Relations between Lucius and Ginny seemed to return to normal after the weekend at the castle. It could have been due to the holidays coming up and the chilly days that ended by a warm, roasting fire; it also could have been due to getting away from the distractions and being able to reconnect with each other again. In actuality, it was the silent understanding that Lucius and Ginny seemed to reach without even trying to that had made the biggest impact on their relationship.

The awkwardness that had previously hung over them like a dark rain cloud had finally dissipated. Lucius and Ginny chatted more, and they were more playful with each other like they had been months ago before all of the secrets existed. Both of them were very happy and relieved to be "themselves" again, feeling as if tremendous weights had been lifted off of their shoulders. Unbeknownst to Soren, the weekend at Caislean Noir had been exactly what Lucius and Ginny needed to strengthen their love and commitment to each other – exactly the opposite of Soren's goal.

Mara noticed the change in Ginny immediately. She watched happily as the redhead glided around the Adair's home, smiling and humming as she took care of Caelia, and she was relieved to see the shift in Ginny's demeanor. It gave the older woman hope during a time where the threat of danger was renewed with every dreary Irish sunrise.

"Shayla, you're positively glowing," Mara finally commented on Friday as they sat at the kitchen table sipping tea while the baby napped. "What has you in such a savage mood this week?"

Ginny beamed at Mara with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes. "Teague and I spent the weekend at a castle that has been in Soren's family for generations," she explained. "We were the only guests there, and we were waited on by his staff. It was absolutely wonderful!" She hadn't told anyone, but at night while she was in bed waiting for slumber, Ginny fantasized about the castle and pretended that it was her and Lucius's home, imagining the grand parties that they could host. She knew it was a bit immature to do such a thing, but it brought her joy, so she saw no harm in it.

"Soren wasn't there, was he?"

"No, he wasn't," Ginny confirmed. "The castle was pure luxury, Mara. The bedroom that we stayed in was bigger than our entire house. And the library was enormous and ridiculously ornate in design. It was just unbelievable." Her bright eyes met Mara's. "The best part was that Teague and I were able to get back to the way we were months ago. You know how awkward things have been at home as of late."

Mara smiled in genuine happiness for Ginny. "That's so good to hear," she replied. "I'll admit that I've been worried about you two." With all that was going on, the last thing they needed was to fight with each other.

"Me too," Ginny agreed. "We're finally back to normal, and it's positively smashing." Though much of the animosity between them had been her fault, she'd still missed the way that they'd been. Lucius was a surprisingly affectionate man, and it was the small gestures that Ginny had longed for – the way he'd walk up behind her and wrap his arms around her while she was fixing dinner, the occasional times when he'd join her in the shower for a quick make out session or when he'd stop by the store on his way home from work to surprise her with her favorite Swiss chocolates. He was so much more thoughtful than she ever dreamed he could be, and she'd thoroughly missed that Lucius.

"Well, it shows. I'm glad for both of you," Mara told her. She had a suspicion that nagged at her senses, but she didn't dwell on it for long because time would tell soon enough. Today had enough concerns, anyway, without worrying about tomorrow.

Sunday afternoon, Ginny reluctantly went shopping with Milana. She didn't feel as comfortable spending time with her as she did with Evie, but since Lucius worked with Keiran, Ginny felt obligated to do things with her once in a while.

Conversation had been of normal, mundane topics such as the upcoming holidays and the new pub that had recently opened on the Diamond until they sat down at a café for lunch. They ordered quickly and sipped tea while they waited for their food, but Ginny was not prepared for Milana's next topic.

"Mr. Noir has quite a thing for you."

Ginny's throat suddenly felt like cotton.

"What?"

Milana's dark orbs glittered as she smiled knowingly. "Don't be modest, Shayla. It's an honor to find favor in his eyes; I should know."

Ginny's eyes enlarged and her mouth dropped. "You – you know?" She didn't mean -

"Don't worry," Milana pacified when she heard the panic rise in Ginny's voice. "Mum's the word. And yes, he helped Keiran and me out a few years ago."

"But – but Teague doesn't know." Ginny's heart pounded while her appetite instantly disappeared. She never thought that anyone else would find out about her and Soren's agreement. Had he told others? Why would he do such a thing? She didn't understand.

Milana grinned and winked. "Neither did Keiran."

Ginny nervously looked away and took deep breaths to calm herself. This was bad; this was very bad. If Milana knew, she'd eventually tell Keiran and then he'd feel obligated to tell Lucius and –

"Shayla, do you think that that sort of arrangement is unusual?"

Ginny looked back at Milana and shrugged, afraid to say too much. She felt like a caged quintaped, and she despised feeling trapped. How the hell did she know?

"Well, I assure you that it's quite common," Milana continued, sipping her tea casually as if they were talking about the weather. "Mr. Noir is insanely generous with his money and resources, and he just asks for a little physical attention in return." Milana leaned forward and whispered, "And he's more than adept with the latter, I assure you."

Ginny swallowed thickly as she glanced around to see if anyone was paying them any attention. "But…isn't it blackmail?"

Milana laughed and shook her head. "Of course not! It's an agreement that benefits you both. How is that blackmail?"

Ginny grimaced as she thought back to the Halloween party and replayed Soren's comments in her head. "Well, to be honest, it came across as a bit of a threat and – "

Milana dismissed Ginny's comment with a wave of her hand. "Oh, he's just melodramatic that way," she downplayed. "Mr. Noir would never harm you!"

Ginny couldn't believe that they were having this conversation. She'd assumed that he'd had similar arrangements with other women, of course, but Ginny never considered that one of them would have been Milana. On one hand, she didn't like the fact that Milana knew – and she was still trying to figure out how she'd found out in the first place – but on the other hand, she was suddenly not alone; someone that she knew had been where she was now. In some strange way, it eased some of her trepidation, yet it gave her more to worry about at the same time. "Do you still…see him sometimes?" she asked curiously.

"It's been a couple of years, but if I needed a favor today, I know that I could count on him."

"As long as you sleep with him," Ginny finished quietly.

"Trust me, Shayla," Milana assured her. "After the first time, you'll be looking for favors to ask just for some private time with him. Besides, it never hurts to have a powerful ally."

Ginny couldn't argue that point, but having to give Soren "physical attention", as Milana put it, in exchange for his power and protection seemed an awfully steep price to pay. It sounded like something that floated in the gray area between blackmail and extortion to her, and she wondered how many other women scattered about the city had warmed – or were currently warming – his bed in exchange for his 'services'.

We'll see how much of an ally he is when I start taking advantage of his so-called generosity, Ginny thought to herself. I bet it'll fly right out the window like a startled snidget.

"What?" Ginny exclaimed into the phone.

"There's been a little accident," Madame Adair repeated, forcing herself to sound calmer than she was. "Mr. Adair is in the hospital with some internal injuries, and I need to get over there. Is there any way that Teague could bring you here to watch the baby? Mara has the day off, otherwise I'd ask her. I'll gladly pay you extra if you can."

"Of course, Madame. We'll be right over."

It was late when Lucius brought Ginny back home.

"Did she say what happened?" he asked.

"She said it was a car accident, but I'm not convinced."

"Why?"

Ginny shrugged in the dark. "That's the thing – I don't know. Something just seems off." She knew that it could have been her own guilt, but she'd thought that the reluctant tone in Madame Adair's voice had been indicative of something much more sinister than just an accident.

"When will he be home?"

"In a few days. His surgeries went well, she said. I offered to keep Caelia with us, but she was insistent that she stay at their house."

"Well, it is her home."

Ginny nodded as she stared out the car window. "I know, but Caelia only leaves the house with her parents. I can't take her to a park or anything." She hadn't thought much of it initially, but there had always been a reason or excuse why Ginny couldn't take the baby out the few times that she'd offered.

"Sounds like protective parents is all," Lucius commented with a shrug, glancing over at Ginny. "I wouldn't worry over it."

Ginny leaned her head against the window and sighed. Maybe Lucius was right. She was allowing the drama with Soren to invade every aspect of her life. Just because she was hiding secrets didn't mean that everyone was.

An email arriving caught Lucius's attention, and he grinned when he saw that it was from Etainia.

I'm leaving now. See you in a few minutes.

Lucius glanced around before deleting her email. She was heading home, and he was meeting her there. The little voice that continually tried to tell him how wrong this was was still there, of course, but he was an expert on tuning it out; he'd had a lifetime of practice, after all. And after that moment with Ginny at the castle, he felt less guilty about his extracurricular activities for some reason. Neither of them had spoken of any sins, and yet he felt as if they'd both confessed sins with just one look. As long as he continued 'sinning', he would not concern himself with what hers were. Truthfully, he didn't want to know.

Ten minutes later, Lucius pushed his chair in and grabbed his keys, oblivious to the set of dark chestnut colored eyes watching him as he left.

When Lucius reached Etainia's front door, he noticed that it was not closed, so he let himself in.

"Etainia?" he called out, his heart racing. This was the first time that they'd met at her place during lunch, and it was their first time for something other than oral sex, so he was just a little anxious.

"In my bedroom, down the hall."

Lucius turned and forced himself to walk – don't run – down the hall. When he stepped into her room, it was as if he'd just stepped into a Moroccan boudoir. Red silk sheets billowed from the center of the room out to the walls in soft U-shaped loops and, combined with the light golden painted walls, provided a warm – and quite provocative – backdrop. The bed sat against the farthest wall, but it didn't have a traditional frame. Instead, the mattress sat a top the box spring, which rested on the floor nestled among five overlapping rugs with varying colors and patterns. Two octagonal shaped tables sat on either side of the bed with Moroccan lamps made of iron and red glass on top of each one. Two brass mosque mirrors hung on the wall above the bed and reflected the light shining from the cutwork in the lamps, creating shadowy patterns on the walls since no sunlight was visible. Dark jewel-toned pillows with beaded tassels were all over the floor along with two leather poufs that sat on either side of the room.

Etainia was naked and posed on the bed like Aphrodite awaiting her lover, Ares. Her milky white skin and golden halo of hair contrasted violently with the dark marooned colored sheets that wound around her body. Her slender arms rested above her head on the numerous pillows, her ringlets splayed out between them. One long leg was fully extended out while the other was bent at such an angle to somewhat conceal her sex. Lucius had to blink a couple times just to make sure that the enticing vision before him was real as the scent of sandalwood and musk inundated his senses.

The next few moments were a blur. From some vague part of Lucius's brain, he heard a growl, registered the sound of material ripping and then felt an all-consuming warmth engulf his body as if he'd just been swallowed alive by fire.

Well, he was playing with fire. Heat was to be expected.

But this – it was invigorating like the first warm day of spring upon his skin after a frigid winter. It was soothing like the first sip of hot tea in the morning as it tumbled like a waterfall down his dry throat. It was comforting like the warm blanket that he snuggled deeper into on chilly mornings.

As his senses slowly returned from their temporary fog, Lucius realized that his face was buried in the crook of Etainia's neck, that her slender legs were locked around his waist and that his cock was slamming into her core at a frantic pace. He was completely consumed by her; her smell, her taste, the glorious sounds spilling from her lips. She felt incredible underneath him as her body cocooned around his, but somehow it was more than just the physical contact that made the moment so damned bewitching. He couldn't put a finger on it exactly, but then again, his mental faculties were a little compromised.

Etainia moaned and exclaimed words that Lucius couldn't understand, but he didn't honestly care. He'd had sex with a number of women over the years, but never had any time been like this. The passion, the pleasure – everything was heightened ten-fold, and he couldn't help but think again that she must have Veela blood somewhere in her family.

The frantic grunts and groans emanating from Lucius would have sounded strange to him had he had the where withal to pay attention. Instead, all he could focus on was the primal need to come; and right then. Adjusting the angle of his thrusts, Lucius squeezed his eyelids together in determination and emitted a strangled roar as he submitted to the flesh, crying out with every ejaculate until he was a quivering, gasping mess above Etainia. He dropped his head and slipped from her, but he didn't move – he couldn't.

Etainia wrapped her arms around Lucius, his heated skin slick with sweat, and she squeezed him tight. "That – " she panted, trying to catch her breath. "- was amazing. Who needs food for lunch when they can get fucked like that. Wow."

Lucius smiled and lifted his head, though it took much effort to do so. A light sheen of perspiration coated Etainia's face and neck causing her to practically glow in the light from the lamps.

"You're so beautiful," Lucius murmured, still trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. "And yet so evil." Now that blood was returning to his cerebral brain, he made a mental note to ask about her family at some point to see if he could discover any possibility of Veela ancestry. She just had to have something!

Etainia laughed, and it sounded like a hundred tinkling little bells. "You know you like it. You like the fact that I'm evil just as much as you like fucking me."

Staring into Etainia's half-lidded eyes, Lucius grinded his hips against her sex. "I certainly do like fucking you," he growled softly.

"Does my pussy feel good around your cock?"

With a roll of his eyes, Lucius groaned at both her question and sultry tone of voice. "And that filthy mouth of yours will certainly earn you a spanking," he purred playfully, allowing his lips to brush over hers lightly. He loved 'dirty talk', but he hadn't been able to indulge Ginny with it much. Etainia, apparently, needed no coercing, and it fueled his fire.

Etainia relaxed her legs from their locked position around Lucius's waist, but she wiggled her pelvis against his. "Ooh, I like the sound of that. Spank me, Teague. I've been such a naughty girl."

Lucius chuckled then and rolled off of her to his back, resting an arm on his sweaty forehead as slumber licked at the edge of his consciousness. A short nap before returning to work would be perfect. "Yes, naughty is certainly one word for it."

"No, dear Cousin, we've not told them yet. We can't take the chance of them panicking and ending all that we're working towards. How long before you're ready?...I see. We'd better wait just a bit longer then…No, neither of them is in any immediate danger, but do hurry because that can change as quickly as the weather around here…Yes, I'll send Finian and Evie your love. Goodnight."

I hope this finds all of you getting ready for Christmas! My shopping is all done, so now I can concentrate on just *enjoying* the season for a change. I do hope that more of you on my alert list bestow upon me a little Christmas gift of a review (pretty please? if I ask nicely?). I have almost 100 people on alert, yet only a handful send a message. Was it something I said? LOL I hope to have another chapter posted before the end of the month, but if I don't for some reason, have a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!