Shifters, Beasts, and Monsters (25 page)

Thrusting her groin against
his one final time she was finally given sweet release, her pussy clutching his
cock as she let go. The leg which she had around his waist she used to help
pull him into her as tightly as possible. "Shamus," she moaned
gasping. Spent she was tempted to release him, but he wasn't finished with her
quite yet.

Shamus bent his head down and
kissed her soundly, bringing her back to the task at hand. His throbbing cock
was still inside her, also needing release.

Giving him a coy grin she
hoisted herself up to him and began to thrust with him once more. Their bodies
worked at a frantic pace. Suzanne lifted her head up to nip at the side of his
neck and chest as they rocked against each other.

"Almost there
honey," Shamus declared as he gave a hard, fast thrust, then another, the
water splashing around them, over them, between them. Harder. Faster. Finally,
one last thrust as Shamus grabbed her ass and pulled her in tight against him.
His cock filled her completely as he released.

Panting, Shamus let go of
her, letting her body sink to the bottom of the tub.

Looking Shamus up and down,
Suzanne laughed. Virtually every inch of him was now covered in the tiny white
bubbles.

Chuckling, Shamus took the
back of his hand and splashed a little water over at her as he leaned back
against his side of the tub, placing her legs up over his like before, and
resumed massaging her calves.

Closing her eyes, Suzanne
laid her head back against the inflated sea shell, enjoying the feel of his
hands and the warmth of the fragranced water. She was about to doze off, fully
content and satisfied when Shamus broke her from her tranquil state.

"I have to leave for a
while," Shamus announced, regret heavy in his voice.

"Go?" Suzanne's
eyes sprung open as she struggled to sit up, causing more water to spill over
the edge. She quickly looked to the floor, making a face. It looked as if the
room had been flooded; it was going to take some time to clean up later. She
returned her attention back to Shamus. "Now?"

Taking hold of her outer thighs
he pulled her close to him. "I have a couple of charges that have to be
taken care of; they've been piling up since we met."

Suzanne wanted to protest,
but every moment she wasn't at work she had spent with him during the past
couple of weeks. He had been at her beck and call since the first day they'd
made love. She knew it wasn't healthy or fair to expect him to be there when he
had other obligations. Instead she smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck and
placed a light kiss on the cleft of his chin.

"All right, I'll be here
waiting for you when you get home." She gave him a coy smile, licked her
bottom lip suggestively and settled back against her side of the tub.

She heard him chuckle as he
stood and cautiously stepped out of the tub. She watched him as he left the
bathroom, his body glistening as the water cascaded down his well-defined back,
tight ass and thick powerful thighs.

Less than five minutes later
she knew he was gone. Not because she could no longer hear him moving around
the apartment, but because she felt a hollowness. As if she'd lost a part of
herself. Perhaps not lost, so much as... misplaced. She tended to always feel
that way when he was not around.

A smile touched her lips as
she thought of him. She had indeed been a lucky woman to have him pop into her
life. Destined or not.

A knock at the door
interrupted her tranquility. She groaned inwardly, not wanting to leave her
watery sanctuary.
Ignore it, they'll go away
, she told herself as she
began to settle back against the tub.

Knock, knock
.

Suzanne groaned out loud this
time, dipping her head under the water to drown out the sound.

Knock, knock
.

"Suzanne," a male
voice she didn't recognize called from outside her front door, "I have to
talk to you. It's of the utmost importance."

Suzanne resurfaced and
sighed. "I'm busy at the moment," she called back. "Could you
please come back another time?" Satisfied that would be the end of her
guest she leaned against the back of the tub again, her head resting against the
air pillow.

"I need to speak with
you now," the voice persisted, "it's about Shamus."

Chapter 8

The voice had said the magic
words. Suzanne's eyes sprang open. Quickly, she leapt out of the tub. She raced
to the bathroom door where her thick white terrycloth robe hung.

"Ouch," she yelped
as she slipped and fell flat on her rump in the middle of the soaked bathroom
floor. With a groan, she clutched the end of the bathroom sink and pulled
herself to her feet taking care not to slip a second time.

"Miss Winters," the
voice called again.

"Coming!" Suzanne
couldn't help the harsh edge her tone took. As seemed to be the norm, when
Shamus wasn't in the vicinity her luck seemed to take a turn for the worse:
bruised rump, case in point.

Who could it be? Who even
knew she and Shamus were together? She hadn't said a word yet to any of her
friends or family. A combination of lack of time and for some reason she still
wanted to keep him to herself. At least for just a little while longer.

Suzanne slipped on the robe
and tied it securely around her waist as she ran for the door, just as the
visitor was starting his next round of knocking. Unlocking the deadbolt, she
flung the door open to come face to face with a devilishly handsome mystery
man.

While Shamus was sexy in a
raw, sexual way, this mystery man was boy-next-door handsome. Dark hair and
eyes similar to Shamus, but his face had a very youthful look to it. His eyes
spoke of having years of wisdom under his belt, more years than his physical
appearance could possibly lead you to believe.

Giving him a quick once-over
she was pretty certain she knew exactly who he was. He was wearing a green
turtleneck, with a black sweater-vest, black trousers and the same black shoes
with the ghastly gold buckle as Shamus wore. She looked to his hand and saw the
exact gold and emerald ring on his left index finger that Shamus wore.

He was a leprechaun.

"We need to talk,"
he stated firmly.

Leprechauns are quite an
attractive bunch
, Suzanne found herself thinking as he brushed
past her, not waiting for an invitation and began walking towards her living
room.
This one isn't much for manners though.
Shutting the door Suzanne
followed him into the living room where he was already reclining comfortably in
her armchair.

"As I said, we need to
have a talk," the leprechaun said as Suzanne seated herself on the sofa
across from him.

"Ya, I got that
already," she replied, eyeing him suspiciously. She tightened the
terrycloth robe around her, feeling quite underdressed.

"The name is Cass. Good
to meet you." Cass leaned forward bracing his elbows on his knees,
watching her intently.

"So what is the problem
with Shamus?"

"Well, I'm going to need
you to stop seeing him." The reply was matter-of-fact, as if he didn't
expect her to question his request...or order.

Suzanne laughed. "You
are
joking?"

"Not in the least. His
involvement with you is interfering with his work. I cannot allow that, so I
need you to tell him this thing you two have is over. Done."

Suzanne quit laughing. He was
serious. She wasn't sure which emotion she felt more of: anger or shock. He had
some nerve to come into her home and not just ask, but
demand
she end
her relationship with Shamus! Cheeky bugger indeed!

"I'm sorry,"
Suzanne shook her head, "I won't do it. Shamus is a grown man. He can make
up his own mind." She clutched the robe tighter around her.
"Actually, I resent you even coming here to suggest it."

Cass sighed, reclining back
into the chair and crossing his left ankle over his right knee. "How much
has Shamus told you about us?"

"Enough," Suzanne
retorted, though in truth not even close to enough, in her opinion. She wasn't
about to share that information with the stranger across from her however.

"Has he told you that if
he stays with you he'll die?"

Suzanne's blue eyes widened.
"No. No, he hasn't."

"Well he will. He'll
live a human's lifespan, age as a human would and eventually die. He'll be
lucky to live another sixty human years!"

Suzanne's brow furrowed.
"So how old
is
Shamus?"

The leprechaun across from
her thought for a moment. "Two-hundred and some odd years. Not sure
exactly. Hardly old enough to have his life end in sixty years if he stays here
with you."

"But the spark. Shamus
said it was destiny?"

"That was a
mistake." Cass nodded as if to confirm his own theory.

"A mistake?"

"Mortals are not meant
to be with our kind. Beings of a mystical nature need to stay within their own.
It was a mistake. It's the only reasonable explanation for it."

Suzanne felt tears
threatening to escape her eyes, but fought them back. Their connection was
strong; it was real. She’d felt it. He’d felt it. It simply couldn't have been
a mistake.

Cass's expression softened.
"I don't mean to upset you, but it's the truth. Shamus isn't thinking
straight, because of the spark. He needs you to be the strong one and end
it."

Silence filled the room.

"Shamus's destiny is far
greater than living a mortal life. I'm sorry Suzanne, but you need to turn him
away."

"I think I would like
for you to leave," Suzanne said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"It's for the
best." Cass nodded as he stood, a smug grin twitching his lips. He seemed
certain he had gotten his point across.

Suzanne didn't bother to
stand or even look up as he walked past her and made his way to the door.
Shamus would be home soon and she had a lot to consider before he arrived.

****

Shamus was tired. Thinking
back he really couldn't remember a time when he had been this anxious to slip
between the sheets of a nice soft bed. Oh, of course, having his sweet, sexy
Suzanne next to him was extra incentive to get home to her.
If you hadn't
neglected your charges these past couple weeks you wouldn't be this tired
,
a voice within him nagged. He'd find a way to make his life with her work,
while still taking care of his responsibilities. It would just take some time
and planning to get things running smoothly.

It had been close to two days
since the afternoon he and Suzanne had spent in the bathtub. He assumed she'd
be a little upset he'd been gone so long, but he had an excuse. Walking to the
mantel over the fireplace in his living room he took hold of a tiny jade box,
with a gold crest on the top. Flipping open the lid, he peered into the box.

A ring lay in the center of a
bed of green satin. The ring had a golden band with a large oval emerald, surrounded
by diamonds on the top. He had it specially made for her; it contained some of
the finest stones he'd ever come across. He had to call in a number of favours
to get the perfect stones, for the perfect ring, but looking down at it he was
pleased with the result of his efforts. But as far as he was concerned
his
Suzanne deserved the best, so that was what she was getting.

He was aware of the humans’
marriage ritual so he planned on respecting that ritual by asking her to marry
him. Granted, it may be a little early to consider marriage in her world, but
this was an exceptional case. They were destined. They both felt the emotional
and physical pull that was created by the spark. So why waste time? Time was
too precious to waste in the mortal realm.

"She'll like it,"
he said to the empty room. He snapped the lid of the box shut and tucked it
away in the inside pocket of his forest green sports coat.

"You can't do what I
think you're going to do," a male voice said sternly from behind Shamus.

Shamus didn't have to turn
around to know Cass was standing behind him, but with a groan of frustration,
Shamus turned to face his friend. "This doesn't concern you."

Cass leaned back against the
wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "I spoke to her the other day. I
think you will find she sees things
my
way now."

Panic and anger began to boil
up within Shamus, causing his stomach to clench. "Told her what exactly,
Cass?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"That it's for the best
if she lets you go. That you're not thinking clearly, because of the
spark." He gave Shamus a sympathetic smile, but the sympathy didn't quite
carry to his eyes. "You'll thank me in time. I met this striking little
faerie the other day, beautiful little thing, perfect for you."

Shamus took a menacing step
towards Cass, then stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't have time to continue
fighting with Cass; he needed to get to Suzanne. He'd been gone for two days,
he could only imagine what she must be thinking by now.

"This isn't over
Cass," he warned before disappearing, leaving Cass standing alone in the
center of Shamus's living room.

****

Suzanne awoke to the sound of
footsteps making their way down the hallway, heading in the direction of her
bedroom. Her blue eyes flew open as she turned her head to look out of the open
bedroom doorway and into the hallway.

Her heart fluttered in her
chest. Was it Shamus? As the footsteps drew closer, the sense that it was
indeed him also grew. Excitement with a hint of uncertainty welled up within
her.

It had been a couple of days
since he’d left her naked, wet and satisfied in the bathtub. When he hadn't
shown up that night, or the following night she had started to wonder if he had
decided that Cass was right. That they didn't belong together. Perhaps he’d
made the decision to end their relationship for the both of them?

Part of her hoped he had
decided to stay away. It would save her the guilt of being selfish and wanting
him to stay, if she decided to continue being with him. Or it would save her
the pain and anxiety of telling him she didn't want to be with him anymore, if
that was her decision. She had been in such a quandary of indecision for the
past two days that she hardly knew what to do.

Then just this morning, she
had decided that Cass was right. Shamus didn't belong in the human world. But
she didn't think she had the courage to go through with telling him that was
what she had decided.

Suzanne sat up in the bed,
clutching the white sheet to her bare chest. She was naked under her sheet and
comforter. She preferred to sleep that way.

I have to tell him as soon
as I see him
, she reminded herself. If she didn't then she'd
lose herself in his arms. Melt under the warmth of his kisses. One touch from
him and she'd lose whatever willpower she had mustered up in his absence.

Closing her eyes, Suzanne
took in a deep breath and then exhaled. She'd seen in a movie once where the
person had calmed themselves by rubbing their earlobes. She gave it a try.
Didn't work.
Damn it! Never trust what you see in the movies.
When she
opened her eyes again, he was there. Nearly filling the doorway, his body
silhouetted from the hallway light.

Suzanne opened her mouth to
speak, couldn't seem to find the words she wanted to say, so snapped her mouth
shut. She had a whole speech planned on why they couldn't be together, but the
words failed her now. She wanted to be selfless, but simply looking into his
dark eyes, filled with concern and affection for her, shattered her resolve.
How could she possibly give that up?

"I apologize for being
away these past couple of days," Shamus said softly as he walked towards
her. He made it to the bed. "Let's take a walk."

Looking over at the little
black clock radio on her nightstand she noticed it was flashing 3 am.
"Shamus, it's three in the morning," she protested. Perhaps
he
was unaware of the dangers of walking the streets of Boston at that time of
night, on a Friday night at that, but
she
wasn't. "Shamus it's not
safe..."

Bending over her, he placed
his index finger on her lips, preventing her from talking. "I'm certain
luck will be on our side, nothing to worry about."

I'll find out what he has
to say, then I'll end this,
she told herself. She nodded and
wriggled off of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her as she stood. Walking over
to the closet she could feel Shamus's eyes on her, watching her every movement.
She suppressed the urge to go to him and throw herself into his arms.

Instead she threw open the
closet doors and peered inside. Without much thought of what she was picking,
she snatched up a red cable knit sweater, and a pair of faded blue jeans.
Quickly she got dressed.

Twenty minutes later they
were entering the Boston Public Gardens. The night was quiet; the moon full.
Not a cloud was in the sky, allowing the stars to shine down brightly upon
them. The vast array of familiar and exotic fragrances wafted towards her nose,
relaxing her as she inhaled them.