Free The Sword and the Sylph (Elemental Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page B

unique,” said B raden, heading toward the door, wanting to leave before they asked any more questions and also before the fae was up to her tricks again. “If you’ll excuse me now, my lord, but I am to pick up food from the cook for my outing with my betrothed. I would hate to make Lady Christabel wait.”
    “Of course, of course,” said the man. “By all means, continue on your journey in courting my daughter.”
    Braden hurried to the kitchens and retrieved the package for the outing and then made his way to the stables where he was to meet Lady Christabel.
    He entered the stables, very aware of the scent of lilacs behind him. He was glad to see that his betrothed had yet to arrive, and neither was the groom anywhe re to be found. He put the package down on a mound of hay used to feed the horses, and purposely cradled it, pretending to look within.
    “God’s eyes, I can’t believe the cook put this in here!” When he was sure the curious fae was right behind him, he spun around and raised his hands in the air. “Ah hah!”
     
    Portia had been looking over Braden’s shoulder, the curiosity flowing through her fae blood making her have to know what was in that package. Then, Braden spun around and shouted and raised his hands in the air, almost knocking her to the ground. Startled, she involuntarily let down her guard, causing her to become visible to the human eye.
    “Well, hello my little spy,” he said, a smug look of satisfaction on his face.
    “I wasn’t spying, I was just . . . curious, that’s all.”
    “Couldn’t resist the temptation, could you? Just like I thought.”
    “You purposely did that to make me distracted so I’d reveal myself.”
    “And it worked, didn’t it?”
    Once again too much satisfaction on his face, and she didn’t like it one bit.
    “Why are you here, Portia? Wasn’t it enough that you revealed my identity and almost had me killed for being a spy?”
    “I didn’t do that.”
    “You were the one to tell the stablemaster about me weren’t you?”
    “So what if I did?”
    “’Twas his words that almost got me put in the dungeon, and ’twas your fault since we had a deal and you broke it.”
    “I never agreed to any deal.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head in denial.
    “Then you won’t object when I turn you over as a spy to Lord Solomon, would you?”
    “I didn’t say that. Actually, I came to . . . apologize.”
    “Prove it,” was all he said.
    “What do you mean? I gave you my word, isn’t that enough?” She reached down and picked at the hay as she spoke.
    “I want you to pr ove it. If you really mean that you are here to apologize, then say it with a kiss.”
    “What? ” Her head shot up and her eyes opened wide as she thought about the last alluring kiss they’d shared. “I can’t kiss you – you are betrothed.”
    “Just what I thought.” He turned back to the package atop the hay. “ You won’t do it. You can’t do it, because you don’t mean a word you say.”
    She knew she shouldn’t kiss him since he was promised to someone else, but being a fae, she could not turn down a challenge. She walked up behind him, spun him around, and grabbing his head in her hands, she kissed him forcefully on the mouth.
    Well, she’d meant to teach him a lesson, but the kiss did strange things to her instead. She got a feeling deep within her, making her want him more than before. And when he put his hands on her shoulders, deepening their kiss, she found herself wanting even more.
    Before she knew it, she was pushing him down into the hay and climbing atop him, kissing him forcefully and feeling a pulsating between her thighs. She couldn’t help herself. ’Twas the insatiable craving to mate that a fae felt more than any human ever could. Her mother had told her about this, warning her about it many times while she was growing up. She couldn’t stop it, as the passion of the fae was in her blood.
    His hands came around her