* * *
The glasses of champagne were filled by two servers just as Lindy and I joined the rest of our group at the table, and they handed us both a glass.
“To Emrys and Elizabeth,” Gavin said, raising his glass high. “Never go to bed angry...always stay up and argue.” Then he turned to Emrys, as a wide grin lit up his face, “Always remember these three little words, Emrys: You’re right, dear.” Everyone chuckled, more so from politeness than anything.
“All kidding aside,” Gavin continued, “Congratulations. And may your love be as, in the words of Kahil Gibran: ‘Marriage is like a golden ring in a chain, whose beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity.’”
Gavin raised his glass again with the most serious look I had seen on him so far, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lindy taking special notice.
“Aw, that was so sweet,” Lindy whispered to Gavin, as we all took a drink.
Gavin beamed at her; it was obvious to me how smitten he was already. Glancing around quickly, I noted the look on Fiona’s face. She seemed to realize the same thing as I had and she winked at me.
The band started playing another soft melody which seemed to fit right in with our cheerfulness, and a few couples strolled out to the dance floor. I scanned the room noticing that everyone had changed from their costumes now, and the gathering took on a more peaceful feeling. I turned back just as my sister lifted her glass again and gave me her most genuine smile.
“Elizabeth,” Lindy began, “when I first heard about your plans, I thought you had lost your mind - jumping into something so quickly. But I can see now that I was so wrong. I have never seen you looking happier or more beautiful than you are tonight. I believe you have really found true happiness.” She turned to my new husband.
“Emrys, thank you for loving my sister so completely. She deserves the best, and I believe you can give it to her. Cheers.”
“Thank you Melinda,” Emrys said, nodding his appreciation. “And I can guarantee you that I will make Elizabeth happier than she could ever imagine.” Emrys put his arm around my waist, looked into my eyes, and then gave me a soft, sweet kiss.
Everyone seemed to comment all at once affirming his words with short pithy comments. I heard a few ‘salutes’ and ‘hear-hear’ and even an ‘aw’ or two from the ladies. Emrys then turned to face my friend and her husband.
“Fiona and Rufus, this is also your day,” he said with a warm smile. “Let us not forget our heartfelt congratulations to you both. And Fiona, I sincerely want to thank you for getting my sweet Elizabeth to join you this evening. You have always waited for this life, expecting and planning for its arrival. I will forever be indebted to you for encouraging my wife about the reality of the Ravens.” His hand drew me closer as he heard me imagining things turning out so differently, if not for Fiona’s steadfast beliefs, and a small involuntary shudder shook him.
After a few more toasts and a few more tender embraces, Fiona and Rufus departed in blissful haste. A short time later, Amrita and Larkin went to dance to a gentle melody. Melinda and Gavin walked us to the bottom of the stairway, and after our farewells, they ventured off into one of the side rooms that were filled with sofas and fireplaces, burning candles and smoky aromas. I began to feel excited for her. Maybe all she needed was a little romance to turn her mind to, what I now knew would be, a bright future of endless happiness and love.
Emrys tucked my arm in his, and we started up the steps.
“Well, my dear sweet Elizabeth, my wife. Let us go learn of carnal knowledge, shall we?” he said through a soft chuckle.
“That’s kind of a weird way of putting it, don’t you think? Not too romantic, at all. We’ve only been married now for about an hour, and already you’ve lost the ability to romance me?” I teased him, elbowing his ribs.
“You have not seen anything yet, my little pretty.”
A momentary twinge of jealousy ran through my mind as I thought about his past, and the one question I had never asked him.
“Oh sweet Elizabeth, some things do not have to be experienced fully for the imagination to inspire you. And I,” he said, leaning in toward me, “have a great imagination.”
While he made it sound as though he didn’t have a lot of experience in that area, he hadn’t given me any straight answers either. In all seriousness, I didn’t think I actually wanted to know one way or the other about that part of his past anyway.
Reaching the top of the stairs he leaned in once more and whispered, “I love you, Elizabeth.”
His breath came hot and heavy in my ear, sending chills down my side. He was so good at everything else, and had such a way with words, particularly when he spoke them into my ears that way. If he could make me feel this way just with his words, what was I really in for? Just the thought of it made me reel backwards.
Emrys put his hands on my shoulders to steady me, gazed into my eyes in his most mesmerizing way and said, “You shall see soon enough, but first, I would love to kiss you.”
†
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon Ricklin wrote her first contemporary romance novel while homeschooling her youngest son. After several long-distance moves and eventually becoming an empty nester, it was finally time to get busy editing that book. That was about five years ago. All was going well - until she had the most vivid dream she’d ever had in her life. This dream gave birth to the Ravenswynd Series and Sharon started writing in a new genre: Paranormal Romance. Or as she likes to call it - Romance with a Twist.
Sharon is a member of Romance Writers of America, the author of two blogs, and somewhat addicted to social networking. Now living in a small town in Wisconsin, she is currently working on two time-travel-romance novels, finishing the final edits on the fourth Ravenswynd novel, and hopes to one day re-write and edit that elusive first book - still safely tucked away under her bed.
Coming soon - Book Two
Ravenswynd Dreams
Sneak Peek after next page
For information about Sharon’s novels - visit her Online:
Website:
https://www.sharonricklinjones.com
Writing Blog
https://color-me-read.blogspot.com/
Facebook
Facebook/SharonRicklin.Author
Twitter
https://twitter.com/RavenswyndTweet
Ravenswynd Dreams
Book Two
† †
“Again?” I whispered, noticing his arousal.
“Why not?” he asked, a glimmer of hope filling his eyes.
Before I could respond there was a knock at our door. I flung myself under the covers, and Emrys reluctantly went to the door to see who so rudely interrupted us. My eyes followed his every move as he walked away, wearing nothing but his medallion. His hair covered most of his back, but the muscles in his legs and his hindquarters were quite visible as he strolled to the door. What a magnificent view! Several more erotic impressions about his sexiness went through my mind, and knowing he could hear my thoughts, made it all the funnier. I started to giggle as he arrived at the doorway; he turned his head giving me a sideways glance and an amused grin.
“Yes?” he called out through the closed door.
I couldn’t make out the voice or the words, but I knew something was wrong by the way Emrys turned in a flash, a pained look crossing his face.
“We will be right there!” I heard an alarming edge in his voice, one I had never heard before, and a sudden shudder of fear shot through me.
All my steamy musings disappeared in an instant as confusion gripped my mind. Emrys flew back toward the bed, opened a drawer and threw a pair of jeans and a t-shirt at me, and as he jumped into his own clothes, he ordered, “Get these on; we must go to our sister!”
As I scrambled into my clothes in a rush, I asked, “Is it Amrita? What happened? Is she ok?”
I could not, for the life of me, imag
ine what could have happened. After all, she couldn’t get sick. Nothing short of a very sharp object to the neck area would stop her, and then only if her head were completely severed. The actual thought sent another shudder through my body. I ran my fingers through my jumbled hair and slipped into the pair of shoes that Emrys tossed at my feet.
“I am not sure what happened,” he said. “But we must hurry, Elizabeth!” He didn’t make eye contact as he held the door open for me. He took my hand and we rushed into the elevator. Pulling me into his embrace and stroking my hair with his other hand, he whispered, “She will be ok. We can fix this. You shall see.”
I was even more confused and about to ask why he was so evasive. But before I could put my question into words he stopped me.
Putting a finger on my lips and looking earnestly into my eyes, he said, “I promise you – she will be alright.”
My heart dropped in panic when it hit me; perhaps when he’d said, ‘our sister’ he actually meant Melinda! The elevator lurched to a stop and I swallowed hard, trying not to vomit. When the doors opened, I saw that we were now a few floors below our suite. Flames from the candles along the walls still danced, but eerily this time. The familiar hallways loomed before me, turning the panic to sheer terror. This floor was the one that housed all the doors with the padlocks on the outside.
† †
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends