Courting Crazy Read online

  Kristina laughs, “You are so sweet, Marisol”

  “I’m not kidding,” the exotic looking Raven says. “I want you. I was disappointed at Thanksgiving that I didn’t get a turn with you. I hope you’ll make it up to me at Christmas.”

  Nodding, Kristina agrees. Liesl gives her a big hug before holding her at shoulder-length and stooping to look in her eyes. “I’m assuming I’m on the list after that glorious Kristina Thanksgiving Sandwich Trina and I got to eat…”

  Kristina bites her lip and blushes before nodding.

  I lean to stage whisper, “You didn’t tell me about that, Krissie…” her blush deepens. “...good thing Trina told me about it, or I would be lost in this conversation.” She smacks my arm HARD, and then looks up at me appalled. I laugh. “Are we flustering you my, darling? I’ll stop teasing.”

  “Sorry, Jack. I’m overwhelmed with all the love they’re pouring on me. It’s palpable.”

  I give her a knowing nod. “Yes it is,” I respond right before Liesl wraps me in an embrace and kisses me deeply.

  She looks at me afterwards, “It’s been too long, my Lord.”

  “Yes, Liesl. It has. It’s my pleasure to see you again.” I slide my hand under her skirt and squeeze her bum. She moans in response.

  Marisol directs us inside and tells Kristina there is a silver basket she can lay her roses in. With that, they caress our backs as they guide us into the suite.

  Corrina is waiting to greet us inside. She is dressed differently than her team. She is wearing a shimmering black gown. The gown hangs from three-inch straps into a loosely plunging neckline that reveals the inside third of her bountiful breasts, framing the flesh in a shimmering loose cowl. The gown clings to her sculpted abs and hips before it drops down to her left ankle just above her three-inch strap sandals where it wraps around her leg. The fabric clings to her leg and runs up the back. She has her hair up and falling down the right side of her neck. She greets us shyly with her lip tucked into her teeth.

  Kristina is blown away, “My god, C’rina. You look divine. Yes, darling. You’re on my list!” Corrina’s face detonates into a brilliant smile.

  I make a spinning motion with my finger, and Corrina bites her lip again as she slowly turns to show the clinging trail of her dress running up her leg to cup her glorious ass to make the skirt of the dress. The straps cross behind her shoulders to hold the bodice in place about six inches below her armpits.

  Kristina whispers “Stop,” and Corrina freezes. Kristina is slowly drawn to Corrina’s form until my beautiful diminutive lover is gently caressing the sculpted flesh of Corrina’s back and butt as the taller Captain quakes with desire. Kristina wraps her arms around Corrina’s waist and plants a perfect lip print on Corrina’s spine above where the straps cross. “I’ve marked you as mine, C’rina.”

  Corrina gasps, “Lady Kristina, may I also have you and my Lord mark my neck? I chose my hairstyle to point to the marks I hoped you would leave.”

  Kristina walks around to the front of her, trailing her fingers on the bare flesh of her back. I’m standing enough to the side to see Kristina’s face as she looks up into Corrina’s face. “Why C’rina, darling? I’m no one special.”

  Corrina catches Krissie’s face in her hands. “Not true, Krissie. Myra is the Queen of the Fae. Trina is the Queen of the Seraglio. You are the Queen of our Hearth...of our household. I serve you, my Queen. I serve you with my sword, with my heart, and my body in your bed. I revel in the thought of your marks on my body for all to see. You destroyed me at Thanksgiving.” She literally quakes as she says it.

  I press my body into Corrina’s back and wrap my arms around her. I look over her shoulder to see Kristina’s nod to me. She plants another lip print between Corrina’s bountiful breasts as I kiss, nibble, and suck Corrina’s neck until it blooms in color. I turn our Captain’s lips to mine as I kiss my love into her mouth. Kristina can barely reach her target, but follows my example. Then holds Corrina’s head in place and whispers “teeth?” Corrina nods vigorously. Kristina sucks skin and muscle into her mouth and bites down and holds it. I catch Corrina as she groans and collapses, wrapping her arms around Kristina. I manage to keep her from dragging them both to the ground. Kristina escapes to get her feet under her, then she offers a hand to Corrina. Corrina kisses her again and then pulls her into a hug. “Thank you, Queen Kristina. I love you. It is my honor to serve you.”

  Kristina tells her, “Honey, I’m not worthy of your service or your devotion. You honor me too much. I love you, too.” She looks at me, “Jack, I need to go repair my makeup. Give me just a minute.”

  Corrina says, “The loo is right here, Darling. Let me help you.” They giggle and scamper off into the loo. I shake my head at the idea of Corrina giggling. I walk down to the front of the box and look down into the arena as spectators trickle into their seats. I stand next to the bar counter before the step down into the event seating. We have two rows of eight event seats, and another six short stools at the bar looking out into the arena. Two of the plush chairs are on the wall that runs from the door to the arena. There are four more plush seats set in a makeshift conversation pit in the back, inside corner. It’s more than we need, but I like having the space and privacy with my family.

  I breathe in the atmosphere. I have loved rock concerts like the Boss, Genesis, the Stones, the Who, the Doobies, Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Clapton, CSNY, Pat Benatar, Grace Potter, Vintage Trouble - they were all great! I’ve seen many of them right here in this arena. An Andre Rieu concert is different experience. You still have the sense of expectation, but folks tend to be more laid back when they come to listen to Strauss waltzes. The crowd is older. There are a lot of elderly in the crowd, fewer middle-aged, and even fewer twenty-somethings. Additionally, there are more school kid music students. I enjoy the people-watching for a couple of minutes before I hear a familiar voice say, “All hail the Queen of the Fae!”

  I turn around to see Trina slink into the suite in a cream colored grecian gown with golden accents which sets her sun-kissed skin off to spectacular effect. The aforementioned queen, Myra, follows in a smoky grey silk gown which makes her moon-kissed skin glow. Megan follows Myra in a juniper green gown that makes her skin look more like cream than moonlight. Kristina and Corrina emerge from the loo and Corrina is proudly sporting her marked neck and a handful of new lipstick prints in her décolletage, neck, and back. The ladies descend upon each other to share hugs, kisses, caresses, and laughter. Daphne, Sowie, Solange, and Charli follow in as Solange takes charge of assignments for the combined team. She reports in to Corrina as Megan sidles to Kristina and whispers urgently to her as they both look my direction apprehensively. Kristina looks at Megan nodding and then whispers in her ear as she caresses her shoulder.

  Corrina hugs Solange as I hear her say, “You’re doing great, sweetie. I’m proud of you. Thank you for giving me the night off, but you get me if you need me, okay?”

  Solange kisses her cheek, “Thank you for your trust, Captain. I need to inspect caches, and then I’ll be at the door.”

  Corrina halts her before she pulls away, “Don’t forget to kiss our Lord. You know he loves you, and he will be proud to see you taking on more responsibility.”

  Solange turns to me as I walk up and kiss her deeply. “I’m very proud of you, my darling. Your captain made an inspired choice. I’m deeply grateful for you giving her a break.”

  “It is my pleasure, my Lord. You haven’t squeezed my bum yet. Would you please? I won’t be able to concentrate on my duties until you fondle me.” she says with a saucy grin. I comply, and we laugh as she slides away from me.

  Kristina hooks Trina’s arm and whispers into her ear as she steers her my direction. Trina shoots her an alarmed look as they hurry to me. Megan whispers to her sister with similar effect, and they move rapidly toward me as Liesl waves a striking blond woman into the suite.

  Trina grabs Corrina and whispers urgently in her ear. Corrina looks
at me in fear and runs to the door and intercepts the striking blond. They shake hands and talk urgently. My ladies swarm me, Kristina sliding under my right arm and Myra holding my left in both hands. “What’s going on my darlings. You’re acting frantic.” Solange grabs three firearms from a valise under the table holding Kristina’s roses and trots to the door of the suite.

  Megan stands in front of me, placing both hands on my chest. “My Lord, my best friend is going to join us unexpectedly in a moment. As I have told you before, she is a princess of the Summer Court. What I have not told you is that you will likely recognize her from your life before you became aware of the Fae. I have known this since before I met you, and I have knowingly hidden this from you. This is not how I would have chosen to reveal her to you, but she is the seeress of Summer. The Crystal. She ‘knows’ things. Apparently things are changing rapidly in the flow of events, and she is convinced she needs to meet you tonight.”

  “Megan, that doesn’t seem to warrant the level of angst I’m picking up from you all. Why are you so worried?”

  The striking blond walks into the suite and takes up guard station inside the suite watching towards the door and back out into the auditorium. Then Corrina leads in a beautiful young woman in a mint green gown with a familiar heart-shaped face framed by chestnut hair in a bob that just brushes her shoulders, brown eyes, and sun-kissed skin.

  I remember her standing in the sun, dressed in heathered brown tights, feet in black Chuck Taylors, and a tight orange T-shirt. I remember her clear, strong voice harmonizing over Aimie as we sang together. Her face runs to me as though I’m running towards her in a tunnel as the light dims.

  Chapter 4 - Christie Returns

  Christie looks at me with sorrow in her eyes, and then says in a clear warm voice, “Jacques Guillaume Jerome, listen to me and obey.” Her eyes glow with the blue of a clear summer sky.

  “You will put away your memory of what has passed here this weekend. It was necessary for you to become what you must, my darling man. You must put all your memories after the first song we sang together into the dark recesses of your mind and leave them there until you see me again.”

  “You are going to change, Jack. That bite of my flesh was necessary for you to change. As glorious as you are, you are going to become more. We need you to become more for the dark times ahead if we are to survive. The first change is that you need to immunize yourself to what I’m doing to you now. Then you must unleash the magic of your heritage. Let your body and mind become, my darling!”

  “I am counting on you. I am yours. You have my heart in yours, just as your body now has my flesh. Become, my darling! You are worthy of love despite all the pain you’ve experienced and the lives you’ve taken. Know in the back of your mind that I love you, and you will see me again, soon. Now sleep my darling.”

  I find myself on my knees with Kristina and Myra holding me up as memories of that glorious weekend flood back and lucidity returns. In front of me is Christie. “Christie,” I rasp out of my parched throat.

  “Yes, my Love. I am here. Do you remember me?”

  I nod, “You were my muse. You were an improbable wet dream of an older man. You took me to heaven and then disappeared with even the memories of the joy we shared. I am the Green Lord because you were the catalyst. Your flesh started this.”

  She is kneeling on the floor in front of me with her hands clasped in her hands and tears streaming down her face. “Guilty, Beloved.”

  I turn to Kristina and kiss her. “I have this, Krissie. Thank you for catching me.”

  I turn to Myra and kiss her. “I’m good, Myra. Thank you for catching me.” They both let me settle into a seiza, which I maintain for a moment just drinking in the beautiful dream in front of me.

  I reach out and cup her face. Christie sobs as she raises her eyes to me. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I just couldn’t see another way.”

  I draw her face to me and lean in to kiss her gently. My hand glides down her flank to rest at her waist, which is thicker than I remember. I crawl forward kissing her as I push her to her side and then supine as I crawl over her. Her arms pull me to her as the heat of our kiss grows. Finally, I break away from her lips. “Christie, you have no need to apologize. I do want explanations and details.” I sit up and pull her into my lap.

  Then I ask, “So first of all, do your parents know you’re out, young lady?” Christie sobs out a laugh. “I’m twenty-four now, Jack. You know that.”

  “Yes. I missed the opportunity to take you out for your birthday dinner. Apparently, you didn’t tell me you weren’t on the pill, Christie.” She laughs again. ‘Jack 2, Sorrow 0!’

  “Oh, I hear you like to breed Sidhe girls, Jack!” she laughs as she wipes her tears. That gets chuckles from all my ladies.

  “I’ve recently discovered that dwarven girls are hot! I’m giving breeding them a try, too!”

  Kristina wraps her arms around me laughing and gently bites my ear, “Jack, you’re a cad!”

  “At the very least,” I agree. “Christie, the beauty around my neck is Kristina Unterberg. She is my date this evening, and I love her as I do you. Krissie please allow me to introduce Heather, also known as Christie, Cavanaugh, Crystal of the Summer Court and apparently the mother of my eldest baby bump.”

  Kristina stands and walks around to wrap Christie into a hug. “Welcome to the family, Christie.” She kisses Christie’s cheek.

  I stand and offer Christie and Kristina a hand. Then I offer Myra a hand. Christie takes note of who is standing to my left and immediately drops to genuflect. “My Queen. Congratulations on your marriage. Please forgive me for crashing your party. I was completely lost in Jack.”

  “Oh Heather! Rise, sweetie. Give me a hug, darling. You’ve known me for way too long to worry about crashing my party. Besides, I’m about two and a half months behind you in building a baby bump. We can support each other in this and everything else that is standing before us. As for being lost in Jack, it happened to me within three minutes of meeting him.”

  Christie looks at me as she answers Myra, “I don’t get it. We spent a weekend together, and I’ve not been able to get him out of my mind or my heart. I’ve tried to push him out to make some room so I could function.” She looks back to her queen. “How can someone fall in love so fast? Infatuation? Sure, but deep soul-bending love? That shouldn’t be possible, should it?”

  Myra pulls the girl to her, “Sweetie, before it happened to me I would have told you the only way to find true love is as a child, like I did with Trina and you did with Megan. Intellectually, I can’t figure out how I can feel like my heart is pulled out whenever I’m not within sight of a man that I have known for almost a month. Especially a man that has twelve other women that share his bed. But the truth is, I do.” Myra raises her regard to mine. “And I have since day one. When he left my sight in the airport to go to the restroom, I was bereft. When he came back, it was like the sun was rising after a long cold winter. Jack’s smile and love are the nourishment that my heart requires. I’m a better person for having him in my life, and I’m much happier being in his bed. I’m a better person for all of this love” she indicates the women in the room “that Jack has brought to my life.”

  I demur, “Myra, my darling. All these women were devoted to you and you to them long before I came on the scene.”

  Myra nods, “Sure. They were devoted to their Princess. I was devoted to my people, and they are all my people. The love I feel for them now is different, and I feel their love differently now than before, too. Ask them. I’m certain they will tell you that they feel my love differently and that their love for me is also different. They no longer just hold me in high regard. They love me. Passionately. Deeply, from their very souls. They crave my touch, just as I crave theirs. Just as I crave yours. My love for all the Sidhe is deeper, too. The thought of any of my people hurting is crushing. I cried last night for the Summer Queen because I can feel the fear in her heart that is driving her
to act in a way that drives the two courts apart. I’ve always hated her. Now I want to wrap her in my arms, like I am holding her daughter right now, comfort her, and take her pain away.”

  Christie looks up, “That fear is being fed by the Dread Lord, just as the love you feel is fed by the Green Lord, by Jack.” She looks me in the eye, “That is why I ruined your life, darling Jack. Only you can stop him. I don’t know how, but your power is the key.”

  I pull her to me. “You did not ruin my life, Christie. You were the first woman in a long time that has made me feel loved like that. You gave my life back to me. I’ve been a better person since we‘ve been together, and it’s all because you took a chance on giving your love to lonely old man. I love you, Christie.”

  “I love you, Jack. I told you that before, and I meant it. It’s only gotten stronger since. I will not stay away from you now. I refuse. I don’t care if I only get to sit at your feet like a housecat. I am yours, and I need to be with you. Can you live with that?”

  I say “Of course” as Kristina wraps her arms around us both. “We’ll find a way to work it out.”

  She reaches up to kiss Christie’s cheek. “The question I have is, ‘what do I call you?’ I’ve heard ‘Heather,’ ‘Crystal,’ and ‘Christie.’ What do you prefer?”

  She responds, “I was christened ‘Heather.’ All my sisters are named for trees or bushes. ‘Crystal’ is more of a title. Unfortunately, being the Crystal freaks people out. As a result, they tend to just call me by the title. My mom’s PA enrolled me in school as Crystal Cavanaugh. Some of my school chums started calling me Christie instead, and it stuck.” She turns to look at Megan. “Even Megan calls me Christie unless we’re around other Sidhe. When I make love to her, ‘Christie’ is the name she gasps.” She bites her lip and looks down shyly. “‘Heather’ is my name, but ‘Christie’ is who I am.”