Lucky's Charm (7 page)

Lucky let go of the whip and sprinted toward the man on the ground as he slowly sat up. Stalking up behind the dazed troll, he reached under his cloak and drew out his knife. Grabbing the back of the troll’s head, he tugged and slid the blade across the guard’s throat. An arc of blue blood spewed from the wound. Lucky released his hold and the troll slumped forward.

He wiped the knife on his thigh and ran to retrieve his whip. That was three down. The fourth troll was missing. Lucky skimmed his gaze over the landscape. A short distance away, the last troll sat on his mount, staring at him.

Lucky lifted his knife above his head. Rage fueled his words. “Tell Dicklaus if he continues this chase Droicheal will have a new king, because death is all that awaits him if he comes for me or mine!”

The rider spun his horse around then trotted over the horizon and out of view.

Intent on checking her wound, Lucky moved toward Landis. Gently he pulled her hand away and lifted the hem of her shirt from the leather belt holding it in place. The blade had only grazed her skin, creating a shallow line across her abdomen. He peered up at her. Her lips were pursed to a firm line.

“This is too much.” She stared at her blood-smeared palm.

“It’s only a scratch. No bandage required.” His voice was a low rumble filled with fury. He shut his mouth for a moment to regain control of his anger. “Let’s get you someplace safe and we’ll regroup.”

“I can’t…” She shook her head as tears rolled from the corners of her eyes.

“You will. We can’t stay here, luv.” He placed a foot in the stirrup and hefted himself up in front of her. “You have no choice, lass.” Lucky turned, dipped is head, and brushed his lips over hers.

“You killed him.” Her tone was weak.

“Says the woman wielding a mace.” He rubbed his nose with hers. “It was him or us. We don’t have much time. That lone troll is going back for reinforcements. That stupid king will not take lightly to being made a fool of again because he can’t catch a lowly leprechaun.” Lucky snapped the reins to get Dubh to move. “I gave ye my word,
Mo Shearc.
For as long as you reside here you have my protection.”

Once they met up with Tolley, they would go from there. Badly as he wanted Landis, he would send her back through the veil to keep her safe. He feared letting her go might be like ripping his soul in two, but he was running out of options.

SIX

Spindly branches covered with large, vibrant orange and yellow blossoms spiraled down from the tops of silver trees. Dubh would brush against the trunk of a tree and at the slight touch, blooms rained down. Within a few hours the landscape had changed from dry and rocky to lush and beautiful. The grove had a calming effect on Landis. To be amongst such beauty made her feel better. While Dubh cantered at a comfortable gait, Landis laid her cheek on Lucky’s shoulder with her ankles locked around the small of his back. As she twisted her head to gaze around them, the coarse fabric of his cloak abraded the side of her face.

Landis scooted closer, adjusting her position. Lucky’s deep, even breathing was lulling her into a doze and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Every once and a while, his arms would brush the sides of her breasts as he worked the reins. An onslaught of tremors would result from the casual touch and she would curl into his side. From the motion of the unicorn’s gait, Lucky’s erection rubbed through their clothing and against her pussy. She was so tired, she wanted to sleep so she wouldn’t feel the hard ridge of his dick sliding against her cleft.

The image of them fucking jolted her awake.

His five o’clock shadow scratched her forehead. She watched his mouth as he spoke. “You all right now, lass? Cold?”

“I’m fine. How much farther?”

“Not far now. It’s taking us a little longer to get to the rendezvous spot since we are taking this route.” He rubbed her back. “Once I’m sure we’re safe, we’ll stop.”

“What about crossing Agorrona?” She wiggled in her seat trying to get comfortable.

“It’s Agrona. We may have to wait. Crossing that place in the dark isn’t wise. I told Tolley to go ahead if we didn’t get there by a specific time. He’ll wait for us on the other side of the lowlands.” He pulled Dubh to a stop. “I’ve been wondering where you learned to wield a mace.”

“I got lucky. It’s not hard to hit a target that is literally right in front of you. I mean, I was motivated.” She fingered the holster strapped to her waist. “Truthfully, I was scared.”

“Fear is a fine motivator, Landis.” He cupped her face. “You knocked that troll on his arse, and I consider myself lucky to have you on my side.” His head was inches from hers. “You know what else?” His eyes twinkled.

“What?” Landis dropped her lids to stare at him through her lashes as she puckered her lips. The constant arousal was making her ache for his touch.

“I love to hear you talk. The way you speak and the words you use, I’ll never tire of listening to you.” Lucky eased back and reached between them to grasp the hem of his cloak. He yanked it over his head then deftly wrapped the fabric around her shoulders. After she was covered, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.

What the hell?
She cocked her head to the side to gaze at him. Had he lost interest already? If he had, it was her fault for being so damn easy the night before. Hadn’t she read an article that a man would react to stimuli whether he cared for a person or not? Did that count for fabled beings? She wanted to bang her head on something hard.

Hadn’t her mama always told her to always be a lady first? That had flown out the window with his first kiss. Why was it that she needed to come to another world to find a man who made her want to do all the nasty things she discovered on the porn channel as a teenager? She huffed. He’d probably laughed with Tolley about how simple it was to have sex with her.

The thought of him laughing behind her back made her nauseous. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Most people actually thought her cold. Her co-workers jokingly liked to refer to her as permafrost when talking about her. They thought she didn’t know that they called her that. The only person who actually carried on a conversation with her at the zoo was Don. Landis preferred to call herself driven. In her chosen field of zoology, she had to work longer than and twice as hard as her male counterparts.

Why did she care what Lucky thought, anyway? It was her goal to find a way back home.

To what?
That little voice at the back of her mind chimed in.
You have an apartment that you’ve lived in for over three years and you still haven’t unpacked. Your parents are dead and you’re not close to anyone in your family. They probably haven’t noticed you’re gone and won’t until Christmas when they don’t get that money-laced holiday card you send to your cousin’s kids.

What are you truly missing? Your boss doesn’t even like you. He tolerates you because the board handpicked you to try and revive a zoo that is slowly dying, because everyone from the program director down gives less than a damn if it survives.

Here, you’ve made love to a leprechaun, rode a unicorn, and fought a troll. You have lived more in the last day then you have ever experienced in thirty-three years
.

Lucky narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Landis?”

“I was just thinking about going home.”

“Don’t think so hard, luv.” He yanked her up against him. Warmth and the scents of earth and leather surrounded her.

She burrowed closer against Lucky and inhaled deeply. After everything they’d been through, how the hell could he smell so good?

He took up the reins. “A half hour or so and we can make camp for the night,” Lucky murmured against her hair.

She rested her head at the crook in his neck. Her mouth brushed his throat and the salt on his skin dusted her lips. She slipped her arms out from under the cloak and wrapped them around his waist.

“Get some rest,
Mo Sherac
.” His tone had deepened and sounded almost lyrical.

It was harder for her to keep her lids open. Darkness encroached on her vision and she briefly thought that being stuck in this world wouldn’t be so bad. Lucky started to hum and the rhythmic rumble was comforting. Being stuck with the leprechaun definitely had some positive aspects.

~ * ~

Lucky eased Dubh up the rocky ridge and along the boulder-ridden ledge. There was no way he could move without waking Landis, and from the exhausted look in her eyes that afternoon, she needed the rest. He could only imagine what she was going through. She was ill-prepared for the world of Tuatha De Danann. He needed to check to find out if Tolley had stuck around and this was the only place he could see all of the surrounding area without being observed. He didn’t think Tolley had waited for them—at least he hoped his old friend hadn’t.

As weary as they were, there was no way they could cross banshee territory. In a handful of hours, night would fall, making the journey that more dangerous. Landis nuzzled against his neck. He wouldn’t put her at risk, which was another reason to make camp where they were.

Dubh snickered.

“Yeah, I know you need a rub down, too.” Lucky absently patted the animal on his shoulder.

No doubt, Dicklaus’ men were leaving no stone unturned in their hunt for him and his friend. Landis, too, now that she’d helped him. Lucky pushed the hair from her face. The locks were like spools of raw cotton in his hand. For the first time in his life, he wanted to shirk his responsibilities and find a safe place to hide them until he’d sated his desire for the dark-skinned beauty.

Tolley’s use of his title earlier that day—Clan Master—hadn’t been an accident and he knew it. His friend was reminding him of his duties. Lucky held Landis close and closed his eyes. The way the contours of her body melded to his felt right. His pendant—the silver and emerald four-leaf clover—dug into his skin as it was crushed between them.

Last night, the idea to place the jewelry around her neck had popped into his head. The pendant was his birthright as the King of the Leprechauns. Not just of his clan, but his entire race. Few people knew his identity anymore. Over the years, he’d developed a persona based on rumors he encouraged, as most folks thought his father, Declan O’Conner, still ruled. This suited Lucky fine since he would not ask his men to go into dangerous situations he himself would not walk into. He was a hands-on leader and given the droll expressions they sometimes gave him, that annoyed his men most of the time. As time went by, it became easier to handle any issues himself. His mother, Iona, still lived, and she acted as Regent in his absence.

If he was honest, staying away from court was easier than listening to his mum harp on his lack of a wife and children. He peered down at Landis, focusing on her slightly parted, bow-shaped mouth. Until he found her, he’d never been interested in finding a female to fulfill his obligation to father heirs. He took care of his people, made sure they were provided for—they were fed, protected, and their homes safeguarded.

Perhaps it was time for him to take up the mantle of rulership. His kingdom was beyond the Winterlands. Adventures were getting old, or maybe he was. He chuckled and Landis jerked in her sleep.

He was his father’s son. His da would pack them up and follow a wandering group of his kin. When he was older and got up the nerve to question his father, Declan gave him an odd answer. “It’s in our blood, son. We are leprechauns after all.”

Over the years, the kingdom had fallen into decline, and instead of taking care of the issues, Lucky continued to ignore them. The people’s needs had outstripped the small amount of
kun
in the coffers. Now the only thing that marked the difference between him and his people was the necklace he wore. He dipped his head and pressed his lips against Landis’ temple. King or not, he still lacked the money to actually provide for his people. Ideas flitted through his mind, though. He’d gone into the mines at the borders of Glasto in hopes of raising the funds. With Dicklaus acting an ass, it would take an act of the Gods for Lucky to get his gems or the monetary equivalent back.

Thinking about the mounting troubles he faced made his head throb, even more so than his dick. His manhood surged against the seam in his leather britches as the ride up the hillside pressed Landis’ body into his. This was one of his more painful rides, worse than being thrown into a rock bed.

He focused his gaze on Dubh’s horn. “I can always farm you out as a stud, eh, Dubh?”

The unicorn’s mane whipped back and forth as he shook his head.

“Think about it, old friend, a harem of females to mount.” Lucky couldn’t contain his laughter.

Landis’ silky, smooth voice interrupted his mirth. “If I’m interrupting something, I can always leave and come back.”

“Aye, ye finally woke up.” Dropping the reins, he said, “We’ll bed down here for the night.”

She pushed off his chest. “How long was I out?”

Out?
He cocked his head to stare at her. “Sleeping?”

“Yes.” She shifted in the saddle and leaned to the side.

“About an hour. What are ye doing?” Her squirming was making his already painfully hard cock that much harder. At the rate he was going, he could break stone with his rod, no chisel required.

“I’m trying to get down.” She moved again before raising her head to look at him.

He wrapped his hands around her waist and hefted her over the side. One of her feet caught on the makeshift sack tied to the pommel and pulled the knot loose. The side of the bag opened and everything tumbled to the ground in a shower of food and goods.

“Shit!” Landis stumbled back.

“
Shhh
.” Lucky jumped down and pressed a finger to his lips.

“Why?” She snapped her head up and stared at him.

“Because trolls are everywhere, maybe a few gnomes, too. It’s close to nightfall, and the banshee will start stirring. I chose this place for a reason. I wanted to be able to see the valley below.” He stepped over the mess and walked up to the edge. Cliffs surrounded them and the narrow shelf was the only flat area on the rocky outcrop. Standing close to the large rock, he placed a hand on the rough surface and peered over the ledge.