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Authors: Marteeka Karland
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here?”
“I’ve come to bring you home, Ellie.” His expression was unreadable, but not frightening or unkind as she might have been had he’d just socked the hell out of her with a cast-iron skillet. It was as if he were simply stating a fact she should accept without hesitation. Like nothing about this situation affected him in any way.
“I am home, and you still haven’t answered my first question. Who are you?”
He seemed to hesitate a moment before replying, “I am Devlin, a messenger from King Glendon. He sent me to bring you back to the Magical Forest.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes. She was distinctly aware he stood between her and the door. He had effectively cut off her escape route. “What the heck are you talking about?”
Devlin didn’t move for a very long time. He just stared at her, and Ellie started to squirm. He seemed to penetrate her soul with his gaze, measuring her up, and she had no idea if he found her lacking or not.
“You have his eyes, you know.” His face gave away little, but Ellie got the impression he hadn’t meant to say that. Something about the way his eyes widened slightly before he resumed his unreadable expression said as much. The statement startled her enough to ask the obvious rather than try to flee.
“I have whose eyes?”
“His majesty, King Glendon,” Devlin said, raising his head a notch. “I can see him in you. Your eyes are the same.”
“Why would you say that?” Ellie had to know what was going on, despite the surreal situation.
“You were raised in the human world, Ellsinore, but your heart knows there is more out there. You came to this place to find solitude and happiness in nature.” For the first time since he had appeared, Devlin took a deliberate step toward her and extended his hand. “Come see the magic of the Forest. I promise you won’t regret it.”
More than anything, Ellie wanted to take his hand and go wherever he led her, but she was a woman living alone in seclusion. She didn’t trust just any handsome face.
“As appealing as you are, Devlin, I’m not going anywhere with you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself before she could take his hand despite her objections. She was acutely aware of her nakedness as well as his. His muscles played underneath his skin, an erotic invitation she was actually eager to accept. For the first time since her mother died, Ellie found she actually craved the company of someone else.
Correction—not just any “someone.” She wanted to be with Devlin. Funny that, even though she had no idea who or what he was.
“You require an explanation.” He finally moved from his position in front of her door and raised an eyebrow at her. “Will you invite me in to stay and…” He grinned—the first voluntary show of emotion. “Talk.”
Ellie’s breath caught and her face heated in an instant. “Oh, my!” she whispered. Suddenly, urges Ellie had convinced herself she didn’t possess roared to life. She craved the touch of this man. She needed him like she needed to breathe. All sorts of erotic images charged through her mind with the force of a swelling river roaring to the sea.
She walked to him as if she were in a dream—maybe she was—and couldn’t stop her hands from resting on his chest for the briefest of moments. His skin was warm and beckoned her fingers to linger, but that was too personal. Too intimate. She didn’t know Devlin, didn’t know what he or his agenda was.
With a little sigh she couldn’t smother, Ellie stepped around Devlin. She needed some clothes. For the first time since she’d moved in, the house seemed cramped.
Ellie hurried down the tiny hallway past the bathroom to her bedroom. Hurriedly, she slid on a pair of panties and an oversized shirt. When she turned around, she ran smack into Devlin. Like running into a brick wall, she actually bounced off and landed on her butt in the middle of the floor.
“What are you?” She stared at
“I’ve come to bring you home, Ellie.” His expression was unreadable, but not frightening or unkind as she might have been had he’d just socked the hell out of her with a cast-iron skillet. It was as if he were simply stating a fact she should accept without hesitation. Like nothing about this situation affected him in any way.
“I am home, and you still haven’t answered my first question. Who are you?”
He seemed to hesitate a moment before replying, “I am Devlin, a messenger from King Glendon. He sent me to bring you back to the Magical Forest.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes. She was distinctly aware he stood between her and the door. He had effectively cut off her escape route. “What the heck are you talking about?”
Devlin didn’t move for a very long time. He just stared at her, and Ellie started to squirm. He seemed to penetrate her soul with his gaze, measuring her up, and she had no idea if he found her lacking or not.
“You have his eyes, you know.” His face gave away little, but Ellie got the impression he hadn’t meant to say that. Something about the way his eyes widened slightly before he resumed his unreadable expression said as much. The statement startled her enough to ask the obvious rather than try to flee.
“I have whose eyes?”
“His majesty, King Glendon,” Devlin said, raising his head a notch. “I can see him in you. Your eyes are the same.”
“Why would you say that?” Ellie had to know what was going on, despite the surreal situation.
“You were raised in the human world, Ellsinore, but your heart knows there is more out there. You came to this place to find solitude and happiness in nature.” For the first time since he had appeared, Devlin took a deliberate step toward her and extended his hand. “Come see the magic of the Forest. I promise you won’t regret it.”
More than anything, Ellie wanted to take his hand and go wherever he led her, but she was a woman living alone in seclusion. She didn’t trust just any handsome face.
“As appealing as you are, Devlin, I’m not going anywhere with you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself before she could take his hand despite her objections. She was acutely aware of her nakedness as well as his. His muscles played underneath his skin, an erotic invitation she was actually eager to accept. For the first time since her mother died, Ellie found she actually craved the company of someone else.
Correction—not just any “someone.” She wanted to be with Devlin. Funny that, even though she had no idea who or what he was.
“You require an explanation.” He finally moved from his position in front of her door and raised an eyebrow at her. “Will you invite me in to stay and…” He grinned—the first voluntary show of emotion. “Talk.”
Ellie’s breath caught and her face heated in an instant. “Oh, my!” she whispered. Suddenly, urges Ellie had convinced herself she didn’t possess roared to life. She craved the touch of this man. She needed him like she needed to breathe. All sorts of erotic images charged through her mind with the force of a swelling river roaring to the sea.
She walked to him as if she were in a dream—maybe she was—and couldn’t stop her hands from resting on his chest for the briefest of moments. His skin was warm and beckoned her fingers to linger, but that was too personal. Too intimate. She didn’t know Devlin, didn’t know what he or his agenda was.
With a little sigh she couldn’t smother, Ellie stepped around Devlin. She needed some clothes. For the first time since she’d moved in, the house seemed cramped.
Ellie hurried down the tiny hallway past the bathroom to her bedroom. Hurriedly, she slid on a pair of panties and an oversized shirt. When she turned around, she ran smack into Devlin. Like running into a brick wall, she actually bounced off and landed on her butt in the middle of the floor.
“What are you?” She stared at
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