The Beltane Witch (Cloudburst Colorado) Read online

  Anger surged, only because she’d hit the truth dead on, but he smothered it. His motives strayed far from pure and even the Summer Queen had suggested he seduce Sabrina’s cooperation.

  “Wait, Lady Foxglove.” He caught her wrist as she tried to pass. She stopped and stared down at him, anger swirling in her lavender eyes. “I never intended to coerce you with the use of intimate relations. As I said, I don’t know what came over me. Please, come back and sit down. You need your strength.”

  “For Beltane, I know.”

  “No, for running your own household.” He gave her a half smile. “You strike me as a woman who rarely takes a break from her hectic schedule. Please.” He stood and pulled out her chair. “Come back and finish your breakfast. Food and rest are the best for fast healing. Please.”

  He’d never said please so much in his life, but he’d never wanted anyone’s company as much as he wanted Sabrina’s. In just two days, he’d grown attached to her and found himself wanting to help her more than do his duty.

  And therein lies trouble and despair.

  Sabrina hesitated, her expression suspicious, but she returned to her chair and picked up her fork. Darius breathed a subtle sigh of relief.

  “Why are you here, Darius?” Sabrina grasped her tea mug and held it like a shield in front of her.

  “To help you.”

  “Yeah, but why? What is your motivation? Do you think making my children like you will convince me to do your bidding?” Her expression remained flat and he hoped he hadn’t walked into a trap.

  “I’d never use your children against you.” The idea curdled his stomach. Even he’d never sunk so low.

  “Then why? You hardly know me. I’m sure you’ve met hundreds of single mothers. What makes me different from all of them?”

  What, indeed?

  “I don’t think I can explain it to your satisfaction. Duty requires me to convince you and I’m nothing without my duty.” And the threat from the Summer Queen. “However, I respect your reasons for choosing not to do the rituals, and your persistence in declining the honor.”

  “I hear a monumental ‘but’ coming.”

  “Not at all. I won’t coerce you into doing the rituals.”

  “You won’t?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “No, but I won’t give up trying to convince you.” He winked and grinned. “I’m convinced you must do the rituals. You’re convinced you won’t perform them. We shall see who wins the battle of wills over the next few days.”

  “And if you don’t convince me?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” In truth, his gut clenched in concern at the idea, but he nodded gamely and hoped for all involved she’d agree to his request.

  “Mommy! I wanna hang my wreath on the back door, but Tansy said she’s gonna put hers there.” Holly’s wail preceded her appearance in the kitchen, her face creased in a scowl.

  Sabrina sighed and swallowed some of her tea. “Do you remember what Darius said, girls? He said the Goddess would make it very clear where each wreath should go.”

  Darius’s chest tingled with pleasure and he rubbed the warm spot between the muscles in surprise. Don’t be ridiculous. If course she remembered what I said. But the pleasure remained.

  “But, Mom…”

  “Don’t ‘but, Mom’ me, Tansy.” Sabrina plucked the wreath from her eldest’s hands and stopped in the center of the kitchen, closing her eyes. “Hmm. I think this one should go on the back door to the yard because the cones will ward off dangerous spirits.” Tansy lifted her chin and gave her sister a superior smirk.

  “That’s not fair,” Holly grumbled.

  “And yours, Holly, I think should go on the door to the garage so it’s the first thing we see when we get home and the last thing we see as we leave. All those cheery ribbons will definitely be good luck.”

  Darius admired the way she’d pleased both girls and deflected an argument. Not unlike the efforts he often had to make among the courtiers at Court.

  “Let’s hang these on their hooks.”

  “Does mine go on the sucker hook?” Tansy asked, marching toward the sliding glass door.

  “Suction, and yes. We’ll hang it there. Did you attach a hanger ribbon?”

  Darius cleared the table as Sabrina helped the girls hang the wreaths on the doors. When Holly complained her wreath hung wrong, Sabrina lifted her up so she could rearrange it to her satisfaction. Darius enjoyed watching Sabrina work with her children and the yearning returned stronger than before. He wanted this, to be part of a family again, complete with squabbles and intrusions. While the Court offered a similar experience, the smiles meant less than nothing and promises broke like spider silk. He could depend on few, and truly trust no one. Particularly not with his heart.

  “Do you like it?” Holly’s voice broke Darius’s reverie.

  “Sorry?”

  “Do you like it, Darius?” She dragged him over to the garage door and proudly pointed at the garish wreath.

  “I think it’s perfect, Miss Holly.” The little girl beamed and he swore some ice melted off his heart.

  “All right, who’s up for making Deviled Eggs?” Sabrina called.

  “Meeee!” Holly raced back into the kitchen and joined her sister and mother at the table.

  Darius watched in amazement as Sabrina organized the girls into specific tasks. Holly got to crack and peel the eggs while Tansy crushed the hard yolks with a fork. The girls laughed and chattered all the while and by the time Sabrina spooned the yellow concoction into the egg white halves, Holly’s fingers matched her wreath.

  “Go wash your hands, Holly.”

  “Mom, I have egg on my hands, too.” Tansy scowled at her gritty fingers.

  Sabrina sighed as she finished the last of the Deviled Eggs. “Wash your hands in the kitchen sink.”

  “I can’t reach it.”

  “I’ll help you, Miss Tansy.” Darius steered the girl to the sink by her elbow then lifted her until she could reach the faucet.

  “I like having you here. You’re nice to me and my mom and my sister.” She smiled up at him as she scrubbed her hands. “Not like Tommy.”

  “Who’s Tommy?” Darius tried to keep his tone casual.

  “He lived here before Mom brought Holly home. I’m glad he’s gone, but Mom was sad.” Tansy shut off the water.

  “Is she still sad?”

  “Sometimes, but not as much as when Tommy left. I’m glad he did, though.”

  Darius held back a growl and gently set Tansy down to dry her hands. “Tommy didn’t treat you well?”

  “No, he didn’t play with me at all. And he liked to drink stinky water a lot.”

  “‘Stinky water?’ What’s that?”

  “I don’t know, but it comes in a tall bottle and has a pirate on the front. It looks like ginger ale, but it doesn’t smell like it.” She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. “Tommy used to drink it all the time.”

  Darius didn’t know the libation Tansy described, but he suspected it had to do with the common love of alcohol amongst the humans. The Elves tended to swill wines of various types, but eschewed the other forms of fermented liquids.

  “Do you drink the stinky water?” Tansy waited for his answer with a serious expression and Darius hastened to reassure her.

  “While I’m not familiar with that particular beverage, I don’t believe I drink such things.” He smiled at the relief playing across her face. “I do like apple cider and grape juice, though.”

  “Really? Me, too!” Tansy darted back to the kitchen table. “Mom, Darius likes apple cider and grape juice just like me.”

  Sabrina glanced up from sprinkling the eggs with paprika. “Does he? That’s wonderful, sweetie.”

  “I like him a lot better than Tommy. He does stuff with us.”

  Resignation filled her lavender eyes, but she smiled at her daughter. “I like him better, too, Tansy.”

  An unreasonable amount of joy an
d pride washed through Darius and he resisted the urge to preen under her praise. Instead, he surveyed the platters covered in red, gold, and white eggs, daunted by the sheer number of them.

  “What more needs to be done here?”

  “We’ll cover them with plastic wrap and throw them in the fridge.” Sabrina pointed to the long narrow box on the table as Holly returned far less colorful.

  “Can we do the May Pole ribbons now?”

  “Yep, it’s the next thing.”

  Darius wanted to ask more about the man who’d been in Sabrina’s life before, but the moment disappeared before the excitement of picking out the colorful ribbons for the pole. While her children argued the merits of each color, Sabrina measured out the proper lengths for the pole in her backyard.

  “How many are we gonna do this year, Mom?” Tansy asked as she surveyed the different colors.

  “Well, we need one for each of us, one for Darius, and one for the Goddess.”

  Holly grabbed a brilliant yellow ribbon. “I want yellow.”

  “Very well done, Miss Holly.” Darius examined the ribbon. “A fine choice.”

  “Are you really going to dance around the May Pole, Darius?” Tansy picked up a summer green ribbon.

  “If your mother invites me, I’d be honored.” He reached for a navy blue ribbon and glanced at Sabrina. “Am I?”

  “We’d love to have you at our Beltane celebration, Darius. Which color would you like?” Sabrina grasped a coral pink ribbon and measured it out.

  “Navy for the vast night sky.”

  “Oooh, pretty.” Holly set it next to the length of yellow. “Look, Mommy, it looks like a bumblebee. What color do you want?”

  “I think I’ll take this lovely pink one, and…” She picked up a lavender ribbon. “This one will be for the Goddess.”

  Darius had a sudden vision of Sabrina dancing before the bonfire wrapped in nothing but her rich hair and the ribbons from the Pole. Her hips and breasts swayed seductively and his cock thickened with joyful anticipation. Oh, to be her mate for the night of glorious celebration. The yearning returned full force and he pressed his hand between his pectoral muscles.

  “Are you all right, Darius?”

  Good heavens, could she see the swelling in his trousers?

  He cleared his throat and tried to smile. “Yes, of course. Shall we affix the ribbons to the Pole?”

  “I’ll get my coat!”

  “Me too!” The girls took off to find their outer garments and Darius hoped to find his composure as Sabrina gathered up the ribbons.

  “Can you grab the stepladder, Darius? It’s just inside the garage.”

  He’d never been so grateful to be sent on a mundane errand in his life. Get a hold of yourself, man. Between the odd yearning and the sexual attraction he experienced around Sabrina, he swore he’d lost his mind. The last time he’d been this out of control, he’d been a boy of twenty years. At two hundred and eight, he expected more decorum from himself.

  The bracing cold and manual labor should do the trick. He gathered the stepladder and his cloak before they all trouped outside, the girls running through the patchy snow with exuberance. Darius took a deep breath, hoping to cool his arousal as they set to work, the girls shouting instructions in between gathering little sticks for the fire.

  Sabrina’s cheeks turned rosy in the frigid air as she worked and the weak sunlight peeking through the clouds sparkled off her hair. Instead of dousing his ardor, his mind filled with images of warming her up beside the fire and teasing her with hot tea or chocolate. His cock saluted to the idea and strained the seams of his pants.

  Dammit, she’s just a human witch. Whom he liked, admired, and respected. He thought again of Tansy’s explanation of Tommy and his fury rose to engulf his arousal. At least my cockstand has retreated. But the idea of someone leaving a woman like Sabrina prompted an old anger. A rage he kept burning for the man who’d left his mother with three sons.

  And what makes me any different?

  Darius had never committed to a woman and promised to stay. He’d only had one night liaisons with the lasses to avoid such entanglements. He wanted the pleasure without the concern of breaking a promise like his father had broken to his mother. Darius didn’t believe in celibacy, but he did believe in commitment, and he’d never give his until he found the one woman he couldn’t live without.

  And it’s not bloody likely. The only commitment he needed from Sabrina concerned the rituals. Afterwards, they’d be free of each other.

  He resolutely ignored the hollow feeling following his thoughts.

  Chapter Six

  Sabrina finished the supper time dishes and hung her apron on the hook in the pantry as she thought over the day. It had been productive with the Beltane preparations. The girls had been delighted to have Darius’s help, and Sabrina had to admit she enjoyed it as well. He’d helped tie the ribbons to the May Pole, chop vegetables for the crock pot stew, and decorate the house with pine boughs filled with dried flowers.

  But the best part had been when he chopped the wood for the fire.

  Sabrina gripped the edge of the sink as she closed her eyes in remembered pleasure. Darius had removed his shirt as the day warmed and the pale sunlight glistened on his shoulders. Sabrina had forgotten what she’d been doing when he swung the axe. Each motion made the muscles of his back, shoulders, and arms ripple in the light and she damn near swallowed her tongue.

  No man should be so beautiful.

  The grace and power in his body as he chopped the wood sent juices flooding to her pussy and she’d wished for a moment to see him naked, proudly erect, and hot for her. She had to shove her hands into the snow to keep herself from overheating or reaching out to stroke his back.

  You’re just overreacting to being celibate for so long. Still, the rumble of his voice filtering through the house as he spoke to her daughters before bed sent pleasure skipping through her. She dried her hands and followed his voice to Holly’s bedroom where he read her a story.

  Sabrina paused on the threshold, reluctant to interrupt the tableau before her. Darius read a llama rhyming book and Holly giggled in delight at the funny pictures. Sabrina’s heart melted, aching with the wish for his presence to be reality instead of temporary.

  What’s wrong with me? I’ve never needed a man before and I won’t start now.

  But when he kissed Holly goodnight on her forehead and tucked the blankets up to her chin, Sabrina’s throat closed and she had to look away before she cried.

  “Mommy, Darius read me the Mama Llama book and he did funny voices.”

  “Funny voices?” Darius jammed his hands on his hips and gave her a mock glare. “I’ll have you know mah accent doesna change jest ta please ya.” Each new iteration of his voice sent Holly into fits of giggles and Sabrina chuckled along with her.

  “See? He’s funny, Mommy.”

  “Yes, he is, but looks aren’t everything.”

  Darius gasped in dramatic horror, setting Holly off again.

  “Fine. Perhaps I shall just go chop more wood for the fire.” He raised his chin and stomped toward the doorway, winking at Sabrina as he passed.

  Her face heated and she wondered how he knew what she’d been thinking of earlier. She sat down on the bed and kissed her daughter goodnight, tucking the blankets around her shoulders.

  “Mommy?”

  “Yes, Holly.”

  “I like Darius. He’s fun.” Holly smiled and wiggled deeper into her covers. “I wish he could stay.”

  Me, too. “I like Darius, too. Get some sleep. I love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mommy.”

  Sabrina switched off the lights and closed the door most of the way, her mind churning over her houseguest. Wishing him to stay is ridiculous. He’s a player, a charmer, and temporary. Reality stuck its barbs firmly into her happy bubble and she retreated to the kitchen to brew some tea. Maybe an electric tea.

  Darius sat at the table, his hands wrapped aro
und a steaming mug and his expression far away. Sabrina thought she saw sorrow in his eyes, but his face smoothed into a smile when he caught sight of her.

  “Are they abed?”

  “Yes, finally.” Sabrina pointed at the second mug on the table. “Is that for me?”

  “Yes, I thought you’d like it.” Darius gestured to the chair beside him at the table. “Come sit for awhile, Sabrina.”

  “Thank you.” She took the chair and ran her hands through her hair as she inhaled the sweet scent of peppermint tea. “Peppermint. Perfect for a trying-to-be spring night. And my favorite.”

  “Is it?” He offered his charming smile. “I’ve always liked its soothing qualities. I’m glad to know I chose well.”

  “You’ve been a great help today. Thanks.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Yeah, right.” Sabrina snorted.

  “No, truly, Sabrina. I enjoyed decorating with your children and you. It’s been a long time since I’ve prepared for Beltane in such a simple way.” When she raised an eyebrow, he added hastily, “I mean not for the Court. Like we used to at my home, with my mother and brothers.”

  “You have family?” Sabrina sipped her tea and let the mint soothe her.

  Sadness briefly flashed across his face. “I no longer see them very much, but my brother still holds our estates outside of the Fae city of Na’ersindel.” He shrugged. “We have drifted apart with the death of my mother several decades ago.”

  “I’m sorry, Darius.”

  He dismissed it with a wave. “No matter. It’s in the past. Today has been a good day. Thank you for including me.”

  Sabrina chuckled. “Well, I couldn’t exactly exclude you when I didn’t feel very well this morning. And there’s no way I could’ve chopped the wood with my head pounding.”

  “Speaking of which, how are you feeling now?”

  “I’m fine. I think the swelling’s gone down, too.”

  “Let me see.”

  He rose and stepped behind her, his hands sliding over her scalp as he searched for the lump. She hissed when he hit a tender spot and he murmured an apology, tucking her hair behind her ears. She allowed herself to enjoy the tender gesture.