A Waterfall, an Autumn Night, A Fae Prince #MFRWHooks

One hot lumberjack, a rustic cabin in the woods, whipped cream and lattes, princes, magic, and fairy wings. This is not the vacation I wanted, but it might be the one I need.

When I dashed off to a cabin in the woods to escape, the last thing I expected to find is a gorgeous woodsman. The gentlemanly lumberjack Scott, claims to be a prince forced to abdicate his throne. I laugh it off until a glowing white stag walks through the woods and the world explodes.

Now, the flannel-sporting man has wings and sheds glitter. Trees stretch hundreds of feet into the air and people live in giant pumpkins. Somehow it’s up to me, Jenny, the random ad-exec fleeing from a failed romance, to try to save the autumn fairy kingdom or both our realms will suffer. But, if Scott takes the throne taken from him I’ll lose him forever.

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In this excerpt, after Scott’s been forcefully returned to the autumn fairy kingdom he tries to escape his palace with Jenny. He puts his wings to good use and takes her flying over the trees.

The thick clouds, grey and smothering, pressed around us. I couldn’t see anything but the flicker of his golden wings as he lifted us higher and higher. With my chest pressed to his, I felt his heartbeat revving faster from his exertion and mine answered the call. 

Suddenly, we shot out of the clouds, wisps of dark cotton floating away below us. Scott spun us until an orange moon filled the sky. Awe overwhelmed me, my bare toes numbing in the autumn chill as I stared in wonder at the harvest moon above the clouds.

A snicker caused me to turn away. Scott smiled and moved closer. His lips caressed mine, our bodies pressing together as we kissed by the silhouette of the moon. Warmth blossomed through me, chasing away the cold of the night. My eyelids fluttered open and I stared up into his beautiful face.

His wings stopped flapping. Time slowed, my stomach leaping into my throat as the claws of gravity dug in and yanked us down. I screamed and Scott’s fingers slipped from my body. The wind rushed around me, my hands scrabbling for anything to grab. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the fairy take wing. Gold dust rained from the sky I very quickly fell out of.

Did I already hit terminal velocity? What did it matter? I’d be ripped apart by those massive trees either way. Screwing my eyes up tight, I starfished my limbs out in the hope it might slow my descent. Please let it be fast.

A warm laugh rolled over my ear and hands snatched around my midsection. “You can open your eyes,” Scott said sounding unperturbed at the crash.

I risked one, fearing that I’d find the ground an inch away and a stick about to impale me through the chest. Deep indigo water greeted me a good fifty feet down. The cool lake stretched clear across the entirety of my sight as Scott lowered us closer.

“Did you do that on purpose?” I shouted, trying to calm my heart before it burst.

The hands keeping me safe held while the voice shrugged. “I needed you in a different position.”

“You could have asked!” I screamed, a stupid laugh rising at how close I skirted to death. Still alive. Still in a fairy world. But alive. The throbbing of blood through my veins pooled in my skull, bringing back the damn headache I couldn’t shake.

“Then…” Scott dipped us lower, my skirts fluttering out and nearly glancing across the lake’s still surface. “Do you mind me taking you from behind?”

He had no idea what he was saying.

He was totally fucking with me.

Both thoughts rolled through my head at once. One pointed out that he’d clearly been a human long enough to get innuendo. The other stabbed a pointer at the fact he was a prince and princes didn’t get involved with random commoners or whatever I’d be. Did they think of humans as vermin? Or pets?

“Only if you’re gentle,” I said, trying to balance between both possibilities.

“So hair pulling is off the table?” His silky voice rolled deep inside of me and I quivered in his arms. In doing so, my leg slipped far enough down the tip of my toe touched the cold water. A chill shocked my system, but I was entranced by the V trailing through the water as the pair of us flew.

Laughing, I shifted so my other leg dropped. I began to create patterns, rising and lowering my toes to leave rippling lines in the lake. I’m flying. Wind in my hair, wings and a man at my back flying. A giddiness filled me as I faced the breeze blowing the smell of autumn’s trees. Slowly, I stretched my arms out and gave in to the feel of swimming through the wind.
“I want to show you somewhere special,” Scott said, “but I have to adjust you.”

At least he asked this time. Clenching my toes for another big drop, I said, “Go ahead.”

My body spun upward, not from Scott flying but by tossing me. Straight up into the air without any leverage. I hugged the vertical rise, gazing out across the forest. Soft yellow orbs danced amongst the trees. Were we home, I’d think they were porch lights or cars on a distant highway. Here, they moved like will-o-the wisps, guiding people to their fortunes.

Gravity grabbed me, this time yanking my skirt up. The spider silks fluttered around my face, doing nothing to slow my fall. But Scott snatched me fast from a wet plunge. One hand wrapped around my back while the other…cuddled under my ass. My bare ass because fairies didn’t seem to do underwear. 

He realized what he held as a gleam rose in his eye and he licked the edge of his mouth. I was about to lean forward and kiss it off when cold water struck my back. Yelping, I tried to cling tighter to escape but more of the shower pelted my head and Scott’s. As it struck his wings, they faded to a soft glow but I needn’t worry about us falling.

We emerged in a rocky outcropping hidden behind a blustering waterfall. The loud roar of a river tipping into a lake bounded through me, my eyes gawping as I stared at the silver streaks leaping down the cliff. Scott released his hold on me, my knees stumbling to hit the ground. I blindly hunted for a wall and ceiling in the pitch dark, when a soft red light grew from the middle of our refuge.

It wasn’t a fire, there was no wood to catch. But flames flickered inside a small globe floating above our heads. Scott drew his hand away and shrugged. “A little illumination for our…” He paused in his thoughts as his eyes swerved down my soaked skin. The dress’ skirts were plastered to my legs, the bodice slipping from all of my leaping in the air. I felt the slap of my wet hair against my naked back and a shiver rose.

“You are cold,” he pronounced, easing closer on his knees. Scott’s palm cupped to my shoulder first. I expected the same vigorous rubbing as before, but he pulled me to him. His right hand dipped down my legs, yanking the skirts up until he drew his palm across my goosebumps. 

In a flash, he grabbed my ass, kneading into the cheek while pressing his chest to mine. “That won’t do at all,” he said and plunged his lips to mine.

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This is a Blog Hop!

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1. A Waterfall, an Autumn Night, a Fae Prince	2. Fated Always #NewRelease #MFRWHooks #99cents
3. Wednesday Seducing the Innkeeper	4. The Mad Monk’s Treasure free Romance Suspense
5. Could her diplomatic immunity save him?	6. BETWEEN GOODBYE AND HELLO (Iris Blobel)