Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
The goblin’s face approximates a version of friendly. He still looks like he wants to eat me, but he’s obviously impressed as well. He looks at Cian, who is openly gaping my way. “Have the Seelies finally found a decent queen?”
Cian walks forward and takes my hand once more. “Remember that she is the queen.”
The goblin scratches his belly and gestures around the forest. “I don’t think she’s the queen of much yet, sidhe.”
“She is my wife and my brother’s wife.” Cian seems much surer now. “That is all that matters. Beckett Finn might have lost his throne, but he did not lose his sword. Remember that, unless you want to feel it in your back when he avenges her.”
But I’m feeling very sure now. I walk up to the goblin. “Beck won’t need to avenge me, Ci. Goblin Boy and I have an understanding. Don’t we?”
The goblin bows, but only slightly. “Yes, Your Highness. I have come to realize you are insane and vicious, and you can handle your liquor. I respect that. Come. The chief will be interested in meeting you.”
Cian’s hand tightens around mine. He leans over to whisper in my ear. “He’s right about the insane part, my lover. I hope goblins like cookies or you might find yourself being eaten as a snack.”
I lean back to my nervous hubby. It’s time to give him a reason to believe we’ll survive this experience. “Ci, I’m saying yes tonight.”
He gives me a short, hard kiss and then pulls me along to follow the goblin. “Let’s get this over with, then. Tonight starts early, my lover, and I promise I’m the only thing eating you this day.” The goblin looks back at us. Cian’s face becomes gorgeously arrogant. “Lead on. I want to get this over with. I’ve got better things to do with my day.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cian
Three hours later, the chief of the goblin clan burps and slaps me on the shoulder. He’s incredibly drunk. “Tell that brother of yours we’re ready to negotiate.” It comes out in a low growl. The goblin’s eyes are watery but serious. His hand reaches out and tugs on my shirt. “But I have to ask you to leave your queen at home. She is unreasonable.”
I want to laugh but I’m diplomatic enough to keep my face straight. I look into the goblin chief’s eyes and try to convey a kingly presence. “I can’t promise you anything. The queen is formidable, as you have seen. I can only promise that you will get your ten dozen cookies tomorrow.”
“I’ll have them ready, damn it,” Meg says irritably.
She clutches the two sacks of coffee grounds she traded her basket of cookies for. She’s jittery because she sat with the goblin chieftain, matching him shot for shot until the goblin finally fell out of his chair.
I’m honestly amazed at how much she can drink. Somewhere in there, the goblin chief asked for her hand in marriage. I was forced to pull a knife to persuade the chief that I’m not willing to give up my claim on my wife.
“Make sure you do.” The goblin chief looks longingly at the empty basket.
The cookies went quickly. After the first was tried, negotiations began at a swift pace. Turns out Meg is a hard-nosed negotiator. I actually feel a little bad for the goblins.
She negotiated a trade for two bags of coffee, a bolt of some sort of blue fabric she calls satin, a six-pack of Dr Pepper, which comes from the Earth plane, and a pair of brown boots she claims remind her of Uggs. I don’t know what Uggs are, but the boots look warm. Altogether, it’s a phenomenally good deal.
I would be more impressed if I wasn’t so damn sexually frustrated. My wife handles the goblins with pure diplomatic grace. She knows when to be charming and when to beat the goblins over the head with her fists. She negotiated to give the goblins a second shipment of cookies in exchange for a set of sheets. She’s very excited about something she calls the thread count. The other part of the deal is something she has designated as a player to be named later. Again, nothing I understand, but if it gets me out of these caves and into her bed, I will support the deal all day long.
I’m supposed to be the intellectual half. I should have been extremely interested in the negotiations. But today, I can’t take my eyes off my wife’s breasts. I’m going to see them, touch them, get them in my mouth. My cock swells again, and I’ve had enough.
“I am very interested in chocolate,” Meg says to the small goblin who serves as a clerk. He’s writing down the Seelie Queen’s demands. “It’s sweet and brown. You’ll find it in bars. It’s bitter in powder form. I’ll take that, too. Surely, some other plane has to have discovered chocolate.”