Kissing Heaven: A Fae Fated Mates Romance Read online

  Tiana looked away, worrying her lower lip. “Tiana is fine, Wilder Smith.”

  “Wilder is fine, Tiana.” He smiled, opening the door to the guest room, flipping the light switch. “I’m afraid it might be dusty.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” Tiana walked past him, glancing up with a pleasant smile.

  “What time?”

  “After sunrise.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  The door closed, and Wilder stared at it for a moment. This wasn’t a dream. He looked down to see Rocky at his feet. “It’s not a dream.” Wilder half expected the dog to talk back to him, but Rocky merely made a typical wuff in response.

  * * *

  Wilder bounced out of bed, whistling a merry tune as he walked through his house to the kitchen. His head was clearer than it had been in months, and he was well-rested. The pain kept him from getting a good night’s sleep, and now it was gone. It wasn’t a dream. A fairy woman with the power to heal was in his home, and he needed to treat her well. A week of being pain free was a gift.

  Rocky was fed, then Wilder turned to the refrigerator. The refrigerator was meagerly stocked, but Wilder would fix that after a trip into town. He had fresh vegetables from his garden, eggs, butter, and cheese. Omelets were on the menu for breakfast. The sun was streaming through the kitchen windows, and his guest would be up soon.

  Wilder slid an omelet onto a plate just as Tiana appeared in the doorway. He almost missed the plate, jumping at the sudden presence of another person.

  “Good morning.” She smiled walking into the kitchen. Wilder turned quickly to put the pan back on the stove, caught off-guard by the fact that she wasn’t in his t-shirt. He had forgotten his mother kept a few outfits in her room.

  Tiana twirled with a laugh, showing off the cotton dress she found in the closet. It was an old fashioned dress with a short-sleeved, dark purple top, and a flower-patterned bottom. Wilder was sure his mother made the dress herself, and that’s why it was still in good shape after all these years.

  His mother was a short woman, so the bottom of the dress stopped well over Tiana’s knees, and it was snug. She wore sandals to complete the outfit, which seemed a little small for her feet.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” Tiana stopped by the table.

  “No, I don’t. It’s my mom’s, and she wouldn’t mind either.” Wilder motioned to the plate. “I made you breakfast, Tiana.”

  “What is it?” She slid into the chair in front of the plate and picked up the fork to poke at the omelet.

  “It’s an omelet, vegetable, cheese.” Wilder’s face paled in horror, and he leaned over the table to snatch the plate just as Tiana brought her fork down to try a bite. “I am so sorry!”

  Tiana scrunched up her face at him, staring.

  “It has eggs in it. Would you prefer fruit?” Wilder scowled at the plate. It was so stupid of him to give a fairy eggs. They probably didn’t even eat meat.

  “I’m eating that.” Tiana leaned over the table and grabbed the plate.

  “You eat eggs?” Wilder settled into the chair opposite her to watch.

  “On rare occasion.” She took a fork full and shoved it into her mouth, then closed her eyes and smiled. “This is good.”

  “Thank you,” Wilder sighed in relief, and got up to make his own. Months of pain made simple things like preparing meals and eating a chore, and most days, he picked at food here and there. He rarely made a meal. His heart was never in it. Now he was famished.

  Wilder placed his hand over his ribs, dragging his fingers over them, noting how deep the grooves were between them. He was a thin man, to begin with, but he was sure he was close to being a walking skeleton at this point.

  * * *

  Tiana enjoyed the human food and the company. She had watched Wilder from afar for years, out of curiosity. A few times, she ventured close enough to land on the back of his chair, once on his shoulder, to read what he was writing. He never noticed her or any of the other fairies because he only saw butterflies. The mind saw what it chose to see, and he didn’t see her for what she was until she made him focus on her.

  Father was furious when Tiana told him they were safe, and she made an error mentioning the fairy dog. She asked how they worked and when her father asked why, she answered honestly. Wilder deserved something for taking care of the displaced fairies and providing additional food for their own realm. She wanted to spend a week in the human world with him and find out what he needed.

  Her father ordered her not to do it, and she defied him, stating she made up her mind and was going. She laughed at her father when he yelled at her that she was grounded. He couldn’t ground her. She was well past that age, then he ordered the guards to escort her to her room. Tiana fled the castle and her realm with guards close behind.

  The guards did not stop pursuing until she reached Wilder’s house and hitched a ride on his dog into the kitchen through a small flap in the backdoor. The next thing she knew, she stood in the dark kitchen, towering over the dog, naked, with an upset stomach.

  Wilder sat down in front of her with a plate as she finished her last bite. “Would you like more?” He asked, motioning to his plate.

  “I’m good.” Tiana smiled and got up to put the dish in the sink. “I could use a drink.”

  “I’m afraid I only have water,” Wilder grumbled, then added in a lower mutter. “And bourbon, wine,…beer.”

  “A little early for that. Do all humans drink as much as you?” Tiana began opening cupboards, looking for a glass.

  “Probably not,” mumbled Wilder, his mouth full. “Do fairies have plumbing?” He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he needed to show her how to use the faucet.

  “Yes.” Tiana toyed with the faucet, a glass in hand. “We are very sanitary if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “Oh.” Wilder’s face turned red again. “I, um, did.”

  Tiana returned to the table and smiled. “Wilder, think of us as tiny humans with wings. We work in the same way.”

  “But you heal?” Wilder went back to his breakfast, trying to eat quickly. “Where did your wings go?”

  “I assume your dog is carrying them.” Tiana motioned to Rocky, who sat quietly next to the table, waiting for someone to notice him and possibly offer him a tidbit.

  “Rocky, it has onions in it. You can’t have any.” Wilder smirked at the dog, who snorted at him. “I don’t see any wings on him.”

  “Your dog is a fairy dog.” Tiana leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her folded hands. “He is a mode of transportation between my world and yours. I don’t know how it works, and this is the first time I’ve ever done this.”

  “Lucky me.” Wilder smiled, giving Tiana a longer look.

  “I’m not sure if that’s lucky or not, because now you have to deal with me and I’ve been told I’m a huge pain in the butt.” Tiana smiled. “I am annoying.”

  Wilder blinked at her, looking confused, then he gave her a lopsided smile, barely showing his teeth. “Tiana, you giving me just one week of being like I used to be is worth whatever hell you put me through.”

  “Thank you. I will try not to annoy you.” She smiled, studying Wilder as he finished his breakfast. He was a good looking man, even with the unnatural thinness and lack of wings.

  Tiana wasn’t sure why Wilder seemed to think otherwise. When she complimented his eyes, he looked so rocked, like no one in his life had ever paid attention to him. The scars were awful, and he had more than just the ones on his back and sides, but something about him always drew her to him.

  For years, she watched him, walking through his garden, into the surrounding land, sometimes coming close to their realm. In early spring, he scattered meal out for the birds, left piles of nuts for the squirrels, and took care of the ducks that wintered in the nearby pond. And he took care of the butterflies, most of which were fairies this year. He was a good, caring man, and he did not deserve the hand fate dealt him.

  “I’m going to take you out on my motorcycle for a little ride, then we’ll go to my neighbor’s house and see if her son is free to take us into town.” Wilder finished and got up.

  “Motorcycle?” Tiana repeatedly, curiously.

  “The big noisy thing I used more before the accident. I had two. I’ve been maintaining the one I have left for the day. I could ride it again.” Wilder explained, running a little water to clean the plates and silverware.

  “Oh, I remember. Sounds like fun.” She smiled, thankful he didn’t attempt to get any more information out of her about her or her Kingdom. The last thing she wanted was to tell him she was a princess. It would change how he treated her.

  4

  Tiana laughed, clutching her arms around Wilder as they roared down a dirt road at high speed. They were both wearing helmets, something Wilder insisted on. He wore a leather jacket over a black shirt and jeans. The motorcycle sped up and down the road a few more times, only picking up speed for a few minutes at a time, because he worried about how good his judgment and balance were after a year of sitting, out of tune with his senses.

  It made Wilder feel good to get out and feel the power and exhilarating speed once again. Better, there were arms wrapped around him and a female body pressed against his back, trusting him. Of course, if anything happened, and she was injured, he was sure she could probably heal herself and be fine. Even with that thought, he took care, not pushing things too far.

  Wilder pulled into his neighbor’s driveway and rolled up to park in front of a large, old farmhouse, similar to his own. Tiana slid off and wobbled. Wilder caught her by the arm before thinking about the fact she told him not to touch her. He held on, waiting for her to yell at him, that was the typical response he received when
doing something nice for a woman.

  “My legs are vibrating!” Tiana laughed, grabbing onto his shoulder. “But it was fun!”

  “We can do it again another time.” Wilder let go of her hand and pulled a thick wooden cane out of the pack behind the seat. He knew he had to keep up pretenses in town, or there would be questions he didn’t want to answer. Pretending to use the cane would work well enough.

  “Wilder Smith!” An older woman with dark brown hair and tan skin walked onto the porch. “What are you doing making all that racket? My chickens won’t lay eggs for a week with all that noise!”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Wellington. Is Fergus available for a trip into town?” Wilder used the cane to walk closer. The woman stared at him.

  “Are you having a good day, Wilder?” She glanced at Tiana. “Who is she?”

  “A rare day, yeah. This is Tiana. She’s my guest for a week and I need to go into town and do some shopping.” Wilder leaned on the cane, peering at Mrs. Wellington.

  “Oh, you have a lady friend?” The woman chuckled and smiled at Wilder.

  “No, it’s not like that,” sighed Wilder, lowering his gaze, trying to keep the blush stinging his cheeks from showing. “Not at all.”

  “I’ll get Fergus.” Mrs. Wellington nodded and went inside.

  * * *

  “Wilder! You’re walking!” A young man in overalls and a red t-shirt, with the same complexion as Mrs. Wellington, burst through the front doors and ran down the stairs. He ran a hand through his thick, spiked up black hair and circled Wilder and Tiana.

  “This is Fergus.” Wilder smirked, motioning to him. “Fergus, this is Tiana.”

  “Hi!” He greeted her, holding out his hand. Tiana stared at the hand, then reached out to take it. What a strange young man.

  “Fergus, we need to go into town and I want to discuss hiring you to tend to my house and garden in the future.” Wilder took a step back.

  “Nice to meet you,” stated Tiana, attempting to get her hand back.

  “I’m sorry, pretty…women make me nervous.” Fergus winced and let go, a worried look passing over his face.

  “It’s okay,” sighed Tiana with a smile.

  “About the job?”

  “Oh, right, thank you so much, Wilder! Mom’s been on me all winter about finding a regular job.” Fergus clasped his hands and grimaced. “And a girlfriend.”

  “Join the club.’ Wilder rolled his eyes. “Okay, enough talking. You know how much I hate town. And people.”

  * * *

  Riding in a car was a strange experience. Wilder told Tiana what she needed to do when she got in, so she wouldn’t raise any suspicions. He would help her if she had any trouble. She didn’t. Pulling the seatbelt out and strapping it over her shoulder and waist was easy. What wasn’t easy was tolerating a binding that held her down. She didn’t like that at all and squirmed around for a few minutes until the car started.

  Holding back her momentary fear at being trapped in a moving box was difficult. Tiana grimaced and threw her right arm out, smacking Wilder in the chest, then she dug her fingers into him.

  “Uh, are you okay?” Fergus stopped the car, glancing back at the panicked look on Tiana’s face.

  “She’s fine. Motion sickness.” Wilder reached up to place his hand over Tiana’s, trying to lightly pry her fingers out of his skin.

  “Okay,” Fergus stated, not sounding convinced that was what was going on.

  “Relax,” Wilder leaned over and whispered, folding his fingers over Tiana’s hand.

  “I’m trying,” she whispered back, clenching his hand as the car began moving again. “I don’t like this.”

  “It’s the same thing as the motorcycle.”

  “No, it’s not. I’m inside the thing.” Tiana clenched her teeth and gave Wilder a plaintive look.

  She did not enjoy the ride, cringing at every bounce and jolt. The ceiling was too close, and it knocked her around. It was like her ability to balance was gone. Cars were awful. Why did humans travel in these things?

  * * *

  Wilder watched Tiana with concern. She looked absolutely miserable, and he wanted to comfort her, but the only thing he could do was hold her hand. Her short nails dug into the palm of his hand, breaking the skin, she was that upset.

  “Stop at the first clothing store on Main, Fergus.” Wilder began giving instructions. “When we’re done there, we’re going to walk down the street. You can meet us at the Eatery at noon for lunch. My treat. Then we’ll do grocery shopping and head home. Sound good?”

  “Yup. I have some things I can do,” Fergus replied cheerily.

  A few minutes later, Fergus pulled into a parking space and Wilder opened the door to get out. He intended to go around to the other side and assist Tiana, but she shakily scrambled out to follow him.

  “I hate that thing!” She hissed, circling around to put Wilder between her and the car.

  “I can tell,” chuckled Wilder, leaning on his cane.

  “It’s not funny!” Tiana fumed, stamping a foot down on the pavement. Her ankle turned, and she yelped, kneeling to keep from falling.

  “You get used to them.” Wilder smiled, motioning to the nearby clothing store called the American Closet. “We’re going in there. Let’s get you some shoes that fit and something to wear. You’re staying seven full days?”

  “Yes.” Tiana stood and wiggled her foot. “I’ll leave on the 8th morning from today.”

  “Then I want you to pick out seven outfits so you can wear something new every day. My treat.” Wilder began walking, not attempting to look like he needed the cane. There were few people on the street at the moment. “Something to sleep in, uh.. Whatever else you need.”

  * * *

  Human clothes were not that much different from fairy clothes. Tiana wandered around inside the store, walking past dresses and outfits. She used to wear a lot of dresses and she liked them, but ever since that awful day, she only wore a tunic and leggings.

  Tiana’s defiance in concerns to the dresses was fending off fairy men. They didn’t like the way she looked, fine, she would shun dresses and make no effort to look pretty. It wasn’t worth it. She stopped as a dark blue dress caught her attention. It was so dark, it was almost black, but it had this beautiful pearly sheen and lace, so much lace. She couldn’t resist running her fingers over it.

  Then she pulled the dress out to see it better and bit her lower lip in thought. Tiny black sequins decorated the dress, shining like stars when the light hit them.

  “You would look lovely in that one,” stated a female voice behind her. Tiana let the dress go, blushing. She turned to face a cheerful face with a head full of reddish blonde curls. “Really, what’s your size? Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Madam Hammock, this is my boutique and Mr. Smith said you might need assistance.”

  “I don’t know my size. This is my first time in a shop like this.” Tiana chose her words carefully. She normally let her sister choose her clothes when it came to fashion, back when she wore dresses.

  “Come with me. We’ll get your measurements and see what we can find. Mr. Smith said you need 7 outfits minimum, and shoes.”

  * * *

  Wilder sat on a padded bench in the boutique's front. Every now and then, he glimpsed at Tiana walking by with the shop’s owner and he smiled. Never in his life had he bought gifts for a woman, other than his mother, and it felt good. One week of being pain free was worth treating this fairy woman like a princess, he was so indebted.

  Thinking about it, he would have loved being able to treat any woman like this, showing them how much they meant to him. He never even had a chance in that department. The one time he put himself out there and asked a girl out, she tore into him savagely. Wilder never tried again, it was so painful and hurt to this day.

  It didn’t matter that he didn’t have any possibility of a relationship with Tiana, he wanted her to know he was thankful for what she did for him, even if it was only a week. He would enjoy this week and be an excellent host.