by Emma Holly
"Goodbye," he cried from the ledge, waving to Alex's old girlfriend. "Best fairy wishes to you all!"
The grown-up Oscar took a moment to hug his mother and then followed. Both men seemed eager to go home, clapping each other's shoulders as they ducked under the water. Bryan supposed Fairy was like a lot of places here on Earth. No matter who was in charge, people found a way to enjoy their lives.
Those two don't know us, he told himself, fighting his hurt at having been ignored. All their ties lie elsewhere. The real Alex isn't going to forget you.
This time, the falls only brightened a little for the exchange—more like moonlight than sun. Through the blue-white glow, the two figures he'd been waiting for clambered out.
"We're back!" Oscar shouted, not needing help to climb down. "We're safe and sound!"
Bryan's breath caught in his throat as they came closer. Oscar was noticeably taller, as if he'd been away a year instead of an hour, and Alex—Alex was smiling, so relaxed and easy he might have returned from a good vacation. Bryan's friend paused to watch Oscar and his mother hug, the pair looking a good deal warmer toward each other than they had before. Seeing they were well, Alex turned and headed for Bryan.
"I've learned new tricks!" Bryan heard Oscar announce to his mother. "And how not to do them by accident."
Mrs. Pruitt murmured her approval, for which Bryan was glad, but the lion's share of his attention was on his friend.
Alex's eyes shone like lasers as he approached, his ribs going in and out faster than normal. Bryan ordered himself not to make a scene, but when Alex stopped in front of him, when Alex looked into his eyes and held out his arms, it was hard not to.
"Hey, buddy," Alex said, pulling Bryan close with one hand cupping his head. "You have no idea how much I missed you."
Bryan squeezed him back and tried not to let his tears roll free. Alex felt so good—so warm and hard and him. "I love you," he said, unable to keep it in. "I'm glad you're all right."
Alex kissed his ear. "I love you, too," he whispered, then pulled back to look at him. "I have some things to tell you, but maybe they can wait until we're alone."
"I'm not sure they matter compared to you saying the L word."
Alex laughed, and that same easiness Bryan had noticed when he emerged from the water was in the sound. "Jeez, it's good to see you and, yes, I mean the L word the way you hope. A lot has happened. I had a chance to grow up and, well, sow my oats, I guess you'd say. I realized how important really connecting to someone is. I can't promise—" His eyes glowed blue as his hand stroked roughly down Bryan's face. "I can't promise you'll always be my only, but I'm pretty sure I can promise to put you first. That is, assuming you'd be interested in an arrangement like that."
His unexpected shyness made Bryan bark out a laugh. "You've only been gone an hour. It'd take longer than that for me to lose my interest in being number one on your list."
It was hard to tell in the moonlight, but Bryan thought Alex blushed.
"Come with me," he said, slinging his arm around Bryan's shoulder. "I have things to say to Magnus and Zoe."
Zoe held Magnus's hand feverishly tight as the men approached. To Magnus, the chemistry between Bryan and Alex was obvious, their bodies leaning against each other with every stride. He rubbed Zoe's knuckles in the hope of easing her tension. Alex had been a big part of her life. No matter how long he'd been gone from it, no matter how much she loved Magnus, seeing Alex as half of a couple that didn't include her had to be difficult.
"Hey you," Alex said, bending down to kiss her cheek.
Magnus needed no special powers to see Alex's sojourn in Fairy had altered him. His face and manner said he'd made peace with who he was—and with at least trying to let Zoe go.
That he'd been gone a year and had only gotten up to trying was a worry for another day.
"You look good," Zoe said, a little teary as she touched his jaw. The touch, or maybe the tears, inspired a flare in Alex's aura, but he shook it off.
"Do I look magic?" he asked, wagging his brows.
"Should you?" she said, falling in with his playfulness. "Because I might need time to adjust to you being a psychic detective."
"Oh, God," Bryan moaned, and everyone laughed.
"I have news for you," Alex said to Magnus. "From your aunt."
Alex's self-esteem wasn't the only thing that had changed during his absence. His rancor toward Magnus was also gone. He seemed both more respectful and more confident—as if they were equals now.
"There's been a coup," Magnus said, knowing it was true the moment the words came out.
"Yes," Alex said. "Very nearly bloodless. Your mother has been deposed and stripped of the power that came with the throne, which doesn't leave her with enough to cause trouble, as I understand. Evidently, relying so heavily on black magic drained the stores she was born with. Your aunt rules unopposed, thanks in part to Zoe's fairies."
"To my fairies!" she exclaimed, her hand to her breast.
"They'd been in exile so long, their return impressed everyone. When the little fey threw in their lot with Queen Elena, people decided she must be destined to wear the crown. Queen Rajel and her troops barely had to swing their swords."
"Oh, my," Zoe breathed.
"Oh, my, indeed," Alex agreed. "You should have seen the party they threw afterward. Lasted for weeks." He turned again to Magnus. "Your aunt charged me to tell you that you're welcome to serve on her cabinet any time—should you wish to return."
Magnus chuckled. His aunt was wise enough to know he wouldn't want the throne, and ambitious enough not to volunteer to give it up. "I'm sure she'll find good advisors on her own."
"So… then you're a prince," Bryan said to Alex. "Because this Queen Elena is your birth mother."
Alex hooked his arm around his lover's neck and grinned. "I'm no prince here," he said, "but if you wanted to bow occasionally, just for fun, I'd allow it."
They'd taken an hour to get out of the grove, letting everyone say goodbye to everyone else, making sure Oscar had all their e-mails—and an open invitation to visit. Mrs. Pruitt seemed a little startled by how affectionate they were toward her son, but Magnus suspected this was good for her. Raising Oscar was a privilege she was only beginning to appreciate.
As much as Magnus had enjoyed witnessing the happy resolution of these issues, he was even more relieved to return with Zoe to her home. He had resolutions of his own to contemplate.
They were very much on his mind as he gazed into the starry sky that stretched above Zoe's deck. Tonight's moon was a bright half circle—a waning one.
One quarter gone, he thought, his hands gripped tight to the wood railing. Three more to go before I have to cheat on her again.
Zoe stood within his arms, her slight weight leaning warmly on his chest. It felt wonderful to hold her, to think of her as his—but maybe that was selfish. Maybe he should have let Alex win her, the way he'd decided to when he was dying. From the looks of it, she'd probably have to share Mm with Bryan, but would that really be worse than what Magnus was offering?
Uncomfortable with the question, he shifted on his feet. The movement roused Zoe.
"The stars are beautiful," she said. "Like someone flung a million diamonds against the black."
He kissed the top of her head, thankful for the reminder that tomorrow wasn't now, and that now held plenty of treasures.
Sensing something of his mood, Zoe turned in his arms and looked up at him. He could just make out her face, its delicate features so dear to him his throat tightened. A furrow formed between her brows.
"Something's been bothering me," she said. "You said you lived in Fairy for centuries. Does that mean you're immortal?"
He'd been wondering when she'd think to ask that. "In this realm, I'm only immortal in the sense that all conscious beings are. I expect I'll live a slightly longer than average life span, age gracefully, and leave when I'm ready to." He pinched the tip of her nose. "I also expect I can teach
you what little you need to do the same. Humans are just beginning to realize how much in control of their lives they are."
To his surprise, her brow creased harder. "You're saying you would have been immortal if you hadn't come here?"
"Relatively immortal. Even fairies don't live forever."
"But you gave up a relatively eternal life to be with me."
Magnus had to smile at her shock. "You of all people know every soul is eternal."
"Yes, but I'm still impressed!"
His smile turned into a laugh. "I hope you stay impressed. Maybe we'll have many lifetimes together after this one."
"I'd like that," she said, her cheek pressed against his chest. "Almost more than I can say."
His heart turned over as he hugged her back. He reacted to her closeness; he couldn't not. He wanted so badly to have her in all the ways their bodies were meant to join. Despite this longing, tenderness ruled his response. The feel of her slender strength, the scent of her, the crazy curling mass of her hair—all tangled together inside his soul. She was it for him, the partner he'd been looking for all his life without knowing it. Breaking her heart would destroy his own. Aching, he kissed her temple and drank in her warmth.
I'm going to have to go home.
The recognition dropped like an anvil inside his mind. He could return to Fairy now that Titania had been deposed. His aunt wouldn't use him the way his mother had wanted to. What he couldn't do was keep taking other lovers, never knowing which would be the one Zoe discovered she could not forgive.
He thought of Teresa, Zoe's best friend from the cafe, whom he'd always avoided for that reason. Steering clear of her hadn't kept him safe. That silly waitress from the Longhorn Grill had come close enough to being a last straw. Even if Zoe knew why he slept around, Magnus couldn't keep cheating his own heart. He would take his month with her. He would make the best of it.
And then he would let her go.
The atmosphere seemed to thicken and vibrate as he made his choice. He filled his lungs with breath to share it with her—only to realize that the tingling running through him wasn't the effect of nerves.
"Felicitations!" cried a small, high voice a second before Zoe's deck came alive with hundreds of fairies. "Best fairy wishes to the big people!"
The voice belonged to Samuel, who set himself off from the glittering crowd by zipping like a maniac around their heads.
"Oh!" Zoe cried as if she were about to weep. "You're back!"
Queen Rajel fluttered more sedately into the space between them. "We're commuting," she said, her face serene, her little body glowing with happiness. "In return for our support, Queen Elena has agreed to give us unlimited access to her portal. We get to keep our humans and our home."
"Oh, how wonderful!" Zoe said. "I wanted you to be happy, but I was going to miss you so much."
"I'm Samuel the Secretary of State now!" the boy fairy burst in, having flown himself to actual breathlessness. "I'm the liaison between big and small."
"Congratulations," Zoe laughed. "I'm sure you'll be marvelous."
"I'm helping!" Florabel cried. "I'm the official Party Planning Fairy."
"A crucial post," Zoe concurred, her eyes twinkling.
"Peace," said the queen, flying at both Samuel and Florabel to herd them back. "We have an important message to deliver."
Her fairies quieted down to a chitter, and then to actual silence. Queen Raj el cleared her throat and turned to Magnus.
"We owe you an apology, Big One. We misjudged you, thinking you were like your mother and the other bad big fey. We did our best not to help you win our human, but you have proven yourself a true friend to fairies—"
"—and kittens—" Samuel interrupted.
"—and Zoe," Florabel piped last.
"Especially to Zoe," Rajel agreed. "You didn't simply wish to win her heart, you gave her yours. Consequently, we must share the truth about the magic that brought you here."
"You know the terms of my visa?" The sudden pounding of his heart stole Magnus's breath. Had the little fairies found a loophole? Was he going to be able to keep Zoe and have her the way he craved? His cock hardened instantly, straining so painfully against his zipper that it was an effort to focus on the queen.
Lucidly, she gave him a moment to collect himself.
"The small fey know the underpinnings of all the best magic," she said, her fists planted proudly on her tiny waist, "and we've found the secret clause. Because you have given your heart to Zoe, and have asked nothing in return, you do not have to win a new heart every month. You only have to re-win hers."
Zoe and Magnus began to speak at once. Rajel hushed them by holding up her hand.
"This is not as easy as it sounds. You will have to be thoughtful with each other—"
"—and playful—" Samuel chimed in.
"—and not let silly arguments grow into big ones. Zoe, you will have to truly value this big one's presence in your life, because if you don't love him when each full moon sets, the magic that lets him stay here will yank him back."
Magnus could hardly credit her scolding tone. The queen sounded like she was protecting him. Zoe heard the change as well, but she only smiled.
"I will heed your warning," she said, her skin delightfully flushed, "and I thank you for your wisdom."
"Good," said Rajel. "Now take this big one to your bedroom and treat him as he deserves."
* * *
Chapter Twenty-one
Zoe doubted either of them needed Rajel's encouragement. Their hands found each other, their breath coming faster at the instantly explicit thoughts that streaked through their heads. Zoe had never seen anything so arousing as the flush that suffused Magnus's face. His fingers were hot as they twined with hers. They could be together the way they wanted. They didn't have to say goodbye.
And, boy, did they have time to make up for.
Zoe didn't notice when the queen and her court vanished, only that Magnus's eyes were glowing like green lasers.
"If we don't get inside soon," he said, husky and low, "I'm going to make love to you up against the side of your house."
Zoe grinned. "You say that like it would be a bad thing."
Feeling bolder than she ever had, she peeled her plain white T-shirt over her head. She was right not to worry over Magnus's reaction. He swallowed at the sight of her naked breasts. Her nipples were already tight, and they tightened more in the cool night air. Magnus's hands curled into fists with his effort not to reach for them.
"I know you like to start slowly," he said, his voice so throaty it was hard to hear. "I need to lay you down for that."
"Lay me down here. Under the stars."
He stared at her, deciding, then began to attack the buttons of his Western shirt. Zoe was far from jaded by this procedure. She knew what glories lay under that pale-blue cotton.
"All your clothes have to go," he said, toeing off his shoes hurriedly. "I'll take as long with you as you like, but I want you naked fast."
As ultimatums went, she didn't mind this one. She pulled off everything for him, reveling in his moan when she shucked her panties down with her jeans. Goggling at her legs and various other bare parts distracted Magnus from his undressing. Trying to hide her amusement, Zoe lowered herself to the deck's smooth cedar planking, leaned back on her elbows, and let her knees swing wide. When she played her fingers down her belly, skimming the crisp black edge of her pubic thatch, Magnus shook himself.
"Two weeks," he warned her. "Then maybe I'll let you out of bed."
This reminded him he was supposed to be naked, too. He finished the task with flattering speed, but Zoe still got her ogling in. His body was a god's, his big, long muscles silvered by the quarter moon. They bunched and flexed with every movement, but even they could only hold her gaze so long. His hugely erect cock thrust up from its nest of curls like some ancient worshiper's wish fulfillment. It jerked when her eyes lit on it, so formidable in its arousal that she bit her lip.
"You like the size of me a bit too much," he growled. "I'm beginning think that's all you want me for."
Zoe reached down his body to caress the hard, satiny length. "It's not just the size I like, big guy. It's the fact that this"—he shuddered as she squeezed it—"belongs to you."
He captured her mouth and kissed her, so deep, so hungry, that she momentarily forgot what she was holding. When her faculties returned to her, she was flat on her back with her hands stretched above her head, both her wrists captured in one of his hands. He wasted no time taking advantage of her vulnerability, rubbing his big hard torso slowly against hers. This close, the size of his body simply overwhelmed. His erection blazed against her inner thigh, a long-awaited present just out of reach.
Its skin was slightly damp with sweat.
"No fair," she said, writhing beneath him as all her insides tried to strain toward him. "I know you fairies like control, but I want to touch you, too."
The tiny points of his nipples dragged sparks of fire across her breasts.
"You are touching me," he whispered.
He was doing something with his energy, causing it to lick over her skin, to curl into her quivering pussy. She gasped as one hot flare reached inside her, touching nerves her flesh should have protected. Fluid welled from her walls and ran out as the agonizing sweetness probed deeper.
"Oh, God," she cried. "Magnus!"
Her clit throbbed frantically at the hidden touch. She realized he'd done this before: first when she'd introduced him to Alex, and later when he'd taken her anally in her bed. Then the effect had been possible to dismiss as imagination. Now the sensations were so sharp she both wanted and didn't want to go over the edge from them.
"Don't," she finally begged. "I want to come with you inside me, from the physical feel of you."
