CHAPTER 6
LEANNA
To Leanna’s credit she managed not to scream all the way through the darkness and into the large pile of pillows that broke her fall, Thorn appearing immediately, licking her face as she pressed her eyes tighter at the bright light being shone over her.
“Oh, no. You aren’t an acorn, are you dear?” When Leanna opened her eyes, she did yelp and bang her head on the lantern held above her.
“Ow!” She winced, rubbing at her forehead and tipping her chin up to take in the creature standing over her. Or… Not a creature but rather an animal, a fox. A talking fox. “You. You’re an animal,” she said, blinking a mile a minute.
The fox grinned, patting her dog on the head. The pup rolled over onto her back and Leanna held her head with both hands trying to wake herself up from what ever deranged nightmare her brain was conjuring now.
A distant groan came from the tube-like structure she’d fallen through, getting closer and closer, until—
“Damn it!” Edward growled, landing with a thud on his back. Leanna leaned over to check on him, and winced sheepishly when she saw him glaring at her. “Do you have a death wish?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Do you? You’re the one who keeps following me.”
Edward sputtered, scrambling to his feet, straightening his rumpled clothing and his wild hair. She liked him like this, disheveled. She fought the urge to go over and muss his hair further. “I won’t have your irresponsible behavior on my conscience. You’re my responsibility now.”
Her face turned beet-red when she saw the fox observing her with a curious expression. It was then she noticed the animal was wearing spectacles and held a bucket. “I’m sorry, he’s being impolite.”
The fox waved a hand with a soft smile, chuckling under its breath. “Oh please, I work with chipmunks. I’m used to it.”
Edward flailed his arms in the air like he was trying to create his own gust of wind, staring at the fox, astonished. “If this is a prank,” he addressed Leanna, shoving his sleeves back until they were at his elbows, exposing strong forearms, “you win. Forever.”
Leanna pouted. “Alas, it’s not. I’ve never been that creative.”
This offended Edward more than the insult about his manners, she could tell by his disgruntled expression. “Yes you are. You’re very creative.”
The fox sighed dreamily, holding a hand under her chin. “How long have you two been married?”
Leanna’s heart leapt up into her throat, Edward freezing in place as they both rushed to assure:
“We are not married!”
“He’s my neighbor!”
The fox winked with a knowing gleam. “Well. There’s only one way out of the deep wood you stumbled into if you’re seeking passage back to Marigold Lane.”
“We are,” Leanna said desperately. “We most definitely are. And definitely not married,” she blurted again.
Edward narrowed his eyes. “They heard you the first time.”
“It bears repeating,” she answered bluntly, attempting to distance herself from him once more. The hug had been a fluke, an offer of kindness to the boy she’d once known. She knew nothing of the man, except that he seemed to be a great danger to what shreds of her loving heart she had left.
“Does it?” Edward warned in a tone that made her cheeks heat, not to mention other places. “Why, I wonder?”
The fox interrupted them when Thorn started barking again.
“You might want to be on your way. Head up the path lined in ladybugs to the sign at the top of the hill, it’ll lead you past an abandoned cottage with the proper map inside.
It should guide you through a grove of plants that are not to be touched by greedy hands.
There are consequences if you do,” the fox warned, pulling back a curtain and revealing a trail lined with ladybugs that glowed, the light still dim due to the canopies of black vines threading the trees above them. “Be careful, and good luck!”
Leanna broke back into the forest, breathing in gulps of fresh air greedily, kissing the top of Thorn’s head before spinning around to find Edward observing her. “What? Let’s get moving.”
“Are you involved with someone?”
The question was so outrageous Leanna had to laugh. “What? What are you talking about?” She trudged up the pathway, feeling a flush of excitement at the way he prowled behind her, following her up the steep slope until they were on slightly more even ground.
“You were outraged at the prospect of being married to me. Either you are already tied to another or the idea of being tied to me is repellent to you.”
“Neither,” Leanna said without thought, eyes widening when she realized what she’d just insinuated. Thankful her tone didn’t convey the frenzy inside.
“Neither?” There was a smile in his voice as he finished, following dutifully behind her toward the abandoned cottage containing the map. “Then you are not repelled by the idea of being tied to me.”
Huffing under her breath, she rounded the corner to the door, knocking to be sure she wasn’t walking into someone’s home. “Your bar for compliments is low if you’re taking that for encouragement.”
“I’ll take anything you give me.”
The words heated her; how could they do such things? They were only words and of the few meager brushes with romance she had felt in her life, words never had such an effect. It scared her.
Turning her attention to the door she read out the small sign nailed to the front.
“Visitors and Travelers Always Welcome! Free of Charge!” Whistling, she snorted.
“There is a vacant and not vacant sign.” Flipping up the vacant sign so that no one disturbed them while they were getting their bearings, she moved to open the door, Thorn trailing in and immediately finding a table to nap under.
Leanna spun around to sputter an insult, to push them back to neutral ground.
But there was a bit of red peeking out of his pocket, and it was startlingly familiar. “What is that?” she whispered.
Taken aback by the change of subject Edward looked around, trying to see what she was talking about when he found the bit of fabric. His eyes widened and he made a grab to shove it away, but not before Leanna dove for it, pulling it out and staring at it.
They both gazed at each other for a beat.
Until Edward cracked. “I have a good reason for keeping this.”
That confirmed it. If her initials sewn into the edge weren’t enough.
Her red hair ribbon, the one she’d pulled out of her hair and left behind the day they’d met.
She’d assumed the wind took it to some distant land, but this whole time it had merely been taken right next door.
“Well?” she asked, “what is the very good reason?”
“I met a girl. I said something unforgivable, and she punched me in the face. I have been mad for her ever since.”
Her lips parted on a gasp. His eyes were soft and intense; vulnerable, but permeating. His chest moved faster with his breath. “Is that… a good enough reason?” he asked, his voice nearly at a whisper.
She answered him with another kiss, this one on his lips.
It was quick and immediately intense. His hand coming up at once to cup both sides of her jaw, mouth moving over her in searing strokes, a comfort immediately between them she’d never felt with another man.
Tugging him inside the cottage, Leanna slammed the door closed and pressed him up against it.
It was as if each had been missing the other, living only half a life until right now.
It was euphoric, it was bliss. Raking her hand down his open-collared shirt, so undone from his sensible attire, she then grabbed his belt and began unbuckling it in a frenzy of hurried hands.
He hissed out a breath when the back of her hand brushed against him, his own hands coming down to grip her wrists, a wild out-of-control look in his eyes.
It was an addiction, that look. He remained locked in on her mouth, as if tracking his quarry, speaking in a mere rumble. “Here?”
Her eyes scanned the room. She noted a fire glowing purple, the kind that never petered out, in the corner, a small bed-like cot by the wall.
A large map stretched out on a nearby table, which would lead them back to the line of houses right outside the dark wood.
“Scared?” she asked, with a small smile.
The next words were a growl of near agony.
“Terrified,” he uttered, before his lips crashed back down to hers, both of them grappling to get closer.
Her whole life had been gearing toward this moment, with him, them together.
An overwhelming feeling overcoming her that she’d always end up back here, a feeling of comfort, of safety. Of home.
Separating for a second, she brushed a hand down his chin, whispering in the din of the fire, “You’re my home. It’s always been you. I didn’t realize until now.”
Helpless, he moaned into her mouth a ragged, “I love you.” Pulling her up against him, he backed Leanna up slowly until her legs hit the cot, her chest tugging against his as he pulled on her corset strings, her nipples hardening below, sensations gliding over her skin in waves of intensity.
The corset fell and only her dress was left behind.
Before Edward could blink, she lifted it clear over her head, long hair falling down and tickling the tops of her hips.
He stared, his eyes perusing her, like they had all the time in the world.
Certain he was finding a red blush in every spot he looked upon, Leanna broke the silence. “Are you going to do some thing in the next century, proper boy? I’m getting cold.”
He was on her. Shoving her back until her spine was against the cot, her legs lifted as he knelt before her, he put a leg on either of his shoulders. It was too much, she felt too exposed, too vulnerable. “Edward.”
Hearing the vulnerability, he knew what she needed, had always known.
It was why he’d asked for a kiss that first day.
He knew she needed someone to be mad at, so he’d given her a reason.
With a murmur of soothing comfort his mouth was on her, intimately moving over her as she bucked her hips and cried out, “Please.” She gasped, “I can’t—”
“You can,” he said, gently, always so gentle with her.
Even his worst pranks often had a caveat that she enjoyed.
His tongue moved faster over her, a hand coming up to glide lightly over her nipple, and pressure built within her until she was crying out, her hips moving of their own accord as he pleasured her.
Whilst she lay there languidly, he began to back away.
Leanna panicked, not ready for it to be over, not ready to part from him.
Grabbing his belt, she tugged him back to her, quickly finishing undoing the buckle and he let her, watching her with reverence, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, brushing her skin lightly with the back of his calloused fingers.
“Be with me,” she said, rubbing a hand down his naked thighs as he kicked his pants to the corner, before stalking over to the door, double-barring it in case anyone should try to enter.
“Lay back, love,” he murmured, waiting for her to slowly lay down until her head rested against the pillow. Hand running up her thigh slowly, he parted her legs, rubbing her skin with sure strokes, igniting her. “I want you,” he said, against her lips.
She gripped the back of his buttocks, urging him on. “Then have me.”
He thrust forward and groaned into her neck, her body responding to him immediately as they moved together, his lips finding hers in a kiss that shook the world as she knew it, reminded her why being alive was actually quite lovely and amazing.