Worthy of Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 4) Page 5

  Her eyes filled with amusement. “No, but don’t worry. I’ll find a moment to uncover all your dirty secrets.”

  I smirked. “If you want to know my secrets, all you have to do is ask.”

  “Really?” I nodded. “Where were you today?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Ugh!”

  I laughed. "Yet. I can't tell you yet, but I will." Her eyes narrowed, and I grinned. "Good things come to those who wait." She rolled her eyes. I pulled her hand. "Come here. Let's sleep a little longer."

  “Why?”

  "Because I haven't slept well in a few days and neither have you. Don't you want to be my sleeping buddy?" I asked, laying down, and bringing her into my arms.

  She chuckled. “You are a grown man, Art.” Her voice was filled with amusement. She wrapped her arms around my waist settling into me. Her warm cheek rested on my chest.

  “I know, but I still want you to be my sleeping buddy.”

  Her left hand lifted and her fingers lazily began to play with the little hairs between my pectoral muscles. I smiled, closing my eyes.

  “Art...”

  “Hhmm?”

  “Will you sleep with me in the bed tonight? Holding me?”

  My eyelids opened, and my fingers lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "You want me to hold you?"

  She nodded. “It helps me calm down when… you know.” Her eyes filled with embarrassment like they had done a few times before. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

  “I will sleep next to you and hold you from now on. I noticed the same thing. I just didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure if it would make you uncomfortable.”

  “You don’t make me uncomfortable, Art. I know it should be weird, because technically we just met, and here I am in my pj’s with you in bed, but… I feel safe with you, Art. There is a serenity here that I hadn’t felt before. I trust you.”

  I smiled, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "Thank you, Lia. That means a lot to me. I will be a true friend to you. I promise never to break that trust, and to protect you." I looked straight into her eyes, hoping she could see the unwavering commitment in mine. "I will always be here for you, Lia. You can count on me."

  Her eyes filled with emotion and she nodded, lowering her head to my chest. Tightening my arms around her, I covered our bodies with the sheet. My hand began to caress her back soothingly until I felt her relax in my embrace.

  Sleep soon dragged me under, and the lights of the day mixed with the shadows of the night, as Lia slept sheltered in my arms.

  CHAPTER 3. THE GUYS

  * * *

  LIA

  * * *

  Day 20…

  The swift sound of metal slicing through the air reached my ears, bringing me out of the last inch of sleep that I was desperately hanging on to. Sleeping here, in this magical village was like falling asleep after an amazing full body massage, or dozing off on the beach while the breeze and the warm sun caressed your skin. Divine.

  A small smile grazed my lips as I lazily stretched, and my eyelids opened. I knew that sound. I got used to waking up to it during the past two weeks. My drowsy gaze focused on Art, while the whooshing sound came again. The movements were so effortless and fluid. His wrists rotated almost in a blur, causing the swords to twirl around him like the blades of a propeller. His gaze was focused on his thoughts, and I knew that he wasn’t consciously swinging the swords. The act was so natural for him, an afterthought. This was not the first time I had seen him do this and that realization brought a tad of sadness to my heart. For what I was learning about him, he only did it when he was troubled about something, restless. It was as though the process calmed him or helped him cope. The swords were more than weapons to him. They were an extension of him. Something he needed to feel security, relief, and support.

  I guess I wasn’t the only one with hidden demons.

  There was a side of Art that at first glance not everyone got to see. In fact, I doubted anyone had, before me. I saw it as clear as day. Something inside him was broken, left bleeding for hundreds of years. A wound no one had taken the time to care for or heal. He kept it hidden so well that you would never know it was there, yet I did.

  Warmth reached my chest as his lips curved in a smile, and his gaze settled on me.

  “Good morning, Bòidheach,” he said, walking towards me, his swords set aside, forgotten.

  “Morning,” I replied, shrinking into a ball on the bed.

  Art chuckled and sat beside me, kissing my cheek. It was only then that the wonderful aroma of bacon, French toast, and eggs reached me. I took a long whiff and moaned from hunger as he picked up the food container from the night table, and placed it on the bed. He chuckled, held a plastic fork in front of me and raised an eyebrow daring me to reject it.

  “Oh please, boy.” I sat up, ripped the fork from his hand, and reached for the container all in one fluid motion. “Who do you think I am?”

  I said, stuffing my mouth with the first fork full of eggs. I hummed in pleasure, as I tasted the syrup from the French toast that had mixed with the eggs. The combination was delicious. I cut a piece of the syrup soaked bread and placed it in my mouth. My eyes rolled back as my teeth broke the crispy exterior while my tongue basked in the softness inside. I moaned, louder this time, this was the best damn French toast I had ever had. I swear I was in heaven. Mmmmm. My eyes opened again and found Art looking at me with a strange expression, whille he analyzed my reaction to the meal.

  “What?” I asked, with my mouth full of food.

  He grinned. “You really don’t need a man do you?”

  I frowned taking a new bite, and I involuntarily let another moan out of my lips.

  He gave me a pointed look. “It’s like you are having an orgasmic experience.” He said scratching his head. “I don’t know if I should leave you, or watch.”

  My hand pushed his arm playfully, and I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively. “Watch, the answer is always to watch.” We chuckled as he reached for his own container and began to eat with me.

  “Yeah, baby. Give it to me,” Art said, faking a moan after taking the first bite. I laughed. “Words every man wants to hear, by the way.” He winked.

  I grinned. I loved his sense of humor. “Were you waiting for me to wake up so you could eat?” He nodded. I smiled. He was such a gentleman. “You should have just woken me up, Chewie.”

  He shook his head adamantly, and when his gaze returned to me, he seemed concerned. "Not after the rough night you had."

  I made a face and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You shouldn’t give it any importance. I’m getting used to it.”

  He sighed and set his food down. His hands cupped my cheeks forcing me to look straight into his eyes. They filled with love, but I could still see the weariness in them. "You should not get used to it, Lia. That isn't normal. You experienced something that no one should ever have to go through, and you have suffered a strong trauma as a result. It will take time for you to heal from it, but you will heal, Lia. I will help you with it. I promise you that.”

  I nodded, not allowing the smart ass in me to answer and cover how vulnerable and scared I felt at this moment. I was sure Art could still see the emotion in my eyes, though. Before I knew what was happening, tears gathered in them, but I fought not to let them fall. I firmly believed that a woman should never let a man see who she really was inside, and what she was feeling. Letting them in, only gave them ammunition to use against you the moment things went crashing down. Giving a man your heart was like handing them the only weapon that could ever kill you. Art was only a friend, but he was still a man, and a part of me, the cynical part of me that kept me going even after the heartbreaks, wanted to protect me and not let him see how much I was truly hurting. It was pointless; the way Art looked at me always made my walls crumble and left my soul raw and unguarded to him.

  “Do you trust me?”

  I blinked. Art’s question had caught me off
guard, especially after the direction my thoughts had taken. A tear escaped me. His thumb brushed my cheekbone, gently wiping it away. His gaze swiftly went to my cheek as he caressed it once again, then returned to my eyes. Art wanted a straight answer, and he deserved my honesty.

  “With my life.”

  A brilliant smile stretched Art's lips, and I felt giddy all of the sudden. Even his eyes sparkled. That had definitely been the right answer.

  “Then believe me when I say that you will leave all that behind. A day will come when there will be no more trauma, no more pain, no more scars inside you, Lia. And I will be with you every step of the way.”

  My throat closed up with emotion, so I nodded unable to speak. Leaning in, he rested his forehead on mine and remained still. His eyes closed and a long relaxing breath left him. A few seconds passed as we lingered there, and my ache receded once again. His hands still cupped my cheeks. When our eyes opened again, Art gave me a small peck on the lips and pulled away. I smiled as the warmth of his sweet gesture spread through me. There hadn’t been any bad intentions behind it, no depravity. Instead, it was filled with tenderness and affection. I sighed, and forcefully rolled my eyes. "Great. First, he gropes me while I'm unconscious, now he's going to start kissing me whenever he likes. Just great." Art chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you."

  I pulled on the edges of his shirt just like a child, seeing him repress an amused smile. Art already knew what that meant. I needed a hug, and no shirts were allowed.

  Removing his shirt, he pulled me into his arms and cupped the back of my neck, guiding my cheek to his warm chest. I sighed, content. I felt safe in his arms. My eyes closed of their own volition, while his hand lazily traveled up and down the curve of my spine, soothing me. I loved when he held me this close. There was nothing that could offer me comfort like his arms did.

  "You know, I look forward to the day when the ‘no shirts' rule will apply to you too. Your breasts are something special." My hands moved so fast that I wasn't sure he even saw it coming. The statement had earned him a push off the bed. He laughed getting his ass up from the floor. "Too honest?"

  I threw the pillow at him. “Gah, you are such a guy!” He laughed again. “Next time just keep your mouth shut and look pretty.”

  My eyes involuntarily went to his stomach. The way his abs contracted with his laughter was mesmerizing and unnerving. I almost started drooling. He raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms, knowing very well that I was checking him out.

  “Oh, shut up!” I said, throwing another pillow at him and got up from the bed.

  He effortlessly caught it with one hand, and placed it back on the mattress. Picking up the empty containers he walked to the kitchen. I sighed as my eyes followed his progress. His broad back and shoulders were a masterpiece.

  * * *

  After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I dragged my butt back to bed. I was just about to curl up on it when strong arms lifted me, setting me back on the floor.

  “No, Chewie!” I whined. “It’s ‘sleeping buddy time!’”

  He repressed a smile and kissed my forehead. “Nope. No ‘sleeping buddy time’ today.” He dragged me by the hand towards my suitcase. “You haven’t stepped out of this hut since you arrived here. At least I go out every day to the…” He caught himself before he said more.

  I crossed my arms. “Yeah, exactly where is it that you go?”

  He grinned and looked at me as though I was cute or something. “I’ll tell you some day.”

  "Ugh! So you keep saying, and I keep waiting for it, Chewie."

  He winked at me, dimples flashing. He was clearly amused by my persistence to find out his secret. Pulling the suitcase from the floor, he put it on the bed and opened it.

  "I spoke with my friend Ronan before coming back here this morning." He began pulling clothes out of my suitcase as I looked at him perplexed. "He said going out, getting fresh air, and maybe even a little sight seeing would do you good. So we are doing all of the above. Do you have anything you can swim in with you?” He frowned as he held his hand up, examining the piece of red lace between his fingers like it was going to come alive.

  I ripped my thong from his hand and placed it back in the suitcase. "That is my underwear, thank you very much." I reached for my two-piece Brazilian bikini. "This is a swimsuit, and what the hell do you mean all of the above? Where are we going?"

  He frowned, not pleased with the scarce piece of spandex he now held in his hands. In fact, he looked a little scared by it. He put it in my hands. “It’s time you met the guys.”

  “The guys??”

  He grinned again. "The Warriors. They are going swimming at the three-mouthed waterfall, and we are going with them. Get something you can wear to swim. Not that though." He added, pointing at my bikini and I rolled my eyes.

  “Are all the guys your friends?”

  He nodded. "I want you to meet Ronan, Eghan, and Cathair. You'll like them. Eghan will love you the moment he sees you." He chuckled when I frowned. "They are my closest friends. Cathair is my best friend."

  I nodded, actually getting excited by the prospect and dropped the bikini on the bed. It wasn't exactly the best choice to go swimming in, unless I wanted the top to pop off the moment I jumped in the waterfall. It was more to wear for show, and tanning at the beach. Digging through my clothes, I found my one piece.

  “Fine, I give in.”

  His eyes sparkled, and he pulled me toward the partition so I could change.

  Removing my sleep shirt and throwing it on the floor, I began to slip into my one piece carefully. It was tricky because it had geometrical cut outs on the sides and front that basically made it a two-piece tied together by bands of spandex. Slipping my hands under the material, I made sure everything was where it needed to be, particularly "the girls." They needed to fit into the cups, or they would slip out. Any woman with big breasts knew that the struggle was definitely real. My gaze turned up, and I froze, noticing something I never had before. The fabric that concealed the partition didn't exactly cover from side to side, allowing me to see by the sliver of space left on one corner.

  My eyes widened, and I almost whimpered when I saw Art slip out of his jeans. The boxer briefs that looked sinful on him followed, dropping to the floor. Unfortunately for me, he turned away as he pulled out his swimming trunks from the drawer. I did, however, get a perfect shot of his ass. Damn, he could probably crush steel with those thighs. My eyes lazily traveled along his legs, his muscles widened forming his perfectly firm gluts, and curving up where they narrowed melding into his waist. Talk about hump day. Yum. I leaned into the partition as he pulled up the swimsuit and his body slightly turned, giving me his profile. I repressed a gasp. It took less than a fraction of a second for the speedo to slide up on him, but I saw him. It had been just a small glimpse of him, but damn I was kind of speechless. The speedo wasn't really doing much of a job covering him either. I could see the perfect outline of him through the thin spandex.

  I had never been so grateful for speedos.

  They were a nude tone, which was a weird choice for a swimsuit, but they showed his form so perfectly, I was surely going to pass out just from the sight. His hand slipped inside them as he adjusted himself and my mouth became dry. He barely fit in them. I vaguely wondered how he was going to swim in that as my finger pushed the fabric open, a bit more. I was sure I was drooling. I leaned forward, and my eyes widened as I realized my mistake.

  “Aaahh!”

  I screamed as I went down, face planting the floor, partition and all. My hands and knees stung from the fall, but I guess that is what I got for being a Peeping Tom. I cringed looking up and saw Art standing in front of me with his hands on his hips. His face was stern as though he was mad, but I could see the amusement in his eyes. Had he caught me looking? Oh, my God, I was mortified.

  "I don't suppose you want to tell me what you were doing resting on the partition, that caused you to fall. Do you?"
I shook my head, knowing my cheeks were probably turning red. "I see." He bent down and held my arms, pulled me up and set me on the bed like I was a child.

  I sighed and looked away from his eyes. Wrong move. His crotch was right in front of me. I looked up at him again, and he smirked.

  “If you want a better look just let me know.”

  My mouth dropped, and he laughed. He actually laughed. He was aware that I had been looking at him and he didn't even care. "Pervert."

  Art laughed again and without saying another word, he turned and took a pair of linen pants that looked like they belonged in the first century or something. He pulled them up and rolled the legs up until they were on his knees. Then I understood. The speedo was to "hold him in place" but the pants, I assumed, was what his people wore to swim, probably the reason he bought them in a nude color.

  I stood, and Art's gaze fell on me through the mirror. His eyes roamed my body, and I saw his hands automatically cover his crotch. He frowned, blinking as though to recover from the effect my bathing suit left of him. "You can't wear that."

  “What? What do you mean?”

  "It shows too much. It looks too sexy." His eyes betrayed him going over my body again. His Adams's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

  “But this is what everyone wears to swim. It’s a perfectly normal bathing suit, Chewie.”

  He took a deep breath, shook his head, and turned to face me. "The people in this village have never been to the outside world. They don't know what "normal" is. Seima, Eisha, and the other women cover themselves to swim. You can't wear that."

  “Chewie!”

  He shook his head, and pointed towards the partition except it was on the floor. Sighing, he picked it up and put it back in his place. “Change.”

  "I'm not doing it. I have nothing else to change into," I said defiantly.