by Emma Roman
She nodded, heart too full to speak. She’d probably never ask for his help, but it meant a lot that he’d made the offer.
“Promise me,” he said in a stern voice, seemingly reading her mind. “Promise you’ll ask for help if you need it.”
She bit her lip, and then nodded. “All right. I promise—and thank you.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He gave her a kiss, and then smacked her bottom. “Time to get dressed before you freeze that cute ass off.”
“In a minute,” she said without moving. “I’m too comfortable.”
“Come on. I’ll help you get dressed.”
He sat up, and she grumbled under her breath, but he was right—her bare legs were ice-cold. He helped her get dressed first, waiting while she pulled on her underwear and sweater, and then warming her feet between his hands before helping her into her socks and pants.
Then she watched, mouth ajar, as he waded stark naked into the icy creek. When it reached his waist, he bent down and splashed water over himself, scrubbing until he was clean. As he came back upright, he caught her expression.
He grinned and dragged his hands over his damp hair. “River fada don’t feel the cold like humans do.”
She shook her head slowly from side to side. “You must have polar bear genes.”
“Nah—just adapted to life underwater.” He strode out of the creek and shook himself like a dog, sending droplets flying everywhere. He sauntered back to the blanket, all loose-limbed grace, and got dressed again.
“Now”—he reached for the backpack—“let’s see about that picnic I promised you.”
11
Chico felt a chill brush over his skin. It was Thursday evening, and he was on his way to Jenny’s apartment with pizza and wine. He’d volunteered to bring dinner, since she’d spent the afternoon working at the studio of the jewelry designer who was mentoring her.
He switched the wine to the same arm holding the pizza and looked around.
Nothing.
He inhaled. For a moment there, he could’ve sworn he caught a whiff of metal and decay. His gut tightened, but then it was gone.
He swallowed uneasily. Lita’s Gift was wayfaring. She could blend into the shadows so that she was almost invisible, or move at a speed too fast for the eye to detect.
But why the hell would she be in Grace Harbor? It was almost a year since they’d been lovers—she’d have long since found another toy.
And it wasn’t unheard of to see night fae in Grace Harbor. Technically, the town was neutral, although everyone knew it was on the edge of Rock Run territory. But there was a huge night fae compound just a few hours south in Virginia, and from time to time, they visited Grace Harbor, both to spy on the sun fae and to thumb their noses at Dion.
Just to be sure, he made a complete circle, scanning the area. Something flitted past the corner of his eye and he whipped his head in that direction, but it was only a large, overfed raven.
He scrubbed a hand over his hair and made a mental note to tell Dion that he’d scented night fae in Grace Harbor.
As he reached Jenny’s front door, a horn tooted, and he turned to see her arriving in her ancient blue VW. He shook off his uneasiness to smile at her.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said as she got out of the car and grabbed a bag of groceries. “I had to pick up a few things. Have you been waiting long?”
“Just got here.”
“Good.” She gave him a kiss and then reached around him to open the front door. “That smells great.”
“Just the way you like it.” He cracked the pizza box open to show her. “Two kinds of olives, mushrooms, extra sauce and cheese.”
“Awesome,” she said as she led the way upstairs. “I’m starving.”
The moment they were in her apartment, he set the pizza and wine on the coffee table and pulled her into his arms. “How was your day, minha querida?”
“Mm, I love it when you talk Portuguese.” She twined her arms around his neck and brushed her mouth over his. “And it was good—I learned a new way to solder silver. What about you?”
“Same. They had me working with some of the pups today. They’re lucky I didn’t break a couple of heads, but in the end, they didn’t do too bad.”
“Pups?”
“They’re teens, actually. A cohort who will be warriors pretty soon—but today, they were acting like pups.”
She laughed. “It sounds like teaching high school.”
“I wouldn’t know—we have our own school at the base, but yeah, I imagine so.”
He inhaled deeply. She smelled of the outdoors—and the spike of arousal that always seemed to hit her when she saw him. It made him feel like puffing his chest out and crowing. Jenny wants me.
But it was only fair, because the gods knew, he wanted her. He pressed her against the front door, and slanted his mouth over hers. Her lips were warm and welcoming. He stroked his tongue over hers, tasting her deeply.
Her hips moved against his, and he pushed his leg between her thighs. His boot hit the door, and he pulled himself up short. Hell, the woman had said she was starving, and here he was all over her.
He lifted his head. “How hungry are you?”
She gave him a look from beneath her eyelashes that hit him ten times harder than Lita’s glamour ever had. “Very,” she said, and proceeded to turn him around so his back was against the door—and then drop to her knees before him.
He watched, mouth ajar, as she undid the button of his cargo pants.
“I’m hungry for you. Is that okay?” She slid his zipper down. His cock jutted out through the slit in his boxers and she touched her tongue to the ridge. “Chico?”
“Hm?” His gaze was glued to her mouth on his dick.
“Is this okay?”
She had to ask? “Hell, yeah.”
Then she closed her lips around him and he forgot everything but the hot, wet suck of her mouth. His hands went to her head. He held her lightly, keeping her in place but allowing her to control how deep she took him.
She hummed with pleasure and tongued him, and his knees locked. “That’s it, baby,” he said hoarsely. “Take me.”
She smiled around his length and sucked him deeper. One hand was at the base of his erection, working him, while the other played with his balls—cupping them, squeezing them.
He looked down at her face. Her lashes were thick black crescents against her cheekbones, her mouth a soft red. If there was anything sexier in the world, he couldn’t name it.
He tightened his grip on her head and began to thrust slowly in and out.
Excitement built. It felt like she was touching him in all the places he most wanted to be touched. His animal was awake and writhing in delight, making his arousal even greater.
She sucked harder. Her teeth scraped gently over his most sensitive skin and he groaned. She gave another hard suck and his nerve endings sparked, and then electricity arced through him and he came with a deep, guttural sound.
When he returned to himself, Jenny was sitting on her heels, smiling up at him.
He smiled back a little shakily and drew her back to her feet. “Now you.”
Chico pushed Jenny down on the couch. She went willingly. She was dizzy with arousal, filled with his taste and scent—and she loved it, even while she was afraid she was rapidly getting in too deep.
But dear Lord, she couldn’t get enough of this hard-bodied shifter. Touching him, pleasuring him, watching his face as he came… He could easily become an addiction.
Chico’s mouth moved over her body. “That was so good,” he murmured in husky tones. He pressed a kiss to her lips and slid his hand down her abdomen.
He stroked her lower stomach. His fingers delved deeper, sliding over her mound, delving between her thighs. Desire curled through her, hot and liquid. She instinctively bent one knee, opening to him.
“Chico…” She moved restively. “I—”
“Yes?” he said against her neck. “Wha
t do you want?” He nudged her bent leg higher so she was wide open and then waited, his fingers teasing the sensitive inner skin of her thigh.
Her breath shuddered out. “Please, Chico.”
“Tell me.”
She wrapped an arm around his neck. “I want you to touch me—there.”
“Good girl,” he crooned against her neck, and then sucked on the skin—hard enough to mark her—at the same time he started moving his fingers over her sex. Slowly, purposefully.
He soothed the mark he’d made with his tongue. “You’re so soft. You have skin like a baby.”
She tightened her grip on him, her attention on what he was doing between her thighs.
He muttered something sexy about how tight and wet she was, and how good it would feel when he was inside her, and then he swirled his fingertips and pressed just the right spot. Heat slammed up her spine, and she moaned his name and came.
He stayed with her until she went limp, and then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He set her on her stomach on the mattress and took out a condom. “Are you okay?”
She nodded against the sheet, still trying to catch her breath. “Oh yeah.”
“Good.” He urged her up so he could slide a pillow under her hips. Work-roughened fingertips stroked her buttocks. “Here’s some more.” He slid inside her, and they both groaned. Then he kissed her spine and began to move, and she gave herself up to the pleasure of it.
When they were done, they lay there for a few minutes, Chico’s body covering hers, until her stomach growled.
Chico chuckled and levered himself off of her. “Time to eat,” he said as he gathered up his clothes.
“Who needs food?” Jenny returned with a smirk, but she padded to the bathroom to clean up.
She was pulling her sweater over her head when Chico said, “I wanted to ask if you’re free on Valentine’s Day.”
She stilled, and then poked her head through the sweater. “Yes. What do you have in mind?”
He sat on the chair to pull on his socks. “There’s this ball.”
She blinked. “A ball? Like in Cinderella?”
His cheek creased. “Well, that’s what the fae call it.”
“You’re asking me to a fae ball? Me?” She broke into a grin. “Wait ’til I tell Kym.”
“I told you my alpha is mated to the sun fae queen—and her people love to party. Some parties are just for them, but this one is for everyone. We’re allowed to bring anyone we want.” He came to his feet. “So, are you in?”
She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she’d been invited to a fae ball. “Hell, yeah—but what should I wear?” The only dresses she owned were a couple of summer dresses and a black velour dress that she’d worn to her prom and never gotten rid of. She wasn’t even sure it still fit her.
Chico moved a shoulder. “I don’t know. Something dressy.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a man.”
His lips twitched. “Guilty.”
“What will the other women be wearing?”
“Dressy, like I said.” He waved a hand. “Sparkly. The sun fae love sparkly things.”
“Sparkly? Long or short?”
“That’s up to you.” At her expression, he raised a hand, palm out. “Honest. Most of the women will have on short dresses—that’s how the sun fae dress. Their metabolisms run hot—it’s always summer for them.”
“Really?” she asked, diverted. “That would be nice.”
He pulled her into his arms. “It doesn’t matter what you wear. You’ll be the most beautiful woman there.”
“In a group of sun fae?” But she smiled up at him.
He brought a big hand to her ass, and she felt his erection growing against her stomach. He shook his head and set her from him. “Damn, I can’t get enough of you. But how about we eat that pizza now?”
12
“That’s the one,” Kym told Jenny. She had dressed for their shopping expedition in slim gray pants and a pink leather jacket with the tips of her short curls dyed to match. “That’s The Dress.” She gave an emphatic nod that set her pink-tipped locks bouncing.
“You think?” Jenny examined herself in the dressing room mirror. The dress was two-toned, with a burnt-orange velvet bodice and a long, high-waisted skirt in a pale gold silk charmeuse that flowed over her body like water.
“Look at yourself.” Kym grabbed Jenny’s shoulders and pointed her directly at the mirror. “You look freaking gorgeous. The man’s going to be all over you.”
Jenny chuckled. But Kym was right—the burnt orange set off her hair and skin, and even she could tell it made her look sexy. It was pricey, but her stepmom had sent her a check for her portion of the house. She’d put most of it in her savings account, and she was going to buy semi-precious stones with the rest so that she could start selling more expensive, upscale pieces—but she wanted to look good for Chico.
She drew in a breath. “I’ll take it. And thanks for telling me about this store.” They’d spent two hours at the mall, with Jenny growing increasingly panicky that she wouldn’t find anything she liked. Then Kym had suggested the Cupcake Boutique in Fell’s Point.
Kym grinned at her in the mirror. “It’s kind of like Cinderella—you going to a ball.”
“Yeah.” Jenny put a hand to her stomach. It felt like she had a whole flock of butterflies in there, and the ball was still four days away. “I just hope I don’t turn into a pumpkin.”
It wasn’t just that she was going to be in a roomful of fae. No, to top things off, last night Chico had mentioned that his parents were looking forward to meeting her.
Kym laughed. “That only happens in fairy tales.”
“Or if you piss off a fae.” Jenny turned her back. “Help me out of this?”
“Chico will watch out for you,” Kym said as she obliged.
Jenny stepped out of the dress. “He will, won’t he?” she returned a bit smugly.
“Hell, yeah. The man’s more than a little protective of you. Look, I’ll meet you up front—I’m going to try on that blue slip-thingy I saw. I need something for that blue Valentine party I’m going to.”
Alone in the dressing room, Jenny hung the dress on its hanger again and got back into her own clothes.
It had been a week since Chico had asked her to the ball. She’d seen him almost every day, and most nights he stayed over.
Kym was right; Chico was protective of her—in a sweet, making-her-feel-cherished way. If she was working late at the coffee shop, he picked her up so she wouldn’t have to walk home alone in the dark. If they went anywhere, he made sure to turn up the heat in the SUV so that she wasn’t cold. He’d bought her a bright red wool hat and scarf just because he thought they’d look pretty on her, but she knew it was another way of keeping her warm.
February had turned bitter, with icy winds and a string of days with temperatures below freezing, but Jenny was so happy she barely noticed.
One of the best parts was having someone to eat dinner with. Sometimes Jenny cooked, and they ate that along with whatever Chico had brought—coarse peasant bread baked by his clan or the tart white vinho verde from the Rock Run vineyards.
“It means “green wine,” he’d explained, “but that just means it’s a young wine. Some types of vinho verde are even red.”
Last night he’d brought a small hibachi, and grilled fish on her balcony for the best dinner yet: fresh-caught fish, a crisp white wine, and a sexy shifter who couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
Jenny was more than a little in love with him. It scared her even as she reminded herself that Chico was not Ryan. He wasn’t even the player she’d thought him—at least, not with her. She had to let herself trust again sometime.
If she was wrong, well, she’d survive. Why not enjoy it while it lasted?
And in four days, she was going to a freaking fae ball. She did a little dance right there in the dressing room. Then she draped the dress carefully ove
r one arm, and went to pay for it.
The cashier was ringing her up when Kym emerged from another dressing room with the sky-blue dress. “I’m going to get it.” She held the slinky scrap of material against her body and bobbled her brows at Jenny. “You never know, I might get lucky.”
“In that dress, definitely.”
Kym grinned and handed it to the cashier.
As they walked out the door, Jenny slanted her friend a look. “Next up, the shoe store.”
Kym had a weakness for shoes. Her face lit up like a kid in a candy store. “I know just the place.”
13
The expression on Chico’s face when Jenny opened the door on Valentine’s Day was worth every penny she’d spent.
His gaze traveled down her body in a hot, hungry look that made every inch of her tingle. “Mother of God,” he said reverently.
She stepped back to let him inside. “You like it?” She smoothed a hand down the pale gold skirt.
“Hell yeah.” He set his hands on her bare shoulders and gave her a kiss. “I’m going to have to fight the other men off,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Yeah, right.” But she was smiling. The butterflies in her stomach had been beating wildly all day, but now they gave a last, panicky flutter and settled down. She knew she couldn’t hope to compete with any of the fae women, but Chico thought she looked good, and that was all that mattered.
“You left your hair down.” He fingered a shiny black lock. She’d washed it and left it to fall around her shoulders. The only adornment was a single slim braid on one side of her head with a gold ribbon threaded through it. “It’s beautiful.” He gathered a handful and brought it to his lips.
She smiled her thanks. “And you”—she stepped back to take him in—“all I have to say is, wow.”
He had on his usual leather jacket, but beneath he’d worn black pants and a brown shirt, both in a soft, expensive-looking material. The fabric draped over his lean, muscular body in a way that made her want to rub up against him.
