Chapter 7 #2
“Because I was wildly in love with you, and I wanted you to have them for your protection,” he sighed. “I knew the kind of power they possessed and would have shown you how to harness it had you not run off with what’s his name.”
“Brad Timberline,” she snapped back.
“Yes, that’s the one,” he agreed coolly, “human extraordinaire in his world, and not nearly good enough for you in yours.”
“That’s not true!” she insisted.
“Possibly. Perhaps it’s because I still harbor a good deal of resentment towards him, even though he has passed on. It’s not something I’m proud of,” he admitted reluctantly.
“So you gave me the diamonds because you were in love with me?” she asked, clearly surprised. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“I thought you knew.”
“How could I?”
“Crystalia, I doted on you, catered to your every whim,” he gasped out.
“I built the courtyard so you could enjoy it, the glorious fountain, the rows and rows of rare flowers in every shade of blue and silver were all specifically designed for you. If you’d looked closer you would have seen your name intricately carved into every bench.
“Every time you acted out and made me angry I controlled my emotions. Sometimes you scared me with your impulsive nature, taking risks and thinking it was all so amusing. So many times I longed to scold you or even spank you, but I never did, not once. You were too precious to me. I couldn’t risk hurting your feelings, or your naughty bottom,” he informed her with a shrug.
“You were young and foolish. I didn’t have that excuse. I was besotted.”
“And now you’re not,” she sighed flopping back against the settee.
Jackson looked at her. She sounded…well, forlorn. His eyes narrowed.
“Why would you say that?” he asked warily.
“Clearly, you no longer love me,” she pointed out. “You’ve asked many times for the diamonds back, so you no longer care about my safety. You’ve scolded me, and spanked me, so you’re not afraid of hurting my feelings or my bottom.”
“How have I hurt your feelings?”
“Good grief, apparently I’ve given your intelligence more credit than you deserve,” she snapped getting up and stalking across the room to face him. “You brought me up here and made such incredibly passionate love to me that I will dream of it for at least the next century.
“You made it clear you intended to marry another, yet it seems you wanted to show me what I’d been missing, and will continue to miss for the rest of my very long life.
Jackson, you’ve burned your touch, your face, your scent into my soul.
Now, take me home and leave me be. What else is there between us now?
What reason do you have for keeping me here?
“Your magic may be stronger than mine, but believe me a woman scorned can do a great deal of damage and I’m not feeling particularly charitable towards you at the moment!” Spinning on her heel she headed toward the entry way. His laughter stopped her in her tracks.
“You think this is funny?” she demanded, not turning to look at him.
“I think it’s marvelous,” he replied.
With a wave of her hand, pieces of precious artwork began to shatter from one side of the room to the other. Crystalia turned to face him, her eyes blazing.
“Still think it’s funny?” she asked sweetly.
“Incredibly, you’re jealous,” he nearly crowed.
“I never said any such thing!”
“You don’t have to. Do you think I don’t know you?
That I don’t know how your little mind works?
You’re jealous, and the most adorable thing about it is you have no reason to be.
There’s never been anyone else but you, my darling,” he said softly.
“There never will be. It’s always been you; since the first moment I saw you until my dying breath it will always be you. ”
“Oh Jackson, why do you have to go and say something sweet like that when I’ve completely destroyed this room?” she demanded, glaring at him as a tear ran down her cheek.
“Would you feel better if I spanked you?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“No!”
“I didn’t think so. Do you think any of this matters?
” he asked, glancing around the room. “It doesn’t.
It’s only you who are irreplaceable.” Pulling her into his arms he swept her up and sat, keeping her firmly on his lap.
“Hush now,” he ordered firmly. “No more tears or as they say I will give you something to cry about.”
Crystalia grimaced. “You really are an obnoxious male,” she replied resting her head on his chest. “I do believe you would love to spank me.”
“Indeed I would,” he cheerfully admitted.
“How did I ever fall in love with you in the first place? You have very few redeeming qualities.”
“In my opinion, you fell in love with me a very long time ago. Your head was simply too full of girlish romantic notions to realize it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, precisely so,” he affirmed. “Now that you’ve come to your senses, I think we should go back upstairs to the bedroom and discuss wedding plans.”
“I thought you were going to marry someone else,” she nearly sneered.
“You truly are a ridiculous creature,” he drawled, “beautiful, but ridiculous. I could never marry another and you’re well aware of that fact or you would not torment me so.”
“Santa will never agree and you know it. We’ll both be banned from Christmas Village and I’ll never get to be part of Wyatt and Patty’s life. We’re doomed,” she cried.
Standing with her in his arms, Jackson strode from the room with a chuckle.
“You’ve always been overly dramatic, my love. Just leave everything to me,” he said as he started up the staircase.
“I told you I have to go home.”
“Not today, in fact not anytime soon,” he replied.
“You can’t keep me here, not against my will,” she insisted, pinching his ear.
“Ouch! Of course I can. I am the Winter King. Nothing happens here without my consent. It would be in your best interest to remember that, my lady.”
Crystalia rolled her eyes when he tossed her on the bed.
“And it would be in your best interest to shut up and kiss me, my king,” she replied.
Grinning, he dropped down on the bed beside her and did just that, and more.