The Beast's Bride (21 page)

When they got to his door, a smiling man with a bushy mustache (the boar-butler, Pippa suspected) opened the door for Duncan since his arms were full. He shut it again as soon as Pippa and Duncan were through, and then they were alone.

Blessedly, blessedly alone.

Duncan set her down, glanced around, and then grinned at her. "I can scarce believe my happiness at this moment."

"Me either," Pippa said softly, smiling up at him. "Everything's been fixed—the curse is gone."

"All gone, thanks to you." He gave her a quick, hard kiss. "How can I ever thank you enough?"

"Just love me," Pippa said softly. "That's all I want—to be able to love you and for you to love me in return."

13"I can do that," Duncan said in a husky voice, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her once more—it seemed he couldn't stop kissing her—and his hand stroked down her side.

"Shall we go to bed, my wife?"

"Absolutely," Pippa told him. Her hands went to the shawl knotted at his thighs, and she pulled it free with an impish grin. "I do believe you need a bath first, though."

He looked down at himself. His legs were covered in dried mud and bits of grass and lord-knows-what-else stuck to his sweaty skin. He grimaced. "I do."

So they waited a bit longer, content to sit on one of the couches and cuddle under a blanket as a servant brought in an enormous beaten tub and then began to fill it with hot water. The woman couldn't seem to stop smiling and kept thanking Pippa over and over again, which made her feel just a bit awkward.

She didn't want to be a hero. She just wanted to be with Duncan.

When the servant left, Duncan shucked the blanket and sank into the tub with a groan. He let his head fall back, and then glanced over at Pippa. "You have no idea how good it feels to not have to worry about fur anymore."

She chuckled at that. "I rather liked your fur." Pippa moved to the side of the tub and knelt beside him, picking up a wash towel. "I rather liked all of you, actually."

"I was a monster."

"No," she said in a soft voice. "You were just Duncan to me." She wet the towel in the bathwater and began to lightly stroke it over his shoulders. "I would have loved you the same if you had never changed back."

He grasped her hand and gave her a long, searching look. "And are you sad that I did?"

"Not at all." Pippa smiled at him. "I don't care how I have you, as long as I have you. But I know you were miserable as a beast, so I'm happy for you."

His hand gripped her hair, and he pulled her in for a soft kiss. "Sweet Pippa. I'm not worthy of such love."

"You are," she protested. "Now, can I have my wash towel back? Unless you want to clean your own back?"

He handed it back to her and grinned. "I would love your touch on my skin."

Warmth pooled through her, and Pippa leaned in, lightly washing him with the cake of soap he handed her. As she did, she explored his 'new' body. His shoulders were broad, though not 13frighteningly massive like before. There were small scars here and there that she traced - scars that had been hidden by the fur. She wondered if they had come before or after his

transformation as a beast, then supposed it didn't matter. Her hands moved along his arms, enjoying the feel of his muscles. Duncan groaned and tilted his head back, leaning against the rim of the tub as she cleaned him.

"This is a bliss I scarce dreamed of," he admitted in a soft voice. "I am moments away from dragging you in with me."

Pippa smiled, brushing the cloth over his chest. "Then you'd ruin my exploration. And I'm enjoying it so." She swiped the cloth over his collarbones, then down the front of his broad chest.

He wasn't entirely smooth, she noticed; dark chest hair was visible along the hard pectorals, and trailed into a line at his belly button. He did, however, have an extremely firm six pack that just begged to be bitten. "This is a nice perk," she told him in a soft, teasing voice, and trailed the cloth down to his belly button.

He groaned in response, his golden eyes mere slits that watched her every move. "Will you wash lower? Or does your teasing end there?"

"My teasing knows no bounds." Pippa smiled archly and slid the cloth lower, cupping his cock. "And it's nice to see that some things haven't changed. This feels just as impressive as it was before."

Duncan gave a shudder, his cock thrusting against her hand. "Your touch drives me wild."

"Then I'll keep touching," she teased lightly and swirled the cloth over him.

To her surprise, he quickly slid under the water, completely immersing himself. Then he resurfaced and pushed his hair off his face, wiping away the streams of water. "Clean enough."

He stood up, water pouring from his body, and his cock was at her eye level. "I want to bed my wife, not bathe."

"Your wife thinks that's a terrific idea," Pippa breathed, tossing the cloth into the tub and getting to her feet. She squealed when he grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to the bed, dripping water on her.

"My wife," he said in a low, pleased voice, and leaned in to kiss her. His lips moved against hers, tongue stroking into her mouth. "My beautiful wife. My beloved Pippa."

She moaned as he continued to press hot kisses on her with each word. Her hands clung to his slippery shoulders. "Duncan," she breathed. "I want you so badly."

13"Then why are you still so clothed?" he growled against her throat, and then nipped at her flesh.

She dragged her hands up her legs, pulling her skirts up and revealing her thighs. "Not fully clothed everywhere. I'm bare under here."

He groaned, eyes closing for control, and then his hand followed hers under her skirts, shoving them up until they bunched at her waist. Her sex was exposed to the air, her thighs quivering when his gaze locked there. He growled his need at the sight and then buried his hand between her thighs, fingers stroking between her folds as he continued to kiss her.

Pippa whimpered and bucked her hips against him, need rising in her. She was wet already, soaking with need. His fingers made a slick noise every time they brushed up against her skin, and the sound was incredibly erotic.

"Ready for me?" he asked, and then kissed her, ending the kiss with a tug on her lower lip.

He sucked on it for a moment, and then nipped at her skin with his teeth again, varying the ways he loved her.

She nodded quickly, spreading her thighs wider for him. Her hands dragged at his shoulders, as if her sense of urgency could somehow force him into moving faster. "This is like a dream. I thought we'd never touch again."

"This is real," he told her in a soft voice. His thighs slid between hers and she felt the heavy press of his cock against her skin. "All of this is real."

And he surged deep inside her.

She cried out, back arching with the bolt of sheer pleasure that rocked through her. In one quick move, he'd seated himself all the way to her core, and tiny shocks of pleasure began to ripple through her, over and over again.

Duncan began to stroke deep inside her, pumping into her with a frenzy that matched her own. She raised her hips to meet his, faster and faster, and they exploded within moments, clinging to each other.

It had been rough, and brief…but so incredibly worth it. When Duncan collapsed on top of her after shouting her name, Pippa wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, breathing in his scent. He smelled like the Duncan she remembered. That had not changed either. "I love you," she murmured against his skin. "So much."

13"I love you too," he told her, lifting up on his elbows and pressing a kiss to her face. "Will you tell me something, though?"

"Anything."

His brows drew together. "Why does Belle not remember your name? She calls you Pippy."

A wild giggle erupted in Pippa's throat. "Because she's not very smart?"

"Aye, there is that." He chuckled, rolling onto his back and dragging her into the crook of his arm to rest against him. "But she is also your sister. Surely she would know your name."

"Well," Pippa said, tracing a finger along his skin. "The name of her real sister is Philippa.

Where I come from, Pippa is short for Philippa."

"
Her
sister," he repeated, musing on her words. "But not you?"

"Long story," Pippa told him.

"Well," Duncan said, hugging her against his chest. "I don't mind long stories.”

“No?”

“A very credible authority told me we have two hundred years together.”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his very human neck, holding him close.

“However shall we pass the time?”

He leaned in as if to kiss her. “I’m sure we can think of a few ways…”

~ The End ~

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Thank you so much for purchasing this book! I sincerely enjoy writing this series, and there will be more to come in the future. I have ideas percolating for at least three more!

If you are the type that likes to review books, I’d love for you to leave me a review! Reviews are like crack for authors. We are always looking for our next fix. 

Enjoy this novel? Check out the rest of the
Once Upon a Time-Travel
series: Novellas

Mirrorlight

Shimmerlight

Sunlight

Darklight

Full Length Novels

The Mermaid’s Knight

The Beast’s Bride

The Scarecrow King
(coming soon)

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About Jill Myles

Jill Myles is the pen name for USA Today Bestselling Author Jessica Clare. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance. She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals.

Too many pen-names to follow? Sign up for Jill’s newsletter and you’ll receive notices of new releases under all three pen names, along with a coupon for a free read.

You can visit Jill/Jessica’s website a
t www.jillmyles.com

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