by Nicole Hall
Except she didn’t see him before she fell asleep, and she woke to an empty apartment. Keely spent the morning alternating between brooding about potential hidden meanings in Seth’s words and fighting crushing self-doubt.
What if she’d made a mistake? Another couple of minutes and Felicité would have gotten a show, but maybe happy naked time hadn’t been Seth’s intent. It sure as hell had been hers. The bond didn’t help at all. For supposedly being uber connected, Seth could keep a lot hidden. When she probed, the confusing mixed feelings she got from him involved a tangle of need and responsibility.
Fed up with drama, Keely tried to distract herself with one of Seth’s video games until the courier arrived with the dress. With two hours to spare before they were supposed to leave for the party, Jeff called to tell her she had a box waiting at the front desk.
She paused the game and took the elevator down, both exhilarated to wear the dress again and nervous because where the hell was Seth? Even if she wanted to go to the party without him, she had no idea where to go, not to mention they probably wouldn’t let her in by herself.
The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Jeff smiled at her from behind his massive concierge counter thing. Keely often forgot about Seth’s apparent wealth when they spent time together, so sometimes her upscale surroundings smacked her in the face. She’d taken the elevator without thinking, and now she stood in the fancy lobby in ratty pajama shorts and an old college tee shirt.
At least the lobby was empty of other tenants. Her flip flops thwacked the tile floor and echoed off the walls as she approached the desk. Keely winced, but Jeff’s smile didn’t falter.
“Hello again, Ms. Cole. How are you today?”
Her Texas upbringing wouldn’t let her grab the waiting box and run for the elevator, no matter how long she’d lived in New York. Keely smiled and steeled herself for an awkward conversation. “I’m good, Jeff. And I keep telling you to call me Keely. How’re you?”
“Just fine, miss. This box is for you, but there’s another in the back. If you’ll just wait here a second, I’ll go grab it.”
Keely’s brows drew together as he hurried through an employee-only door. The box in front of her had Felicité’s name on it, so it had to be the dress. Only a few other people knew she lived here.
Jeff came back with a large florist box and set it next to the first. Tissue paper blocked the clear panel on the front, and Keely didn’t see a card.
She looked up to see Jeff grinning. “Who’s it from?”
“I have my guess, but I don’t know for sure. I only saw the delivery person. Open it up.”
He nearly vibrated with excitement, so Keely popped through the tape holding it closed and opened the box with a flourish. The lush scent of lilies engulfed them, and Keely gasped at the gorgeous flowers. Bright yellow, pale orange, soft pink, and of course, white. A card lay next to the stems.
Keely flipped it over to see Seth’s messy scrawl.
Be home soon. Sorry I’m late. Forgive me?
She shook her head as a smile, a real one this time, stretched across her lips. No one had ever sent her flowers before. And not just any flowers. He’d remembered a throwaway comment she’d made about how she couldn’t decide on her favorite color of lilies, that she preferred a sunset of riotous color.
“Better take these upstairs, miss. Get them in some water.”
Keely nodded at Jeff, strangely choked up. She gathered her boxes and walked back to the elevators as if in a dream. The lines of her relationship with Seth were becoming dangerously blurred. He’d been clear from the beginning that he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship, but this felt suspiciously close to wooing.
Seth wanted her body—she could still feel the length of him under her—and according to the bond, he enjoyed her company, but that didn’t always equal a lasting connection. Too bad for her, she was starting to want it to last. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be throwing her heart at someone who didn’t want it. Again.
Keely put the dress box in her room and went in search for a vase. To her surprise, she found a tall, clear one under the sink in the kitchen. The card made her shake her head again as she arranged the flowers. Something, maybe the errant bond, made her think his request for forgiveness had more to do with his lack of communication after the hotness at Felicité’s than his actual lateness.
Why send flowers instead of speaking directly to her mind? Was there a range on the telepathy? Keely made a note to ask about that since it might come in handy if they ever made it to his homeland. Now that she’d discarded her arbitrary restrictions, they couldn’t manage to spend more than a couple of hours together without erupting in a volcano of lust.
Keely grimaced. What a terrible metaphor.
I didn’t think it was too bad.
She straightened from the flowers to see Seth lay a garment bag across the back of the couch. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You were pretty focused on the lilies. I hope that means you like them.”
Keely glanced at the vase in her hands, not sure what to do with them. She wanted to run to him and show him how much she loved the flowers, but an awkward gulf stretched between them. Before yesterday, she’d felt comfortable touching him, but what did it say when a guy couldn’t get enough one second and ran the other way the next?
“How long were you listening in to my thoughts?”
He raised both brows. “It wasn’t like that. You were broadcasting quite clearly. I heard the last bit about the telepathic range and the volcano.”
Keely finally decided to set the lilies on the end of the island and brace herself against the counter. “Something else we should work on then. Is there a range?”
“Normally, yes, but the bond heightens our abilities with each other, so my guess is it will stretch much farther. I’ve never tested it.”
“Never bonded yourself to someone before? You seemed confident with me.”
“I told you. I don’t do long-term, and bonds tend to encourage that.” His eyes raked over her bare legs and grungy clothes. “How long will it take you to get ready?”
Keely blinked, reeling slightly from the inspection and wishing he’d used his hands instead. His eyes dilated, and she guessed she was still broadcasting. Good. Let him see she wasn’t afraid of his lifestyle choices.
“Maybe thirty minutes, mostly for my hair if I’m putting it up.”
His hand twitched, and he curled it into a loose fist. “Leave it down.”
Keely glimpsed a flash of herself in the dressing room from Seth’s point of view, looking over her shoulder, her hair falling halfway down her back in disarray. She wasn’t the only one broadcasting. “We’ll see.”
She wanted to discuss why they’d gone back to the hot and cold action, but if she didn’t start getting ready now, she’d miss her thirty-minute deadline. Seth stood between her and her bedroom, and as she approached him, for a split second, she thought he might reach for her. His arms flexed, and she slowed involuntarily.
Their eyes met, his unreadable, and Keely’s heart leapt into her throat. Her pulse pounded in her ears, but Seth held himself still and the moment passed. Keely shook her head and continued into her room sad and discouraged.
The dress somehow fit better than it had before, and Felicité had included a pair of stilettos that managed to be her exact size and also really comfortable. The woman was magic. Keely worked a loose wave into her hair, then pulled it back into a messy bun at the back of her head. The style said relaxed sophistication, or so she hoped. More importantly, she wouldn’t spend the entire night being stabbed by bobby pins.
Seth waited for her in the living room. He’d changed into a tux and leaned casually against the couch playing with his phone. Keely smiled a little at his tousled hair. His probably wasn’t artfully arranged that way.
Men had it so much easier with formal wear.
Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor, and Seth straightened from his sl
ouch. She couldn’t read his expression as she walked toward him, but he held out his hand.
“You look beautiful.” He spoke the truth, but she’d felt the stab of disappointment at her hair before he’d hidden it behind his walls.
Keely placed her hand in his, and he pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles. She missed the heat that he seemed determined to deny. “Thank you. Are you sure we’re ready to introduce me as your mate? Last chance to back out.”
His eyes flared as she gave his words back to him, and his grip on her hand tightened. “We’re ready. Let’s go.”
The confidence that Keely had felt since the dressing room slowly dissipated as they neared the venue in the cab, and by the time they entered the party, she worried her smile looked as forced as it felt.
She stood inside an honest-to-goodness ballroom in a little boutique hotel with soaring chandeliers and gold-trimmed drapes. During the course of her job and years of schooling, she’d attended fancy book launches and a couple of upscale signings, but nothing like this. Seth held her hand and headed for the bar.
Yes. Alcohol. That would help. While they waited for their drinks, a handsome man with thick dark hair, an open collar, and mischief in his eyes slapped Seth on the back.
“Seth, I’m glad you could make it. You’ve been avoiding me since your sojourn in Egypt.”
Seth smiled at the man, but Keely could sense his caution. “Luc. It’s good to see you. Allow me to introduce my mate, Keely Cole. Keely, this is an old friend, Luc Marsyas. He owns this hotel.”
He took Keely’s free hand and lifted it for a kiss. “My great pleasure to meet you. I suppose I can forgive Seth his abandonment as it seems he had more important things on his mind. Tell me, did you meet in Egypt as well?”
Keely felt a sweep of power in her mind and closed her book shield securely. Seth claimed him as a friend, but he looked a little too delighted at Seth’s announcement. “No. We met here in New York.”
They’d decided to stick as close to the truth as possible, and Keely’s shoulders relaxed a smidge when Luc eased back from her hand and her mind.
“Ah, I hadn’t realized he’d returned until recently.” He picked up a tumbler that had appeared in front of him on the bar and raised it in a toast. “Congratulations on the mating. May you have many happy years.”
Seth passed her a glass, and they all drank. Luc returned his half-empty drink to the bar and looked around. “I must go mingle. Over a hundred exiles here tonight, if you can believe it. Our power base is growing. We could use your intellect as well as your power to help run things.”
Seth laughed. “Still not interested, but it’s always flattering to be asked.”
Luc shrugged, making the gesture elegant and indifferent. “Maybe next time.” He gave a small bow to Keely. “Milady.”
She watched him blend into the crowd, greeting other guests with the same enthusiasm he’d shown them. “Strange man. What was all that about a power base?”
Seth took another sip of his drink. “He’s been gathering people for decades, hoping to build an organization to help support and protect new exiles. Or at least, that’s what he says.”
Keely tore her eyes away from their host. “You don’t sound like you believe him.”
“I believe he wants to help other exiles. What else he gets out of it, I don’t know.”
She nodded absently. “He called me ‘milady’. Isn’t that a renaissance way of saying ma’am?”
“I think more early-Victorian. Shouldn’t you have learned that in your studies?”
Keely shrugged, well aware that hers wasn’t nearly as graceful as Luc’s. “There’s a lot of knowledge shoved in my head. Some of it didn’t stick.”
The night wore on with many people greeting Seth happily. He stayed by her side, but with each new face, Keely wished she’d taken notes or something. She’d never remember any of their names, except Luc.
Fleetingly, she wondered what Seth would do when their charade ended. All these people expected him to be mated for life. How would he explain her sudden absence? It wasn’t until Luc had returned and Seth had declined a second invitation to join the exile group that the answer hit her.
Seth didn’t plan to be an exile much longer. They’d return to his homeland to clear his banishment, and he’d stay there. No wonder he didn’t do lasting relationships. That kind of long-distance—two different worlds—would make it impossible to maintain.
Keely followed Seth on autopilot, suddenly overwhelmed with the importance of her role and saddened by the lost opportunity she hadn’t admitted she’d wanted. Seth’s hand touched her bare back, and Keely jumped. Luc had taken the stage in front of the live band to give a speech thanking everyone for coming.
He spoke quickly, but when Keely started to let her mind wander again, Luc’s gaze found her in the crowd. She heard her name and snapped back to attention.
“—mated with our dear friend, Seth. Congratulations again.”
Keely’s eyes widened as the people around them burst into applause. The music resumed with a slow song, and Seth led her onto the dance floor.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, her heart beating erratically at the sudden attention.
Seth gathered her close, spreading his hand at the low of her back to hold her in place. “What everyone is expecting. Luc just made a spectacle of our newly mated status. We need to give them the show they want.”
They swayed side to side, barely dancing. Keely tried to forget that hundreds of eyes followed their movements, but every time Seth’s hand moved lower, she tensed up. She wanted his hands on her, but not in front of an audience. That didn’t stop the heat from pooling low in her belly when Seth pressed her against him, his length hard against her stomach.
By the time the song ended, Keely’s back screamed with tension. She tried to shift away, but Seth held her in place and whispered in her ear.
“I need you to stay put for a minute or this really will be a show.”
Most of the other guests had lost interest, but Keely desperately wanted off the dance floor. She stared at his shoulder and tried to make herself as small as possible as he maneuvered them to the edge of the group. Keely sucked in a breath as he broke away and led her to a dim corner of the room behind a pillar.
She leaned against the wall, and Seth angled himself so his broad shoulders blocked the room’s view of her. The cool plaster against her back helped to anchor her scattered thoughts. So did Seth. He lowered his head, and his breath disturbed her hair. “What’s wrong?”
Keely tucked her hands inside his jacket and curled her fingers closed against his waist. “I’ll be fine. I don’t do well as the center of attention. It triggers my fight or flight response, and then my stupid brain freezes up because it can’t decide which it wants to do.”
Surrounded by Seth, her heartbeat began to calm. He rubbed her arms. “That’s okay. We’ll find something else for your brain to obsess over.”
She wasn’t cold, but moved closer to his warmth anyway. “We probably should have practiced more before trying this in public with real people watching.”
He was close enough that Keely felt his smile against her cheek. “Don’t focus on who’s watching. Focus on me.”
His hand slid up along her jaw to cup the nape of her neck, and Keely was suddenly breathless again for an entirely different reason. Let me help you.
She was glad no one could see her when he slanted his head and pressed a kiss below her ear. A shock of pleasure rushed through her and escaped on a broken sigh. Her head tipped to the side to give him better access. A second later, her hair fell from the bun, cascading over her shoulders.
“Dammit, Seth.”
Seth chuckled at her ire. “That’s better.” He nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply. “I love your hair. The sweet smell of it, the silky feel in my hand, the way you start when it brushes your bare back.”
Keely shivered at the hot words spoken against her skin. Her eyes drifte
d closed, and her fingers uncurled, slipping into his waistband.
“I get lost in you.” Seth’s mouth grazed her cheek and across her lips in a barely-there kiss. He trailed his hand over her hip to caress the top of her thigh where her skirt split.
A spattering of applause behind him brought Keely back to reality, and her eyes popped open. Her nails dug into his sides as he shifted away, leaving her vibrating with need. Seth sighed and moved back far enough to rest his forehead against hers.
Keely understood. “Have we pranced around enough to get the message across?”
“Yeah. I think Luc took care of that for us.”
“Good. Let’s go home.”
The cab ride kept Keely on the edge of heightened awareness. She felt Seth’s hungry gaze on her, and the craving echoed in the bond. The awkward distance from earlier in the night had disappeared, replaced with anticipation. Huzzah and good riddance, as far as she was concerned.
Once safely inside their apartment, Seth shed his bow tie and jacket as he followed her down the hall. He kicked off his shoes and caught her wrist to spin her back toward him.
Keely came willingly, but stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Are you sure this time? You’re not going to disappear on me in the middle of the night?”
“I’m sorry for yesterday. I had some decisions to make and a few more errands to run before we leave for Aecantha tomorrow.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes.” He paused, searching her eyes. “You know I can’t offer you forever.”
She nodded slowly. “Forever’s overrated. I’ll take you for as long as I can get you, provided I don’t wake up alone this time.”
Seth lifted her restraining hand and kissed the center of her palm where he’d cut her for the bond. “You won’t wake up alone.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Keely smiled and reached for the addition at her shoulder she’d noticed while getting dressed. The gown unsnapped and pooled around her ankles as it fell in one smooth motion. Seth’s eyes followed the fabric down, then slowly returned to her face.
