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© 2007, Tina
Bendoni, Michelle Hasker Reviews For CELTIC LOVE KNOTS Volume 2 by Tina Bendoni & Michelle Hasker Coming Soon Sample Chapter For CELTIC LOVE KNOTS Volume 2 by Tina Bendoni & Michelle Hasker Sheila’s Surrender Sheila Thompson paused and looked over at the fire again. Who’s that gorgeous hunk of man dancing around the growing flame? His auburn hair was tied back with a strip of leather and he was dressed, or rather barely dressed, in a kilt. A few of the other men wore them too, but on him, it looked incredibly yummy. He laughed and danced with her brother and many others around the Beltane fire. She’d give her right arm for a dance with him. Maybe she could convince him to tutor her in the ways of the pagan festival. When Morgan stepped toward the fire, Sheila reached out and grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?” “Where do you think I’m going?” Morgan pointed at Jack. “Oh!” Sheila released her quickly and blushed. Of course, she’d been thinking along that same line herself. She wanted to take Mr. Gorgeous back to her tent and have her wicked way with him. It wasn’t something she’d done before, and he was a stranger, but he felt familiar and her body hungered for him. Maybe she should go for it. “You should find someone, Sheila. Like that guy next to Jack. His name’s Bryant. I’ve known him for years. I can vouch that he’s safe. Let loose and have some fun. You deserve it. Don’t fight it. With all this sexual energy bouncing around, you won’t be able to make it the rest of the weekend without giving in to the inevitable. I know you’ve been looking at him. Watching him. Go for it, honey.” Sheila turned and looked back at Bryant. When Morgan stopped in front of him, Jack hugged Bryant and left, but she kept her gaze on Mr. Gorgeous. Bryant. Even his name is sexy. All day long she’d seen him throughout the campground. Everywhere she turned, he was there, his body calling to hers. She wasn’t sure if it was only the magic and energy in the air. She’d felt a strong desire for him from the minute she’d first seen him. It was as if she recognized him from somewhere, but just couldn’t remember. Another couple left the fire at almost a run and she wondered how much time she had before some lucky lady approached Bryant. Even though this celebration was a new experience for her, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why people were pairing off and disappearing. Would someone pair up with him? Her heart thundered in her chest as panic flared. She wanted him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another man. She couldn’t let anyone beat her to him. Just the thought of being with him was enough to make her wet. Determination strengthened her, and as the drumbeats increased in tempo, she found herself moving in rhythm to the music. Her hips swayed the way her belly dancing instructor had taught her, and Sheila wanted to put those lessons to good use. With Bryant. Letting the music take over, Sheila closed her eyes and moved to it, feeling the beat until her heart matched the rhythm. Then she opened her eyes and made her way toward the fire. A young man came up to her and started to dance with her, but he wasn’t the one she was interested in. She stayed with him for a few minutes until she was closer to Mr. Gorgeous. While she debated how to ditch her dance partner politely, a young blonde-haired woman came up behind him and began to move suggestively against him. He offered Sheila a smile, but then turned around to dance with the blonde. Sheila let out a sigh of relief and looked up to see Mr. Gorgeous staring at her, devouring her with his eyes. She winked at him and then lifted her hands over her head. She moved toward him, then turned in a slow circle as she ran her hands down her body. As she danced closer to him, his grin widened. When her back was to him again, he closed the distance and grabbed her waist. He moved with her, against her, sending shivers up her spine. Oh. My. Goddess. Did he know how to move or what? Each time he brushed against her, hunger coiled tighter in her stomach, and desire soaked her already wet panties. Could she do this? Could she ask him to go back to her tent? Slowly, she turned her head and thrust her hips back. She connected with a very hard part of his anatomy and knew if she was going to ask, she better do it now before another woman beat her to him. Sheila turned her head as far as she could so she could look at him. When he leaned forward and met her gaze, she licked her lips and pushed back against him. He shivered, and another wave of desire washed over her. “Would you like to come back to my tent?” she asked softly, praying he’d say yes. Please, please say yes. The heat of the fire, the energy of the dancers and the sounds of the drums swept around her as she continued to move to the intoxicating beat. She swayed her hips, and rocked against him, imitating a dance she’d like to do privately with him. “Yes.” His husky whisper tickled her ear, and she leaned back against him. The smell of sandalwood and his unique male scent filled her senses, making her sigh. He held her close for a moment, then stepped next to her, wrapped his arm around her and led her out of the circle of dancers. “You’re new at this, aren’t you?” “Yes. Is it that obvious?” She blushed, heat rising in her face to match that in her lower body. Now that she was this close to him, she felt as if she would combust into flames. “It is, but don’t worry. There are several new people here this year. Are you having a good time?” What was with the chit chat? She was too horny to think, let alone make small talk. Damn it, where was her tent? Oh yeah, near the end of this row. “There I am. The blue one near the large oak.” She was glad she’d invested in the large tent. It’d been a pain setting up, but she was glad for the extra space, and the room to stand now that she was taking Bryant with her. “Are you sure about this?” he asked as he followed her inside. “Positive.” Sheila groaned as he brushed past her. She closed the tent flaps and turned to find him lying on his side on her air mattress. She dropped to her knees and crawled to him. Her top draped open, and by the way his eyes widened, he’d noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra. Would he be disappointed she was wearing underwear? “Oh, babe, you are so sexy.” He let out a low moan and grabbed her shoulders, tugging her to him. Bryant covered her mouth with his, and rolled her beneath him. Her entire body trembled at the sparks of electricity and lust that generated at the contact. Sheila grabbed onto his biceps and sighed into his mouth. Damn, he was hard all over. And she was getting so wet her juices were sliding down her thighs. “I’ve been watching you all day,” he whispered, trailing kisses down her neck to the opening in her blouse. “You have?” She gasped when his hands fastened on the bottom of her skirt and began to slide it up her legs. “Yes.” He lowered his head and sucked her nipple through her blouse. Sheila closed her eyes and arched her back as she buried her fingers in his hair until she hit the piece of leather. She untied the strip and released his hair so she could fist her hands in it more easily. Once Bryant pushed her skirt up to her hips, his fingers cupped her through the scrap of lace that comprised her underwear. “You are so wet, babe. I want to taste you.” Sheila moaned and lifted her hips, silently begging him to do whatever he wanted. “Tell me, Sheila.” Her eyes flew open at the sound of her name. But then she knew his name was Bryant, so why wouldn’t he have found out hers as well? Dark God of Beltane “No, I told you that I needed another handmaiden, and you are it.” Briana Ritz tried to resist the woman dressed in green from dragging her into the large tent, but she had no luck. “Handmaidens are younger than me, Betsy.” Betsy sighed in exasperation. “Okay, Bree, let’s try this again. We are in the twenty-first century. Women are getting married and having kids older and older. A young teen isn’t appropriate for our version of the May Queen, and as I’m older than the traditional Queens, you can be, too. Now shut up and put on the wreath.” She finished with a grin as she shoved the flowers on her friend’s head. Bree laughed as she accepted the customary handmaiden crown. She knew the traditions as well as her friend, after all, she’d been pagan all her adult life. This year however, she had hoped to get out of this part of the holiday. She hadn’t been back to this particular festival in nine years. The honor was usually reserved for regulars at the festival. It was just her luck that one of her coven mates was the May Queen this year. After arranging the crown on her head and helping the other “maidens” finish getting ready, Bree and the others lined up for the procession that would begin their Beltane celebration. * * * * “Let the games begin!” Bree watched as men from the festival clamored to be included in the competitions for the hand of the May Queen. They all knew it was fixed and that Betsy’s boyfriend would win, but they all enjoyed the spirit of the competition and the chance to show off their prowess to the unattached females of the group. It was a nice chance to look at the available men gathered for the festival. There were definitely some prime specimens this year, too. Too bad she wasn’t the type to take advantage and pick one of them up. She’d done that before, and it had broken her heart. Never again. Just that thought was enough to send her mind back to the man she had met at her first Beltane. She had been scared and alone, unsure of what to do. He had seemed the answer to her prayers. “So why are you sitting here all alone?” The deep voice coming out of the darkness had startled her enough that she almost fell off the rock she was sitting on. If his large hands hadn’t grabbed her from behind, she would have fallen in an ungraceful heap. The electricity from that simple touch shocked her. It wasn’t something she’d ever experienced before. Heat radiated from his hands to her waist, all the way down to her crotch, warming her deep inside. Is this what the energy of Beltane did? Made her hot for a dark stranger from the woods? She knew the traditions of Beltane. Knew that for some, it was little more than an excuse to get lucky. Many claimed the energy of the holiday was what drove them to it. Good Lord, if she reacted this strongly to a man she hadn’t even seen yet, she was doomed for the rest of the long weekend. Casual sex wasn’t what she came here for. She’d decided to finally break out of her mold as a solitary witch and attend a festival to celebrate the holiday. That didn’t include sex. That was until she looked back at the man who still had her by the waist. She gasped. Short black hair glistened in the light of the moon, throwing most of his face in shadow. He was tall, maybe six foot four, and well built. He would have had no problem catching and holding her if she had fallen. The outline of a long nose and strong chin blended with the shadow around his mouth and hinted his lips were full and lush. Moisture pooled between her thighs in instant lust. Damn. She really was in trouble. His chest seemed to go on forever, broad and firm, the torso tapering down to a slim waist. Unlike most of the participants she had seen, he was wearing a T-shirt and tight jeans. Very tight jeans that left her in no doubt as to what was underneath. Flushing, she quickly glanced up from looking at his body only to catch his eyes. She couldn’t see their color, but they glittered with some sort of emotion she couldn’t identify. “Not interested in joining the rest of the group?” He gestured to the group surrounding one of the campfires in the distance. His question drew her back to the present, and away from her lust-filled fantasies. “Um, well...” Tongue-tied, Briana wasn’t sure how to answer him. “First time?” He sat down beside her on the large rock. “Yeah.” Oh Goddess, it was bad enough with him standing. Now that he was sitting beside her, she didn’t know if she could keep from throwing herself at him. “For any festival, or Beltane? “Ahh, finding it a bit overwhelming?” “Well, um, kind of.” “Yeah, I can see that. All festivals are different, and a Beltane here might be totally different from one across the country or even the state. Some are very family oriented, others are adults only. This one is definitely not for the faint of heart.” “Um, does that mean that I’m expected to, um…” Briana was unsure how to ask the question. So far, no one had made any moves on her, and she had felt confident about her reaction, but now she suddenly felt unsure. “Oh, hell, no. And if anyone tells you otherwise, you find someone, and I can promise you the offending party will be kicked out immediately. All you have to do is say no, and if he doesn’t listen, yell. I promise you, there will be more people there than you can count in a matter of seconds.” “Does that happen often?” “No, not really.” He shook his head as he adjusted himself on the rock. “Once someone screws up like that, they’re banned for life. And I have only seen it happen once in eight years. The crew running this festival makes no secret of what they will and will not allow. I know it’s worse at some other places, and the fact we’re a dry festival, no alcohol, probably cuts down on some of the potential problems.” |