Page 11 of Lady Elinor’s Elf

Elinor’s heart stopped beating for one long moment, and then rapidly picked up its pace after Caleb’s words. It was the look on his face, the soft need, the way his eyes dropped to her lips…

“Breathe, Elinor…”

She sucked in air. “Yes. Kiss me. Oh please, Caleb… kiss me …”

His arms tightened even more, crushing her against his chest as he slid a hand up to her chin and positioned her just where he wanted her.

It was a light touch at first, a brushing of lips against lips, so marvellous that she parted them instinctively and closed her eyes.

Within seconds, it became something else entirely.

Her mind blanked as his tongue swept into her mouth, demanding, encouraging, tasting…

The moan that followed shocked her, since it had come from her own throat and had started somewhere else within her.

Stunned by his passion, and her own response, Elinor let herself tumble into their embrace.

She moved in his arms, pulling free, catching her breath, and leaning back in, lips parted this time, eager to taste him again, to lose herself in this wonderful, burgeoning fire he was stoking somewhere deep inside her body.

It was as if they moved in concert, her arms rising to encircle his neck, her fingers grasping his hair, thick silk sliding through in a sensual wave of pleasure.

For his part, Caleb’s hands were on her back, low on her back, but Elinor found the heat thrilling, her skin responding everywhere he touched.

Their bodies were crushed together, her breasts against his jacket, an arousing and unique sensation that made her shudder, and pull her mouth free of his so that she could gasp aloud.

“Caleb…”

She opened her eyes to see him watching her, his cheeks flushed, his lips shining from their kiss. “More…” She could have sworn his eyes turned fiery amber at her demand. “Please don’t stop…”

This time it was Caleb who groaned, crushing her to his chest, and sliding his hand further down her back to cup her bottom and pull her even more firmly into his arms.

“Ohhh…”

Delicious shivers racked her, she moved against him, every part of her alive and burning with some sort of excitement that was completely new to her.

His taste, his lips, the feel of their bodies as they clashed fiercely…

Elinor was swept away on a tide of emotions that ignited something new.

Something almost painful in its pleasure.

It wasn’t even in the same hemisphere as Sir Mortimer Hackenby’s disgusting attack, but could easily have been described in one of Lady Celata’s romances…

She froze. Dear God, she was doing it again. Creating a potential scandal. Should anyone have observed them? Her reputation would be completely and irrevocably ruined.

Pulling free of Caleb, she sucked in a harsh breath and turned away. But he wasn’t having any of that, and kept his hands on her.

“Ow,” she yelped. “Let me go.”

“No.” The word was firm. “Never.”

“But…”

“I know what you’re thinking, Elinor.” He ran his hands down her arms and caught her hands in his.

“You’re thinking that here you are again, kissing a gentleman in a garden.

And you’re also thinking that if observed, you’ll be shamed.

Again.” He dropped a light kiss on her nose. “And that, my sweet, is utter rot.”

“But…”

“Hush.” He lifted a hand to her hair and smoothed it so gently, bringing tears to her eyes.

“Caleb,” she whispered.

“I know. I look at you and I see magic, Elinor. Something I never even believed in until I met you.” He released her hands. “Am I bespelled? Have you practised any elfin spells here?”

She blinked, then frowned. “No, of course not. I don’t even know any elfin spells.”

“Didn’t Bronwen teach you any?”

She gasped and took a step backwards. “How…”

“I overheard the two of you talking some time ago.” He managed a brief chuckle.

“I had to wonder if I was imagining things when I saw only you walking alone.” He reclaimed her hands.

“Now? Now I understand.” He sighed and tucked her against him once more.

“And now I know what it’s like to hold you, and kiss you, and feel your heat in my arms?

I’m never letting you go, no matter what human or elf might try to come between us. ”

A sharp bark followed those words, as Carrádog galloped up to them, and promptly sat on his haunches, grinning at the two of them.

“Where have you been then?” Caleb glanced down. “Oh well. I hope you’ve been behaving yourself.” He shot a wicked grin at Elinor. “We certainly haven’t.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m on my head or my heels.”

“I can understand that, dear girl.” He eased them apart and once again linked her arm through his. “Let’s return to the house, shall we?” He glanced at her. “Slowly though. To give your lips time to recover.”

“Oh dear.” She licked them.

“Do that, my sweet, and they’ll be attacked again, most thoroughly, I can promise you.”

Elinor couldn’t help it. She smiled at him. “Oh, good.”

*~~*~~*

Caleb’s mind was whirling every bit as violently as his body, and it was taking a great deal of effort for him to remain calm. He was still absorbing the fact that this lovely young woman had actually spoken to otherworldly-creatures, not to mention the second fact.

Her kisses had brought him to his knees.

The minute her lips had touched his? It was as if lightning arrowed through his body, leaving a path of desire, and need, and God-knew-what in its wake.

He was no innocent, that was certain. He had done all the wild and foolish things young men do, and mostly successfully, too, which wasn’t always the case.

He’d loved, lost, and loved again. Often. And with vigour.

But never, ever, in his entire bachelor life, had a woman so affected him with a simple kiss.

She was indeed extraordinary.

And with that thought, came another. She was his . He stumbled a little as they walked back through the Molliney Park garden.

“Are you alright?” She glanced at him with a little frown.

“Yes, yes, of course, thank you. I must have caught my boot in a rabbit hole or something.”

Elinor raised an eyebrow and surveyed the smooth green lawns over which they strolled. “Why yes. That must be it, I’m sure.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you are very skilled in the fine art of sarcasm?”

“Not recently, no.” Her lips twitched as she did her best to suppress a giggle.

“I’m surprised,” he grinned back.

After a few moments, she sighed. “Am I a nuisance, Caleb?”

He thought about that. “Honestly? Yes, you probably are. But…” he squeezed her hand as it lay on his arm, “only to someone who isn’t interested in a vibrant conversation.

Or someone who cannot understand why you are conversing with him as an equal.

Someone who has no notion of the very fine mind you possess. ”

“Oh.”

“Let me ask you this, Elinor. Your friends. Do you have many young ladies amongst your acquaintances?”

“Well, now you come to mention it, actually no.”

“And other than myself, is there any gentleman who will listen to your ideas and discuss them, the way we discussed Childe Harold?”

She considered the question, then shook her head. “Only Papa. And he tends to override my arguments all too often,” She huffed out a little laugh. “Of course, to be fair, he’s most often right in his assertions.”

“Of course. He raised you, Elinor. He raised you to think.”

“Hmm.”

They walked silently for a few minutes, each busy with their thoughts. Then, as Molliney Park house came into view, he tugged her to a standstill.

“We have to make some decisions, my dear. Before we return to your home.”

Her bodice rose and fell as she took a deep breath. “Yes. You’re right. We do.”

“I would like to see you again, obviously. In fact, I am going to see you again, and often, come hell or high water.”

“We’ve had the high water,” she chuckled ruefully. “I’m not sure hell could be much worse.”

He grinned too. “There she is. The quick-witted young woman with the wonderful smile.”

“Uhh…” The colour rose delightfully on her cheeks.

“Well, here’s what I think we should do.” He began to walk again slowly, toward the house, with his arm still linked to hers.

“We shall begin an exciting project together.”

“Really?”

He nodded as the idea came to him and filled out nicely. “We are going to initiate a search for the beginnings of the Tylwyth Teg legends,”

“Oh,” she stumbled a little. “Oh, Caleb, that is utterly brilliant of you.”

“Thank you,” he smiled smugly. “I rather thought so myself.”

“So, given that search, I will, of course, visit you frequently, and you will visit Molliney Park as well. We will combine our research notes. And then…do what? Write a scholarly paper detailing what we find?”

“We could, I suppose…” his mind turned over ideas.

“It would be quite acceptable, I think…” she bit her lip, “and we could spend time together working on the research…”

“Of course.” He glanced down at her. “A lot of time. Together. Alone.”

His body quickened at the thought, and he cursed his tight breeches for a few minutes until he could regain his equilibrium.

“I have no idea, though, how to go about submitting such a paper for publication, or even if any reputable scientific organisation would be interested.”

Caleb smiled as the last piece of the pie fell into place. “No need to worry about that, sweetheart. We won’t write a paper at all.”

“We won’t?”

“No. We’ll write a novel .”