Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
She felt the force of the fae’s presence suddenly wash over her. His wild, potent magic curled around her, the smell like freshly churned earth waiting for seed. It hummed across her flesh and vibrated through her middle. The air shivered with a dark cloud of menace.
“You are beneath her, Andy.” The fae reached them with all the swagger of nobility. His voice lowered into a vicious snarl. “Never speak to her again or I will wipe you from this realm. Leave.”
The magic surrounding them amped up, twisting and violent. It seeped into Andy’s skin, slithered across his face, and clawed at his throat, dark shivers of air currents carrying out its master’s unvoiced orders.
Blind terror slackened his expression. Wine sloshed out of his suddenly shaking glass.
“Sorry, sir,” he said quickly, backing up. “You’re right. I knew she was. S-sorry. It won’t happen again. Forgive me.”
He offered a bow before turning and practically running in the opposite direction. At almost the same time, the magic dulled somewhat, turned from that dark, ominous cloud into the vibrant colors of dawn, beautiful. Playful now, where before they’d been treacherous.
“That was overkill,” Daisy said. “He didn’t mean any harm.”
The fae tsked. “And he did not come to any. You didn’t welcome his advances. It was written in every line of your body. I was merely facilitating a speedy exit.”
Daisy quirked an eyebrow, all of her worry and anxiety from the moments before bleeding away entirely. It was as though, when she was in his proximity, she didn’t have the ability to feel fear. She didn’t have to try to be calm in a sticky situation. The effect had to be magic, but nothing about it felt imposed upon her.
People were looking his way, angling their bodies to better see. The men likely thought he had riches, and the ladies probably wanted to see what was under the suit.
“But my advances are clearly much appreciated.” The fae’s smile softened all his hard edges into something truly stunning. “Hello, little dove. Did you miss me?” he asked in a deep murmur. He looked down at her attire, his gaze not sticking to any one place. “You look beautiful. Very well put together. We make a very handsome couple.”
“Except, of course…we aren’t a couple.”
He stepped a little closer. His otherworldly scent invaded her senses, and the delicious feel of his presence danced upon her skin. His heat melted the ice that had formed in the pit of her stomach. His voice pitched low and intimate, for her ears alone.
“Imagine watching you walk through the room. I was riveted. You changed so eloquently from one situation to the next. Truly a master. I am impressed. You’re almost working as hard as I am.”
“Almost?”
“Yes. It is easy for you to exist in this world. I have to sneak, steal, and kill to accomplish my business here. But it is worth it every time I catch a glimpse of your fragile beauty. Like a porcelain dove in the hands of an anxious child.”
“I am anything but fragile.”
His smile was devious. “We shall see.” He dropped his head a little closer, inhaling deeply. “Equilas help me.” It sounded like he was appealing to one of his gods, a name she didn’t know. “I desperately want to see if you taste as good as you smell. I’ve missed the feel of your intoxicating presence. I dream of you.”
His words slid sinfully across her skin. She clamped down on a response, not wanting to admit she felt exactly the same.
“Now tell me, what are you doing here?” he whispered, his breath dusting her heated flesh.
“Everyone is staring.”
“Of course they are. We are the most interesting couple in the room. Why are you here?”
She tried to think of a song to block out the answer, but she needn’t have bothered. No thought could form while her brain buzzed within his closeness. With his fingertips ghosting across her hips. His proximity warning away all others.
“Hmm.” It was a rumble in his chest. “What a curious effect.” He paused. “I should step away to get my answer, shouldn’t I?” He breathed her in. “I find I don’t care enough to do so.”
“Why are you here?” she countered, not pulling herself away either. She would forever claim it was to protect her thoughts. That reason was better than the alternative. It seemed that every time she was near him, she played with fire. Danced through the flames. He represented more danger than she’d ever known—than the world had ever known—but the gravity of that, the reality of it, never seemed to seep in. She was on a self-destructive road. A passenger on the train of bad decisions, as Bria might say. Toot fucking toot.
“To see you, of course,” he replied easily, his tone teasing.
“Is that the real reason?”