Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
I’m no virgin, but flirting doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m the kind of person who needs to be told they’re being flirted with, but not with this guy, who’s so insanely committed to the elf shtick. You only live once, and he is… handsome, gentlemanly, charming. Why would I not play along this one night, and be the prince of his dreams in my fancy stolen cloak?
The horse is clomping forward along the peaceful street. Since it’s Halloween, most people won’t find the way we look alarming, especially with the college campus nearby, so I let myself relax, because it’s not like the police will be wasting time on me tonight.
I lean back against his sturdy chest and smirk as my stomach growls. “Mm… leviathans. Are they edible?”
“Not all parts of them, but I have tried leviathan tongue in the past and it was… chewy. I wouldn’t recommend it. What’s a food you like?”
I stroke his leather-covered forearm and grin at the sight of the neon sign of the small local pizza chain peeking at us from afar. “Do you want to try my favorite food, which also happens to be the most human food ever?” I ask, pointing to it.
My heart beats faster when he shifts, and the crab engraved at the front of his cuirass rubs my spine. He must be some kind of historical reenactor to own real armor. Or maybe works in movies, and that’s how he has access to special effects as amazing as the dark wings. Those looked so lifelike I was almost fooled…
“Oh yes! What is it? I’ve heard your cows give white milk? I’ve yet to try that.”
He’s hilarious.
“It’s your lucky day. Pizza usually comes with cheese, on top of all the other ingredients. How about it? My treat,” I tell him, ever more emboldened. I’ve never really hooked up with anyone I didn’t know, but don’t I deserve this sliver of romance after the bull crap Richie put me through? Tristan seems like a genuinely nice, caring person, and even if he’s just passing through, there’s nothing wrong about making memories with someone who won’t be in my life forever…
“How generous. Polite, sweet, and with a desire for revenge? This must be my lucky night. Pizza!” Tristan yells and holds his sword high.
“I do not have a desire for revenge! You goaded me into it,” I say and slap his thigh, even though it did feel good. It would have only been better if Richie didn’t have any proof to go after me. I’m probably not that lucky.
Tristan laughs and hugs me close. “I have no sympathy for villains who get what they deserve. If there is no one else who needs to experience your wrath, you will leave this realm with a light heart.”
“Well, I’m not dying yet,” I tell him as we approach the pizza place. With booze in my veins, it’s somehow easier to let go of my usual inhibitions and lean into his wooing. I don’t think I’ve ever been picked up with quite this much style. I’ve been burned so many times, but I want to believe in the innate goodness of all people, and he has been so kind tonight.
I want to get to know him better.
I want him to kiss me, and then take me away on this horse, so he can make love to me deep in the woods as fireflies float around us.
I really am hopeless.
“And I’m not dying until I get to taste pizza.”
Tristan sounds excited like a kid on his birthday when we stop in front of the restaurant. It’s small, and nothing fancy, tucked between a 24/7 tattoo parlor and a laundrette, but I’ve been here before, and their food is great, with more than one vegan option.
Tristan gets to the ground first, and the bright pink neon gives his skin an otherworldly glow as he extends his arm to me. While I’ve been on a horse many times, I have to admit Stone is unusually tall. I wonder what breed he is, because he doesn’t resemble any stallion I’ve seen.
Tristan’s hand is warm in mine, and as the silhouettes of late-night customers loom on the edges of my vision, I imagine what they are seeing—a real-life knight with a mane of red hair helping me off a horse, as if I’m someone important, to him at least. As if I’m handsome and worthy of all this attention. By the time my feet touch the ground, I’m so unfocused I lean right into the symbol on Tristan’s chest. “So… I don’t know how hungry you are, but if you’re okay with vegan ingredients, we could also share the pizza,” I say as he hitches his giant mount to the hydrant.
Tristan’s golden eyes convey… I’m not sure what exactly, but he frowns a little, sizing me up from head to toe. “And… how large exactly is the pizza?”