her, to see her beautiful face as she screamed and fell.The car screeched to a halt and the driver burst out of the door as Sam frantically searched for Evie, calling her name.But all trace of her was gone. No blood marred the pavement.The kid picked himself up off the grass and turned. "What the fuck?" Eyes wide, he looked up at Sam. "Dude, you saved my life. But I could have sworn it was a chick."Sam swallowed hard. He remembe
She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Me too, Sam. I don't regret a moment, not for myself. Knowing you was worth a hundred-year wait. But you...you have to go on living. Promise me you'll try to find someone. A kind woman who can make you laugh again, who can share your life, maybe give you a family to fill this old, lonely house.""I can't promise that." He wiped the tears from her cheek with his thumb. "After you - I don't know that any other woman would ever measure up."No, this couldn't be happening. It was all right for him to care about her, and it was fine for him to have broken her heart. She'd given it freely. But Sam had so much life ahead of him. "You have to promise to try. The Fates wouldn't be so cruel, Sam. There's a living, breathing woman out there for you somewhere. Please don't give up." She sniffled as more tears spilled down her cheeks."Don't cry anymore, Evie." His voice, already hoarse, cracked. "I promise, sweetheart. I'll try. Just maybe not right awa
It was Evie's last day and he wanted it to be perfect. He'd offered her the option of doing anything she wanted. He loved handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, but he'd happily skip this year if there was something else she wanted to do.As it turned out, Evie's preferences were pretty simple. They spent the hours from midnight 'til dawn in bed. Then he showed her the joys of shower sex, taking her up against the wall with the water spraying all around them. He shaved her legs for her because she wanted to look more modern, if only for him.And that led to his carefully shaving her all the way up, until her luscious pussy was as bare and pink as could be. Of course he couldn't resist diving in to taste then filling her so she could feel the difference without hair.Then he finally let her get dressed. They were both moving gingerly when they made their way down the stairs for brunch. He hadn't had a workout like this since - well, ever."I have a birthday gift for you," she told
It took a little experimentation for Evie to find the motion that worked best - not that anything felt bad with Sam inside her and his hands on her breasts. Finally she settled on an up-and-down movement, with her hands braced on his shoulders. His cock rubbed her in just the right spots. She felt herself going higher, tighter than ever before.When Sam took one hand off her nipple, she almost cried out at the loss. She watched him lick his index finger and wondered what he was about to do, though she was so caught up in fucking him she really didn't care. She was close, so close to her climax, and she trusted him implicitly.He reached behind her and placed the tip of his finger on her anus, pressing it just a tiny bit inside the tight opening.Evie gasped. "Sam?""Do you like it?" he rasped.It was odd, but not unpleasant. She nodded, still riding him frantically. "Good," he grunted, thrusting up hard into her cunt at the same time as his finger pressed harder, up to the first k
"Want to light a fire tonight?" he asked as they rounded the last corner and approached their house. "We could make love on that rug in front of the fireplace.""Oh yes," she breathed, beaming up at him. A few minutes later she sat on his sofa sipping wine while he built a fire in the old brick hearth. She kicked off her shoes and socks, even removed her jacket and sweater, and waited for him in just her jeans and camisole, her hard nipples rasping on the silk as she watched the flex of his strong muscles underneath his snug knit shirt.When he was done, he went to wash his hands, returning in nothing but yet another pair of colorful cotton undershorts. He set a small bundle on the hearth then watched as Evie stripped off her jeans and joined him on the fluffy cotton rug.This time, she took the initiative, dropping to her knees in front of him and taking his face between her hands as she kissed him.He tasted of strawberries and wine and smelled faintly of his lemon-scented soap a
They settled Ghengis in his crate and made their way up the stairs. Sam laid out the clothes he'd bought then shaved and brushed his teeth, changing into a clean shirt and jeans while Evie watched. His ghost was quite the little voyeur. Then at the stroke of midnight, he met her in the hallway and this time it was he who pulled her down the hall to the bedroom - after a long, spine-tingling kiss.He swatted her backside playfully when she groped his cock. "None of that, woman. Not yet, at least. Now we're off to see the world." There was so much he wanted to show her, and so little time."Fine." She tugged off the nightgown she'd worn during the day and studied the garments on the bed. "You have excellent taste, Sam. I suppose that goes with being an artist." It took just seconds for her to pull on the silky bikini underpants and camisole. Slender as she was, she didn't need a bra.She eyed the jeans with delight. "I wore my brother's old trousers only once when I was little - my fa
Evie let Sam help her from the bed. He had been bigger than her fingers, and her body was fully corporeal this time. There was a bit of tenderness between her legs, but sex with Sam had been worth every pang and twinge. He sat her on a stool in the bathroom with a glass of water while he disposed of the used condom then filled his oversized bathtub with water. The scent of lavender and vanilla perfumed the room as fluffy white bubbles foamed up in the tub."Here." He watched while she bundled her hair into the now-familiar plastic clip then handed her two small brown pills from a plastic bottle. "These are pain relievers. They may or may not work on you, but they shouldn't cause any harm.""Thank you." She swallowed the tablets, marveling at how far medicine had come since she was alive. Willow bark tea had done some good but it had tasted horrible. These pills she couldn't even taste. "It doesn't hurt badly - and I don't regret it for a moment." He hadn't asked but she'd learned to
"Let's make sure it was worth the wait." Sam kissed Evie again, taking back control and making sure she knew just how much he wanted her. He pushed down her shorts then his and pulled back from the kiss just long enough to lift her top over her head. Once they were both naked, he cradled her head in one hand and her ass with the other as he kissed her until neither of them could breathe."Oh yes," she moaned against his lips when they came up for air.Evie sagged toward the bed, and Sam eased her down to the sheets and gazed at her, her pale skin glowing against the burgundy silk. He'd lit the candles again, their glow adding a burnished gleam to her skin and hair. Soft jazz played in the background and the scent of vanilla perfumed the room. The setting was as perfect as he could make it, though not as perfect as Evie. He lay down beside her and kissed her again, this time with all the reverence he was feeling.Her response was electric, sending jolts of pleasure through his skin a
He spent awhile working on his computer but couldn't concentrate. Forcing himself to wait until eleven to start preparing, he gave up trying to work. Instead, he spent a while sketching Evie in various poses, including some he'd only imagined, like outside on a rope swing under a willow tree. Finally, with just an hour more to wait, Sam went upstairs, put the new silk sheets he'd bought onto his bed and arranged the roses he'd smuggled into the fridge before she'd come into the kitchen. He had a pair of silk pajamas for her to wear between her appearances this time, and had carefully hand washed her own garments so they'd be ready when it was time for her to leave. He left a bottle of massage oil warming in a sink of hot water and went back downstairs to prepare her treat - a lightly baked wheel of brie with an apricot glaze and a warmed baguette. A crisp white wine waited in the fridge.Tonight he had an hour and a half. He was still determined not to take her virginity until tomorro