Enchanting Spring Read online

  “Yeah. The little ones need a chance, too.”

  She walked behind him, and he looked over her work, and he sat in a deep crouch. She sipped at the tea and then turned to go back to the stone bench. She set her cup down and drew her legs up on the seat with her arms wrapped around them.

  * * * *

  Damek glanced over at his little bird, and he smiled at the smudges of dirt that he was fairly sure she didn’t know were on her cheek and forehead. The wave of silky black hair that flowed around her contrasted with her bright purple eyes. He remembered how her body moved while she danced in front of the cacophony of the band, in a black bodysuit that outlined her as faithfully as the light turned her into a fantasy of a silhouette.

  He would never have guessed that she was kind to plants. She had not startled at the jackalope but, rather, conversed slightly with it before it left. She was not outrageously flirting with him but, rather, leaving his radius the moment that she could. He felt a little injured. Women threw themselves at him. Had he lost his allure over the centuries?

  * * * *

  Petal sat quietly, and she felt herself dozing. Then, she felt herself floating, and then, she was settling on a flat surface with a soft floaty covering over her.

  She breathed in deep and exhaled, slowly stretching herself out on the comfortable and springy surface. She was drowsy, and when a hand took hers, she didn’t flinch. She just lay there and let her body relax. The swimming had exhausted her. It was her first activity in months.

  She breathed slowly, and her consciousness drifted off on a white puffy cloud. Her brain was going to be sore in the morning.

  Petal got cold in the darkness. The blanket wasn’t enough, and she sat up. The moon streamed in, and she looked around, surprised when there was a man in the bed next to her, and he had her blanket!

  She tried to ease the fabric away from him but eventually gave up and wiggled in close to him. There was heat coming off him, and she got close without being in contact. Petal relaxed again and turned her back to him. With her back warm, she was able to relax enough to doze off again.

  * * * *

  Damek woke up when he felt a warm body pressing against his. He was pleased with her assertiveness until he noticed her shivering. Damn, I stole the blanket again.

  He sighed and covered her with the light blanket, wrapped an arm around her waist, and held her against his body. She stilled and snuggled in.

  He looked over to the fireplace, but this was a step in the right direction, so he didn’t activate a fire.

  She smelled like honey and lilacs. He brushed her hair from her face and smiled. The smudges of dirt were still there. She had the body of a woman and the heart of a child. There was none of the world-weary ennui that the fey women had come to him with in search of a slight thrill. This woman had been brought here with no expectations or idea of why. It was up to him to make her want him, and he had to tread carefully. This was not a woman for a night, she was for a lifetime, and he was just beginning to understand how that idea was making him feel.

  He didn’t even know her name.

  * * * *

  Petal woke up with a hand around her waist. She eased to her side and blinked. The golden guy from yesterday was still there. Either this was the longest-acting dream she had ever had, or she was somewhere that wasn’t home.

  She eased his hand off her and slid out from under his fingers, keeping them tucked in the blanket. The moon was still up, and she walked out to the tier she was on. She examined the flowers, some closed for the night, others open to greet her. The sound of the night made her sway, and soon, she was moving carefully on her bad leg. It held. She stepped and twisted on the ball of her foot, stepped again, skipped, and she was off.

  She moved in a joyous coil of energy and delight that had been dormant for ten weeks. She moved from tier to tier as the sun rose and the moon bid its goodbyes. When the light was burning away the shadows, she stopped and started looking back up the long walk to the upper tier where she had emerged from. She sighed and had a seat on the bench.

  She pulled her hair over her shoulder and started to weave it into a thick braid. It was definitely longer now.

  She heard the soft pat of feet and looked up to see the spring king walking toward her with a tea tray. He set it down. “I thought you said you didn’t dance.”

  “I wouldn’t have if I knew someone was watching. I just had to test my legs out again.”

  He set the tray down and poured her a cup of tea. “It was lovely, regardless.”

  “Um, thank you. I can’t believe that I can move again.” She chuckled. “Thank you for that.”

  He blushed. “I just brought you to the pool. You kept swimming until it healed.”

  She took the cup from him. “Still. Thank you. Even if I wake up and this was all a dream, it was still nice to have this little moment.”

  She sipped at the tea with him, and she looked around. “So, you live here alone?”

  “There are other castles, other kings, but most of the underfey who used to populate the woods have gone to your realm, and the high court has retreated beyond Underhill.”

  “So, you live here alone.”

  He nodded and chuckled. “Me and the jackalopes.”

  She smiled.

  “Occasionally, a horse wanders by, and I go for a ride.”

  She laughed.

  He looked at her and sighed. “Serious talk now. Have you ever considered combat training?”

  Petal blinked. “What?”

  “Combat training. If someone grabs you, you need to react faster.”

  She stared at him. “Yeah, I have thought about it a lot over the last few weeks. I have to wait until I get home to get started, though.”

  “Why?” As he spoke, he reached behind him and tied his loose hair together into a long tail.

  “Uh, because I need someone to practice hitting?”

  “I offer my body for you to practice on.”

  She swallowed. “I am not sure that is entirely appropriate considering my state of dress.”

  “What do your folk wear to work out?”

  Petal thought about all of the spandex she had in her closet, and she blushed. “Right. Um, pretty close to this. Fewer bows, though.”

  He looked and grinned. “When did your shoes come off?”

  “I have no idea. I didn’t like them, so I guess they are near the pool somewhere.”

  He nodded. “Good. It will be easier without them. There is a mossy clearing a few minutes away. It is a nice and soft landing space.”

  “Okay.” She looked down and then up again. “Um, do you have a name, or do I have to call you Spring King?”

  He smiled. “Call me Damek.”

  “Petal.”

  He froze. “Petal?”

  “Yes. It is a silly name, but it is mine.” She wrinkled her nose. “Please, Damek. Lead the way.”

  He blinked and offered her his hand. They walked on the soft grass into the woods, and he was right; a few minutes away was a clearing where there were dappled light and a thick loam covered in moss underfoot.

  She twisted her lips. “I am not quite sure how to do this.”

  “You were attacked, yes?”

  She swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Attack me in the same manner.”

  “Oh. Right.” She looked around and found a stick. She moved until his back was to her, and then, she pulled his arm and struck him in the leg.

  He grinned. “You can follow through on the strikes. If you hit me too hard, I will just take a swim.”

  She nodded, and then, he turned, and she did it again; the thwack of the stick against his leg was far different than her memory, but seeing it put in perspective leeched a bit of the fear out of it.

  He nodded. “Nice strike. Now, you don’t have as much upper body strength as the average male, so we are going to have to work on balance. That you have.”
/>   She snorted. “I have muscle tone.”

  “But not combat strength, so you need to rely on quick strikes. That is what we will work on today.”

  He showed her how to make a fist, and the rest of the morning was spent punching the spring king.

  She tried to punch him, missed, and he caught her. She groaned, and he chuckled.

  “Come on. We will refresh in the pool and then return to practice your kicks. You do have quite a bit of lower-limb strength.”

  He offered her his hand, and they walked through the woods to the pool. Petal dove into the water and surfaced to see Damek shed his vest, drop his trousers, and do a cannonball into the healing pool.

  Petal spluttered, and he surfaced near her. Very near her. She blinked and held onto the ribbon that covered her. It had suddenly loosened up.

  He smiled. “That is better. Once you got the hang of it, you really mastered the throat strikes.”

  She wasn’t sure where to look. The water was very clear, and he was very... well put together.

  She met his gaze, and he was amused. His hair was slicked back, and his ears were prominent. “I am glad that I managed some progress. Toward the end, I could barely raise my arms.”

  She was treading water, and he moved in close and then frowned.

  “What the hell is that?” He lifted his hand, and the translucent end of the pink ribbon was in his hand.

  “Um, I think I am going to need an assist with clothing when I get out. The ribbon seems to have abandoned me.”

  His eyes gleamed hot green, and he took a deep breath, backing away slightly. “I can help with that.”

  Her blush felt like the water should be boiling around her. Being nearly naked had been just that. Nearly naked. Not naked. This was different.

  She muttered, “I am just going to untie my hair a bit and use that to cover up in the meantime.”

  He reached out and pulled her to him. “Don’t cover up. You are beautiful.”

  His kiss was slow, and he gave her every opportunity to flinch or retreat. Petal tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes as their lips made contact. Kissing while treading water was outside her experience, so as she started to sink, she pushed away. Damek lifted his head, held her around the waist, and pushed them a few feet to the left. He held her against him and murmured, “Let’s try that again.”

  She looked him in the eye and made a decision based on how she was feeling at that moment. She closed the distance, and the kiss started again.

  Chapter Three

  Petal started with Damek holding her, but as the kiss went from a brush of lips to open mouths, she brought her hands up to hold his shoulders. He kept an arm around her back, and the other was braced against the stones on the side of the pool.

  She cuddled closer to him. When he teased her tongue with his, she wrapped her leg around his thigh. His erection was wedged between them, and she kept herself from rubbing on it. The cool wrap of water kept her from grinding against him. Her body wanted to change gears, but the temperature around her was stopping it from happening.

  She shivered, and he lifted his head. Petal swallowed and backed away. “Right, so that was a thing.”

  “Is that how you would describe it?”

  “I am not usually called to describe anything.” She shrugged. “I don’t get out much.”

  “You are joking.”

  She blushed and moved away. “I was a late bloomer and missed a lot of social events. By the time I was ready to socialize, they were all paired up.”

  She was several feet away from him when she turned and swam back to the exit stones. She pushed herself up on her arms and turned around to sit with her legs in the water. She hunched over and pulled her shoulders forward like she used to.

  He floated over to her and put his hands to either side of her. He pushed himself easily out of the water like a freaking merman. “You are really uneasy?”

  She looked him in the eye, and she said, “No. I am not. That is the problem. Haven’t you ever wanted to take a leap because everything in you was screaming to and a tiny part of you suggested that it might be fun, but it might be the biggest regret of your life?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I have. But, I find that the regret I would live with is far greater than the risk of the moment. The regret I fear is that of lost opportunities. Some things come just once in a lifetime, and I believe this moment is one of those times.”

  Damek smiled. “At the worst, this is a hallucination, and at best, you get a lover enthralled by every move you make.”

  Petal gave him a direct look. “You will tell me if I do anything wrong?”

  He blinked and then nodded. “I will. Will you tell me if you don’t like something I do?”

  She nodded. “I will, but can we do it later? I want to practice my kicks. Oh. Wait.” She looked down and realized that kicking someone while naked would cause a bit of jiggling.

  He kissed her quickly, dropped back in the water, and exited to her right. He put on his trousers and tied the drawstring, then held up his loose vest. “This should do. Stand up.”

  She got up and walked over to him. He slid the vest on her shoulders, and then, the fabric started to move.

  She was soon wearing a mini-dress with slits on the thighs and a cowled neckline that dipped lower than she would like.

  “There. All covered.”

  She looked down. “Not if I take long steps. There is a distinct draft.”

  He grinned. “Then, you will be careful not to overextend during the kicks.”

  Petal chuckled. “That is probably true.”

  He took her hand, and they headed back to the clearing where they practiced her kicks until she struck his knee hard enough to have him limping back to the healing pool, and she had to help him disrobe before he let himself fall in.

  Petal held his trousers, and she saw the moment that the pool helped his leg back into alignment. “I am so sorry.”

  He laughed and smiled. “I am not. Jump in. You don’t want to be sore when your muscles rebel.”

  She grabbed the bottom of the dress and peeled it off over her head. She jumped into the water and swam near him. “Is it any better?”

  “It is, and you did an excellent follow-through.” He swam easily past her, and she turned to follow him.

  Damek had stopped behind her, and they were now face to face. Petal looked into his warm green eyes, and she sank into the water before popping herself up. She mumbled, “I am not really good with eye contact.”

  He caught her and pulled her against him, keeping them both up easily. “We will work on that.”

  The kiss started sweet, moved to hot, and progressed to carnal. Pressed fairly fully against him, Petal threaded her fingers through his hair and cuddled him as her tongue slid against his, and the taste of him sank into her memory.

  She caught on to the feeling of motion, and he lifted her to the edge of the pool and parted her thighs. Petal had to fight the conflicting sensation of being cool, wet, hot, and then the hard stroke of his tongue against her sex. She squeaked in surprise, and the second stroke brought forward a moan. Damek slid a finger into her and slid it in and out of her while he licked at her clit. The second finger made her wince, but he continued, and she started to shake. When her release came, she let out a long, low moan, and her body twitched.

  Her body pulsed softly around his fingers, and he lapped at her again before withdrawing his digits. She was stunned as he slid his fingers into his mouth and licked them clean. He set his hands next to her hips, lunged out of the water, and kissed her. She thought she would taste herself, but it was just him. It was either that, or she just sought out anything to do with him.

  Her breathing was still erratic when he left the pool, and he helped her to her feet. Her knees were still shaking.

  She looked at him as he collected their clothing and muttered, “Well, that is fair.”

  He looked at he
r curiously.

  “I took out your knee; you took out mine.”

  Damek laughed and walked up to her. “I think a quicker travel home.”

  Green leaves surrounded them, and when they faded, Petal was on the third tier of his home, still naked and still in his arms.

  She slowly looked up at him, and he leaned in to kiss her again. She put a hand on his chest. “So, we are continuing this?”

  He paused and nodded. “Unless you would not like to.”

  She cocked her head. “Is it different if you are inside me?”

  The air gusted out of him in a blast. “Yes, yes, it is.”

  Petal smiled and stroked her hand over his chest. “Then we should probably try it.”

  He bent and lifted her into his arms and carried her inside. “If my lady insists.”

  He settled her in the centre of the bed and caged her between his hands on either side of her.

  “What are you doing?” She was getting nervous.

  “I am determining where to start. I think here is good.”

  He kissed her until she was limp, and when her body was humming with warmth, he licked his way down her neck, and then, her breasts were laved and nibbled one by one. He slid his fingers into her again while he was on her breasts, and when she arched and shivered again, he exhaled softly.

  She blinked when he got off her and squeaked when he rolled her to her side. He spooned in behind her and lifted her right leg. She felt something thicker than his fingers pressing into her, and his fingers were on her clit, circling slowly. His hips rocked, and the pressure built and eased in an endless wave of building pleasure and slight discomfort.

  When his lips closed over her ear, she thought it was odd, but when his tongue scraped across the top of her ear, she gasped, and her hips flexed against him, taking him past the point of resistance, and he slid home.

  She gasped and clutched the bedding beneath her. “What was that?”

  He murmured, “I took an educated guess. Your eyes are distinctive.”