Dare to Believe

quite certain how to classify Shane, other than wild.”

Ruby cocked her head, more confused than ever. “Wild?”

“The Sidhe and leprechaun blood in Shane is almost evenly mixed. He has the powers of both, with a little extra something genetics seems to have thrown into the mix.”

“What would that be?”

Leo shrugged. “If Shane exerts himself, using both his leprechaun and Sidhe powers in tandem, he can make fantasy reality.”

“You mean he could actually make that tent appear?”

“The harem tent? Yes, down to the outfit you were wearing.”

“Wow,” she breathed, intrigued at the possibilities.

“He uses it mostly in his work. He’s an artist.”

Her eyes went wide with admiration. “Wait. Your brother is Shane Joloun?” When he nodded, she whistled again.

Leo moved, pulling her against him. His hands cupped her ass, kneading it leisurely. “I wouldn’t even think of it, Ruby. You’ll find you have a very jealous mate.”

She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. “You don’t want the houri outfit? I want your harem pants, oh sheik!”

Leo leaned down and kissed her, hard and swift.

“How does he do it?”

His lips had barely left hers before the question popped out. “We’re not sure, but we think it’s the earth sprite part. The tent would be made of silk, like the pillows, both born of the earth. Add in that he could read the fantasy in your head, and bingo! Instant harem tent.” Leo continued to knead her ass, loving the feeling of the firm globes under his hands. “But he can’t do it very often. It tires him out pretty quickly, so he usually uses it for self-defense, work, or sex.”

“Sex? You mean, he makes his fantasies realities and—”

Leo laughed. “No! We can’t make life, Ruby! We’re not gods, after all.”

“Then what—”

“Condoms.”

Ruby just stared at him for a moment, looking disgusted and amused. “Your brother has the power of limited creation in his hands, and he uses it to make Trojans. What, he doesn’t know where the drug store is?” Leo’s cheeks flushed and he laughed, knowing he looked guilty as hell. Her eyes narrowed. “You talked him into that one, didn’t you?”

“Gee, is that a car I hear in the driveway? I wonder who it could be?” Leo smiled falsely and dove for the window. Any sense of fun dissolved two seconds later. “Fuck. That’s unexpected.”

“What?”

Leo turned around. “The Malmaynes are here.”

Ruby stood at Leo’s side and watched the Malmaynes step out of the limousine. The first out was an attractive older gentleman, his white blond hair lightly sprinkled with silver. His dark blue eyes were cold and arrogant. He took in his surroundings with the air of someone who smelled something foul. His body was lean and tall in his expensive gray designer suit.

The vision that stepped out of the limo behind him made Ruby want to crawl back into the house. She looked very familiar. The young woman she’d once seen Leo escorting around town was peachy perfection.

Her white gold hair and gray eyes shone with an unearthly beauty Ruby could never hope to match. Her dress, a pale pink satin, showed off her milky cleavage without being vulgar. The hemline ended just above the knee showing just the right hint of leg. Her pale pumps and clutch bag finished the outfit. Her hair, done up in a neat twist, had just enough escaping tendrils to make the style sleekly sexy. She was a delicate orchid to Ruby’s stumpy, common dandelion. She could only be Kaitlynn Malmayne, the woman who wanted to marry Leo.

Leo tucked Ruby beneath his arm protectively as the Malmaynes looked at the Dunnes. Kaitlynn Malmayne’s cool expression turned to surprised hurt when she saw how closely Leo held Ruby to his side.

She quickly hid the hurt behind disdain, but Ruby saw it, and wondered.

“Leo, did you and she ever…” Ruby whispered as silently as possible.

“No.”

“Good.”

Leo’s quick huff of laughter was quickly masked by a cough.

She watched as Malmayne made his way to Aileen, completely ignoring Sean. “Aileen, it’s good to see you, even under the circumstances.”

Aileen ignored the hand the man held out. “The circumstances are completely of your making, Cullen.

Give me back my son.”

Cullen Malmayne sneered. “Charming as ever, my dear.” Once again completely ignoring Sean, Cullen moved to Leo. “Leo. Good to see you.”

Leo nodded coldly. “Wish I could say the same, Cullen. Now give me back my brother.”

Cullen’s sneer warmed, his eyes roaming Ruby’s curves. “And who is this young lady? A friend of yours?”

Leo’s smile was smug. “She’s my mate.”

Cullen’s warm smile dropped into an icy glare. He studied Ruby coldly, with thinly veiled disgust.

Behind him, Kaitlynn gasped. “The binding is incomplete.” He sniffed and turned back to Leo. “Fulfill the Joloun end of the agreement and I’ll see to it your brother is returned to you unharmed.”

“No.”

Cullen sighed and shook his head. “I don’t see that you have any choice, Leo. Without your cooperation the deal becomes null and void, and the Joloun family suffers. Is it your wish to see your mother suffer, or your sister? How about Shane, Leo? Do you wish to see him suffer any further?”

Leo’s expression turned into a shark’s grin that sent a shiver down Ruby’s spine. “First, I don’t believe there was a time limit to the contract, was there, Malmayne?” When Cullen didn’t respond beyond a rising of his eyebrows, Leo continued. “Second, it merely said that the partners be descendants of either you or Duncan, and my mother or her descendants. Since both my brother and sister are descendants of my mother, perhaps you’d care to approach one of them to fulfill your contract? I’m afraid I’m unavailable.”

Cullen shook his head almost sadly, his cold gaze firmly on Leo. “Unacceptable. Your sister’s and brother’s blood is too polluted to be of use to me. Yours, on the other hand, is nearly pure.”

Leo’s smile became sharper, harder at the insult to his family. “Yours, on the other hand, is pure liquid shit.”

Ruby heard the vague hint of an Irish brogue in Leo’s voice.

Cullen sighed.

All of Ruby’s most shameful nightmares came out of the corners of her mind and began to attack her.

Her insecurities crowded around her in a kaleidoscope of pain and anguish that sent her straight to her knees with a whimper.

“Ruby is such a lousy fuck!” Bobby Pencil-Dick’s voice sneered in her ears as he told all of his friends about her. “Man, if that’s what doing a virgin is like I’ll stick with the bitches who know what a blowjob is.” But this time, she wasn’t able to fight back.

“She’s so fat she’s just jiggling in that dress. Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle…” The giggles of the cheerleaders surrounded her. They sang that hated jingle, pointing and laughing at Ruby. It had taken her years to get to the size she was now, but none of that mattered as it all came rushing back, the emotions as strong as they’d been at the time it had happened.

“You know, you’d be so much more attractive if you’d just lose ten pounds, sweetheart. Now, if you follow this diet I’ve laid out for you…” Her mother’s voice drifted away, her father’s taking its place.

“Baby girl, if you don’t put that cake down you’re going to weigh more than an elephant!” The laughter of all of her cousins, uncles and aunts mingled with the giggles of the cheerleaders. What made it worse was her parents didn’t even realize how badly they’d hurt her. They’d thought they were helping.