Two by Day, Three by Night Read online

  “What I desire, Baron Kalnovky, is to keep this purely a professional relationship focused on helping Sebastian. I am not here as your plaything.”

  “Your tone says otherwise. Come. Just take my hand. We will walk.”

  “Are all men from your country this touchy feely?”

  “I do not know. I do not touch or feel other men from my country,” Marcas said, sounding confused. Courtney stared at him before breaking out in a loud laugh. She allowed his large hand to enfold around hers, bringing instant warmth to the core of her body. She fought not to sigh happily.

  Neither one noticed Sebastian leaning weakly against the window, watching them with a knowing smile.

  * * *

  Marcas pulled the chair out from Courtney as she joined him for dinner that evening. She looked at her plate then up at him. “You made this?”

  “Yes. I cook well. Do you like?”

  “I’ve never had this before. Should I ask what it is?”

  With a straight face, Marcas stated the ingredients, suppressing a smirk as Courtney paled. After a moment of scrutiny, she took a deep breath and scooped up a spoonful of the unidentified pie covered with powdered sugar.

  “I have to admit, I never thought rabbit and grubs would be so tasty. Almost tastes Moroccan. It’s delicious,” Courtney said, wiping her mouth.

  Marcas laughed heartily. “You are brave, little one. It is called bastilla. My grandmother’s recipe. I don’t care much for Romanian cuisine.”

  “With rabbit and…”

  “No, chicken and eggs. No grubs either. I was teasing with you.”

  “You were ‘teasing with me’? Just so you know, I will never refuse a challenge. I’m not that good of a girl,” Courtney advised, taking another bite of the savory dish and eyeing him.

  “No? How brave do you think you can be?”

  “I’m brave enough to decide to accompany you to Romania with Sebastian.”

  Marcas yelped, grabbing her up in his arms and swinging her around in the air. He landed his lips straight upon hers as Courtney’s feet dangled mid-air.

  “Does this mean you are happy with my decision or are you just looking for another reason to kiss me?” Courtney asked, hands on his shoulder as she tried to push him away.

  “I am happy with your decision, and I need no other reason to kiss you other than it brings me pleasure. We leave day after tomorrow.”

  “That does not allow any time to prepare. Maybe in a week…”

  “No, I have decided. Right after dawn, we depart. It is a long trip, about 18 hours.”

  “Is your brother coming?” Courtney asked, sipping the mint-flavored tea.

  “I have no brother.”

  “Marcas, you need to ‘fess up here. I heard two men talking over each other in your study. I don’t care how good you are with talking to yourself, no one can argue over themselves like that. There is no television in there or any radios. I looked. I also saw both of you last night when you put me to bed. What gives?”

  “You were tired and the imagination plays tricks…”

  “Don’t give me that bullshit, mister. Do you have a twin brother or not?”

  “Yes,” Marcas lied. “He comes and goes as he pleases. We do not get along well together.”

  “Thank you. That wasn’t so difficult to tell me, right? Oh, yes, tell him to keep his hands to himself next time.”

  Marcas studied her face, feeling his organ throb as he imagined her under him, protesting his attention as she yielded to her passion. A strange dizziness was felt and he stood, noting the setting sun. “Go down to the basement, we have business to attend to. Do not disobey me,” he ordered brusquely before noiselessly exiting the dining room.

  Courtney stared after him, wondering what had occurred to turn the pleasant conversation so suddenly. She felt guilty, realizing that she had cornered him into talking about his twin brother, which was obviously a sore subject. As for his order, she snorted while clearing up the dinner plates and washing the dishes. She balanced the delicate bone china in her hand, marveling at its beauty and realizing it must be his family crest. What an enigma he was… so strong and commanding, yet he performed the chores of caregiver and host with upmost dignity and finesse.

  It was long past sunset when Marcas burst into her bedroom, anger upon his face. “I told you to meet me in the basement and not to disobey,” he snapped, climbing onto her bed and leaning his arms on either side of her body as she was pushed back against the pillow. Courtney edged her knee between them and slowly shoved him away with her bare foot.

  “And I told you that I don’t respond to orders. More so, you have no right to touch me.”

  “I do not touch naughty girls, I spank them. And you, Courtney Wells, are one of the naughtiest I have ever come across,” he barked, both furious and pleased that she had the courage to defy him.

  “Well then, Marcas Kalnovky, you obviously haven’t come across very many now, have you? I did nothing wrong to deserve to be… spanked!” she yelled, kicking his hands away from her body.

  “You entered my chambers without knocking, you smacked me, and you talk back! I am a noble and that is worthy of execution in my country!”

  “We are not in your country and I don’t care if you’re the Queen of England, I’m not going to obey you.”

  “I cannot be a queen. I am a man,” Marcas growled, grabbing her ankle and pulling her to the foot of the bed. Courtney broke into hysterical laughter, still kicking at him. He wasn’t as amused. “Why are you laughing? You are about to be severely punished.”

  “You are a hoot! Can’t be a queen…” She had tears dripping down her face as she laughed. She started to snort and Marcas stared at her incredulously. “Oh, Lord, I’m sorry… I do this when I’m cracking up,” she explained, snorting even louder.

  Marcas fought not to join her. Laughter like this was not part of his persona. It was joyful and light… his other half would understand. Courtney grabbed her stomach, tears wetting the side of her face and she continued to snort in loud, unladylike episodes. Marcas could not resist any longer and joined her in a loud, rumbling laugh.

  For a quick moment, time stood still and Courtney thought she saw him blur before her eyes. She was sure she was experiencing a form of hysteria that resulted in hallucinations. She closed her eyes to catch her breath and reopened them to see Marcas, serious once again, leaning over her.

  “You come now, young lady. No more games,” he announced, flipping her over his shoulder once again and taking her downstairs to the basement, ignoring the pummeling of her fist upon his back and the attempts to pinch his tight skin. He slammed the door behind him, plodded down the stairs, and dumped her on the divan, her laughter turning into hiccups as she attempted to sober up.

  “I can’t remember ever laughing so hard in my entire life.” She coughed, wiping her eyes as she sat herself straight. “You are so funny.”

  “I did nothing to induce such frivolity. Now, we have several items…”

  “I love your laugh. You should do it more often. I think it shocked me. I saw two of you for a moment,” Courtney said, rubbing the sides of her jaw as she sat up straight.

  “Two of me? What do you mean?” Marcas demanded, hands on his waist. “Are you trying to buy time?”

  “Seriously, buddy, you need to lighten up. What’s that?” Courtney’s eyes suddenly widened as he picked up a long, rectangular paddle from the table and slapped it against his palm.

  “It is a tool to train you. I promised I would not tolerate disrespect.”

  “I am not going to allow you to touch me with that thing. Your hand is bad enough…” Courtney announced, backing away from him, no longer laughing as she recognized the seriousness of his intent.

  “You enjoy my hand? That you will feel as well. Come to me.” He pointed to the floor in front of him.

  “Marcas, you are insane. No!”

  “I said to come to me,” his low voice reverberated through the room,
making her tremble. Courtney also felt a rush of wetness seeping between her thighs. I can’t obey him! I have got to leave this place! Despite the words that raced through her mind, she slowly, and fearfully, approached him. His grim smile contrasted with the pleased expression in his silver gray eyes.

  “Very good. For your obedience, I will show you mercy. Place your hands upon that table and bend across it,” he ordered. Courtney shivered; the need to run and defy him conflicted with the overwhelming desire to obey. She could not understand this hold he had on her. It was like his voice opened up the door to her hidden desire to submit to someone stronger than she was. Someone who not only demanded but took control.

  “Marcas, you are frightening me.”

  He reached out to touch her face, his eyes again locking into hers. “You are not afraid of me, you are afraid of what is hidden inside of you. You want me to take your control. You need me to. You also know I will not cause you harm. Obey me, Courtney.”

  How did he possibly know this? Courtney gulped and turned from him, placing her palms upon the solid wooden table that had been oil polished to a shimmering gleam. She could see her reflection in the grained surface, and slowly lowered her body over the cool wood. She closed her eyes as her deepest, darkest fantasy unrolled before her.

  She felt the flat of the board line up on her bottom and held her breath, knowing he was aiming. In her mind’s eye, she could envision him pulling back his arm, his striking face grim as those silver-gray eyes focused on her round, protruded derriere. A rustle of fabric was heard just before the thick plank impacted loudly upon her fleece covered bottom.

  Courtney gasped, gripping the edge of the table with her fingers as the thuddy sting spread delectably to her already wet center. She groaned, laying her face upon the wood. Marcas smiled, his own heart beating with excitement with her unexpected reaction. He had not struck her hard, just enough to allow the sensation to penetrate her pants. The sound that leaked from her throat was definitely that of pleasure. With a twinkle in his eyes, he drew his arm back and repeated the stroke, this time with a harder, more deliberate flick of his skilled wrist.

  Courtney lifted her head off the table with a yelp, still hanging to the edges, but this time bouncing on her toes. The pain sunk deep into her, making her squirm with hunger. One more, please, she begged in silence, don’t stop yet.

  “It is not over,” Marcas stated firmly, once again making her question if he could read her mind. “This one shall be the hardest yet.”

  Courtney said nothing, preparing for a taste of the unknown. When the paddle crashed against her sit spots, she yowled, lifting her chest off the table and raising her right foot off the ground. Yet, she remained in place.

  “I have found my treasure. All these years, I’ve been searching…” Marcas mumbled, running his hand over her bottom and feeling the heat through the material of her sweats. “Over my knees, now. Let me see where I can take you tonight.”

  As if in a daze, Courtney rested over his long, muscular thighs. Her clit ached, begging for the touch of this stranger who had uncovered her innermost secret. A tear fell as she felt him slowly skim the covering from her pale, hot flesh.

  “You have a beautiful bottom end. Perfect to punish, perfect to make love to. What would you have me do, Courtney?” he asked, his voice sinister, yet with a hint of warmness when he said her name. It rolled over his tongue with an intimacy that left her feeling as though she had known him for a lifetime. That voice stripped from her the ability to regain control or to demand her release. When she did not respond, Marcas began to stroke her quivering globes, striking each one sharply to hear her whimper.

  “Would you have me continue?” he asked, his hand resting at the crevice between her thighs, his long fingers a hairs-breadth from her beckoning slit. “Tell me what you want. Do not let your fear deprive you of the truth.”

  “I don’t know you well enough to let you do this,” Courtney forced out, feeling shame as her body screamed with lust.

  “You know me as well as you know yourself, Courtney Wells. I am your fantasy, as you are mine. Deny it and I will stop and never touch you again,” Marcas said, slowly dipping his finger into her steaming juices and feeling her muscles contract around it.

  “We are total strangers…” she gasped as he began to stroke her clit knowingly. It was as though he knew exactly how and when to touch her, and render her helpless.

  “We are destined for each other,” Marcas stated, pulling his hand away and raising it high in the air. With a resounding clap, it fell harshly upon her upturned bottom. Once, twice, three times, the punishing blows fell, leaving crimson welts from his fingers. His hand returned to her swollen clit and Courtney groaned, pressing herself against him.

  “What are you doing to me? You are stealing my will.”

  “I steal nothing. You are relinquishing it. How long have you wanted this, Courtney?” Marcas asked, spanking her again before sliding his hand between her legs. “Tell the truth. How long have you been searching for me?”

  “I never… looked… oh my God…” Courtney moaned as his fingers brought her to the edge of her sanity. “I don’t want…”

  Her words were cut off by her cry of ecstasy. The orgasm rocked her body with such intensity that she could not breathe, think, or move. The shudder touched every nerve and raised her to a place of pure euphoria that she felt separated from her own body. She floated in her joy, hearing Marcas’ low voice slowly bring her back down to reality.

  “You don’t want?” he asked, his hands caressing her back and thighs. “Are you certain of that?”

  “What have you done to me?” Courtney gasped, still clinging to his hard calf, not yet able to release him as his warm hand fondled her.

  “I have brought you to me. We are destined.”

  Courtney remembered nothing else as she sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Five

  Marcas smiled gently down at Sebastian as he carried him into the car for their trip. The old man touched the baron’s face, pleased to see that the rising sun did not cause him pain.

  “You almost made a mistake the other night, my son. You cannot take her against her will.”

  “She was not really protesting. She relinquished her body to me.”

  “Yes, but she must give you her heart as well. You cannot claim her before she claims you. All of you.” Sebastian grimaced as he sat against the pillows laid out for him in the backseat. “She must find peace with just the two of you by day, and find comfort and passion with three of you by night. She cannot do so until her heart is won. You cannot demand the gift of unconditional love.”

  “Yes, I understand. But to control my need for her… is… difficult. One side envies the other.”

  “My dear Marcas, the opposite of lust is not self-control. It is love. Wanting what is best for another over your own desires. This struggle of your heart and body must be resolved and you must learn how to resist your need for her. You said that she lured your lust into laughter last evening?”

  “Da. It felt… odd. I could not resist her laugh. The resonance of it kept me from taking her.”

  “Your other side was being pulled to her joy, just as your intellect will be drawn to her passion as well. Have patience.”

  “These riddles confuse me. I fear for what will happen if I do not reach this peace before you pass. You have dedicated yourself to me all these years…” Marcas choked back his grief.

  “I have no regrets of anything I have done or given for you. You have made me proud and have brought me much joy. When I pass, my friend, I pass. You must find peace with that. We all have a time when we must leave this place. I only want your happiness and healing to happen. I can leave you, knowing it will occur, one day.”

  “If he doesn’t destroy it,” Marcas said bitterly.

  “He is still part of you. You must learn to not be angry with who, and what, you are. Now go collect your treasure, we have a long trip ahead of us. Te
ll me, what will you do when the time for division comes tonight? We will be on the plane when the Curse shows itself.”

  “I have plans. She will not be pleased, but it must be done at this time.”

  “I understand.” Sebastian sighed, suspecting that the baron’s plans would leave Courtney beyond any reasoning. He watched as Marcas turned back to the house, noticing that the younger man’s graceful stride was more determined and pronounced. Although they both knew that Courtney would be the key to Marcas’ freedom, neither had expected that the draw to the girl would be so sudden or so undeniably strong. Sebastian prayed that, together, they would help one another accept the truth about themselves and forever break the curse that haunted both of them. He lifted his voice to the heavens and asked that both the man and woman would quickly find God’s peace.

  Marcas quickly ascended the stairs and quietly opened the door to Courtney’s room. She was on her side sleeping soundly, her golden curls tousled as she held a pillow close to her chest. Her rosebud pink lips were set in a tiny smile and her pale backside peeked out from her over-sized T-shirt. He thought back to the other evening, after she had fallen asleep while still across his thighs. It had required his nurturing side to remove her from the other’s hold after her exhausting sexual experience. The other was unwilling to release her, wanting to satisfy his own urges, but was immediately discouraged. After a heated argument, Courtney was taken upstairs, cradled lovingly in Marcas’ arms, and then tenderly dressed and placed in bed.

  His prudent side had sat next to her for hours as he stroked her hair and face, humming a Romanian lullaby taught to him by his mother when he was but a child. Courtney had snuggled her cheek into the palm of his hand, her sleeping breath sounding like the contented purr of a kitten. Marcas rested next to her for a while, enjoying the feel of her body in his powerful arms as he made his own gentle claim to her heart. Seconds before daybreak, his other side had come to remove him, the silver gray eyes angry with jealousy. Only the melding of the two had prevented a fight.