by Theda Vallee
He grabbed my foot once he settled in, slowly massaging the arch. “Those pixies weren’t playing around.”
“You’re lucky you’re massaging my foot right now or I’d kick you. I told you they were gnawing on me,” I said, glad the scabs hadn’t fully healed. I wanted him to feel bad looking at them.
“I’m sorry. I know I already said it, but I mean it. Things are tense right now, even before the Tarantella attack. The stress is weighing on me, and I’m not handling it well. It’s not an excuse. I have to do better. In the pixies’ defense, you do taste delicious,” he said, lifting my foot. He bit down on my toes, extracting a yelp from me as I tried to pull my foot back.
He held my foot firm without straining, his bicep flexing seductively. Applying the perfect amount of pressure, he began kneading my arch again as I tried to keep from groaning. “So, what do you have against Easton?” I asked.
He let out a menacing chuckle. “Aside from the fact that he was flirting with you? I’ve never liked him. I spent time with him on a few occasions when I visited Fairy growing up. He’s a spoiled aristocrat who prides himself on achieving new heights in condescension whenever possible.”
“He’s been nice to me.”
Dropping my right foot, he picked up the left foot and began the same rolling massage. “You’re a beautiful woman. Of course he’s nice to you. I mean have you looked in the mirror lately? Your ass alone could topple a civilization if you’re not careful. I think he wants you to think he’s a nice guy.”
I tried to laugh, but it came out as a snort. “Great, even my ass is a weapon.”
“Aside from his flirting, don’t mistake good manners for respect. He’s played the politics game in the Seelie Court his entire life. I promise there’s contempt brewing under his easy-going surface.”
Luc moved his hands up to my calf, gently rubbing muscles I hadn’t realized were sore. Why couldn’t it always be like this? This was someone I could fall in love with. This Luc was tender, funny, and a reasonable guy, someone a girl could build a future with. Was I too hard on him? We all had flaws. He turned into a raging dick occasionally, but was that really so bad? Everyone had to make compromises in a relationship. Why did I think I was any different?
“How are you doing since the club? I’ve never been to a scene with so many bodies. If I’m shaken, I can’t imagine how you’re feeling.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get the images out of my head. I haven’t slept long enough to have a nightmare yet, but I have a feeling the next few nights are going to be rough. Watching that girl get arrested yesterday was scarier in some ways,” I said, throwing out the taboo subject.
His hand stilled for a moment, the only sign that what I’d said might be a problem. “Follow protocol, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
I’d stepped off the ledge, there was no stopping now. Even if it ruined the mood between us, I had to ask. “Don’t you think it’s extreme? She was just asking questions. How is that treason?”
“Come here.”
He lightly tugged on my foot, pulling me towards him. I maneuvered onto my knees, my thighs trembling with the effort. It felt stupid to admit, but I was afraid. I had no reason to be. He was all bark most of the time, but I still hesitated before inching forward to straddle his lap. The smooth contours of my body slid against him with ease as we sat face to face. I let my hand trail through the hair on his chest, while I feathered kisses across his shoulder. Distracting him with sex might keep him from losing his temper, and I’d get laid. It would be a win-win.
“I need you to hear me right now, okay?” he asked, tilting my chin up with his finger.
I nodded, keeping silent despite the arguments that were already brewing in me.
“You can never say that to anyone outside this room. We can talk about anything between us, but I need you to promise that you’ll never say things like that to anyone but me. I can’t lose you, cariad. Right or wrong, what they laid out are the rules we’re playing by now. You can think they’re wrong. You can hate them, but you can never, ever tell anyone. Promise me,” he said, his voice a husky whisper in my ear. “I can’t protect you otherwise.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but do we just stand around and let them do things we know are wrong?”
“Yes. If that’s what happens, then that’s what we do. The council will right themselves eventually, but you can’t get involved until they do. The only way you’re safe is if you keep your head down and don’t ask any questions. Please. Tell me you’re on my side in this. Tell me you’ll do this one thing for me.”
I claimed his lips losing myself to the magic that surged between us. I couldn’t promise him I’d always be on his side. Since we’d known each other there were too many times I hadn’t been. Lying had come easier lately, but I wasn’t sure my voice could hold the conviction he’d need to hear right now. Instead, I’d let him decide what the kiss meant. It wasn’t my fault if he thought I was agreeing.
Deepening the kiss, I caressed his lips with my tongue, demanding entry. As soon as his mouth opened, my tongue darted in as my hand slid down, encircling his already rigid length. A soft groan of pleasure escaped from him as I slowly caressed upwards. I let my finger slide over the velvety soft nub just under the head of his throbbing cock. Stroking it with purpose, I smiled against his mouth as his hips bucked in response. With long lazy strokes, I alternated between working his shaft and rolling my thumb across that oh-so-sensitive spot.
Our bodies moved together with ease as our hands explored each other. The nerve endings in my pussy throbbed in anticipation as the heat of his cock slid along my slit. Greed consumed me. I needed him to fill my body; his dick stretching me to capacity. I tilted forward, positioning the tip of his erection against my entrance. With a downward thrust, I took all of him inside of me. My head flung back as I stilled, enjoying the pulse of his member as it throbbed against my walls. Our magic filled the room, colors flickering in an endless spectrum like the aurora borealis.
Unable to wait another moment, I let my hips move. Controlling the pace, I rocked back and forth languidly, enjoying each stroke along my tunnel. His hand reached up, tangling into my wet hair. With a sharp jerk, he tilted my head sideways, biting the exposed flesh of my neck. Sharp, almost painful, his teeth grazed the tender meat before his lips kissed the sting away. My nails dug into his shoulders as the delicious sensations overtook my senses. A small crescent of blood trickled to the surface on his shoulder as I dug my claws in deeper with each wave of pleasure.
The dueling sensations pushed my control over the edge. With renewed energy, I rode Luc, the sound of our wet flesh slapping together in an erotic staccato. Water sloshed out of the tub, waves of it sparkling in the light of our magic.
Luc reached between my legs, his finger finding my swollen clit. He let his finger twirl around my holy grail, softly at first, but slowly increasing the pressure as I moaned out my approval. As the warmth spread from my core, he slid his finger over me, matching our frenzied movements. I bucked wildly, feeling my orgasm build deep in my belly.
“Don’t you dare stop,” I breathed out.
Finally, the small wave, which had been building, crested sending me over the edge. My pussy clenched around him as waves of pleasure rippled through me. Luc’s cries filled the small space as he came, adding more magic to the fire between us. My body felt weightless as I basked in the pleasure throbbing through my body.
I lay against his chest, my breaths coming out in short bursts. Half the water was on the floor, and the remaining water was freezing, but I couldn’t move.
“Every time I think we’ve had the best sex, you prove me wrong, cariad,” Luc said kissing my temple softly. “You have five minutes to relax, and then we have to go downstairs for the meeting.”
“No,” I groaned pitifully locking my arms around his neck. Maybe I could coax him into a second round, and we’d never have to go.
Luc stood in front of us, p
acing back and forth. Every once in a while, he’d stop and punctuate the air with his finger before starting the pacing again. Occasionally Leontyne would interrupt him to clarify a point or make a correction. Everyone in the room had zoned out in the first ten minutes. Not because we didn’t care, but how long does it take to say, ‘Here’s a suspect list, here’s some questions, go get ‘em folks.’? This could’ve been accomplished in minutes. Instead, our fearless leaders had vied to outlast each other in the world’s longest briefing. If Leontyne weren’t here, I would’ve told Luc to shut the fuck up forever ago.
“All right, questions?” Luc finally asked.
I scanned the room, daring someone to raise their hand. If anyone still had questions, we needed to cut them loose. They weren’t fit to make their own breakfast, let alone chase supernatural murderers.
“None? Okay. I guess that leaves pairings. We’ve discussed this at length and selected each team with a lot of thought. There will be no swaps, so don’t ask,” Luc said. He nodded to Leontyne, who strode over holding a yellow sheet of paper.
“Easton and Kevin. Vellamo and Sage. Roxy and Brady. Luc and Martine. Etta, you’re with me,” she rattled off, folding the paper noisily.
I glanced around the room, wondering if I’d heard that wrong. There was no way in hell Luc would pair me up with Leontyne. Unless that snake knew this was coming and had tried to butter me up with a massage and orgasm.
Everyone broke off and paired up. I stood by the couch, tapping my foot, trying to decide how to get out of this. Luc said no swapping, but he had to know that pairing me with her was asking for trouble. I could control myself around her, but Stella had a real hard time. She hated Leontyne.
“Are you thinking of ways to kill Mr. Bossman? If so, I recommend you do it slowly,” Brady said as he waltzed past me to his temporary partner.
Vee was all smiles standing next to a short, deeply bronzed woman with a head of magnificent curls. They seemed to know each other well, laughing like old friends. How come I was the only one stuck with a crap partner?
Even Luc seemed perfectly happy with his match. Martine was a surprisingly attractive ogre. Sure, she was eight feet tall, wider than a sequoia, and gray-skinned, but the overall effect wasn’t nearly as grotesque as the myths would have you believe. Across the room, I watched as he beamed at her and studiously worked to avoid eye contact with me. If that’s how he wanted to play, I was happy to oblige. He wouldn’t be visiting my love tunnel any time soon.
“Don’t think about running to Luc to whine. I was paired with you on purpose,” Leontyne said, blocking my view of Luc.
“Hooray.” It was all I could muster. I had to spend the next several hours tracking down suspects with her. It was going to suck, maybe even more than being eaten alive by pixies had.
Chapter Eight
Stepping out of the car, I squinted against the noon sun. Scanning the buildings in front of me, I wondered which one held our suspect. I didn’t know where we were going since Leontyne refused to tell me. She wasn’t great at communicating.
Pointing to a brick building, she motioned for me to follow. “Come on, we’re headed over there.”
The building she pointed at had a simple sign on the front that said M.O.D. in neat black letters. “Is this the Ministry of Drag? You can’t think they have anything to do with this?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, we’re here to interrogate Michael Rossi AKA Maxine Factor. Mr. Rossi heads an anti-Osservatori movement that’s been gaining steam. He’s organized protests that caused potential exposure to the human world. It makes sense he might up the ante to get his message heard.”
“Their mission is to support kids who were kicked out of their homes because of small-minded shit-bags like all your friends. Why would they want to expose us to humans? They’re trying to protect these kids, not get them killed.”
“Maybe they think it could gain them support in the human community.”
“I’m taking the lead on the questioning. I don’t know why the council would send you here when you have a clear bias. Maxine is innocent until he’s proven guilty.”
“I’m your superior, so I’ll ask the questions. If by some weird twist of fate, I need your help, I’ll let you know. Your only job right now is to keep from becoming a nuisance.”
“I don’t think you’ve seen the level of nuisance I’m capable of,” I replied, wanting to smack myself as soon as the words came out. Why could I only think of witty comebacks when I was trying to go to sleep?
With an exaggerated eye roll, she turned towards the building. If she thought this was settled, she’d underestimated me. I walked fast, passing her to be the first one into the building. Whether she liked it or not, I planned on refereeing this interrogation. Maxine Factor was a good person who did good things for the world. I wouldn’t let Leontyne railroad him, just so the Osservatori could have a scapegoat.
The front door was clear glass with a large silver handle. I pulled on it, but it didn’t budge. Tugging a few more times, I turned around giddy with relief. “It’s locked. Looks like we should move on to the next person on the list.”
“It says push.”
I spun around, mortification coloring my cheeks. Motherfucker. Did I really just do that? I shoved on the door, and it opened with ease. Who the hell made an entry door that pushed inward? I was pissed at the door for making me look bad. I just knew Leontyne would tell everyone on her team about this. If it’d been reversed, I’d tell anyone who’d listen.
We entered the lobby, which looked fancy for a run-down building. Dark, wood furniture was placed invitingly throughout the space. The walls were a light-apricot color with accents of red and turquoise incorporated throughout the decor. The overall effect was warm and modern. You felt welcome when you walked in.
A stunning brunette popped her head out of a doorway as we walked towards a set of stairs. She was wearing an amethyst dress that accentuated her voluptuous curves. Mahogany hair hung in a thick curtain down her back, and dark-chocolate eyes peered at us from a smoky day look. She’d make a beauty blogger wither in shame with how perfectly styled she was. I was once again schlepping around in jeans and a tank top. I was almost envious, but I knew it took a lot of time to look that good. Time I’d much rather spend napping.
“I’m sorry, you can’t go up there. That’s for our residents. What can I do to help you?” she asked with a perfect smile. “Where are my manners? I’m Ruby. Forgive me, I was working on a project and didn’t expect visitors.”
“Hi, Ruby. I’m Etta, this is my partner Leprechaun. We’re looking for Michael Rossi. Is he here?”
“My name isn’t Leprechaun, it’s Leontyne.”
I almost laughed but decided to save it for later when I told everyone the story. “Sorry, isn’t that what I said? Anyway, we’re here to speak to Mr. Rossi. Can you point us in the right direction?”
Ruby’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What do you want with Mr. Rossi?”
Leontyne reached across me, shoving a badge in her face. Ruby instantly lost all color, turning a ghostly hue. Her small hands trembled as she opened and closed her mouth several times.
“It’s just a few routine questions. We’re not here to arrest him,” I said soothingly. My family and I had been in her exact shoes not too long ago. I knew exactly how afraid she was right now.
She nodded, a tight smile of consent on her face. “Of course. Please, follow me.”
She led us down a hallway next to the stairs. Somehow, despite her fear, she managed a sultry strut, her heels clicking in rhythm against the wood flooring. At the end of the hall, Ruby knocked on a large ornately carved door. A muffled reply came from the other side. Reluctantly, she opened the door, rushing inside.
“Ms. Maxine, these agents are here to see you,” Ruby said.
Maxine was standing with his back to us, staring out a large picture window. “Thank you, dear. Please call Mother and let her know I’ve been delayed.”
<
br /> Slowly, he turned to face us. His olive-colored eyes stood out against his tawny skin. His head was clean shaven, as was his face. A gold robe edged in white fur enveloped his lean frame, making him seem much smaller than I remembered. When he smiled at us, you could see the natural charisma that drew people to him. No wonder Brady was so smitten.
“I’ve been expecting you. I thought you would’ve been here yesterday. The Osservatori is getting slow, but I suppose the bigger an organization gets, the more red tape there is,” he said gliding over to a large ornate desk in the middle of the room. “Have a seat, ladies.”
Why did it feel like he was the one in control here? Sitting down, I crossed my legs with purpose while smiling at him kindly. Little did he know I was frantically trying to think of questions to ask. I’d demanded to be in charge, and I had no clue what I was doing.
“Perhaps you should start with introductions,” Maxine said gently as if he could read my mind.
“Sorry. Right. I’m Etta Massoni, and this is… my Leontyne . . .,” my voice trailed off as I tried to remember her last name. “So, we have some questions for you about dance and stuff.”
Maxine’s eyebrow arched up into his imaginary hairline. His blood-red nails clicked on the desktop as he waited for me to go on. Racking my brain, I tried to think of the times we’d questioned suspects. Things had been quiet lately. We’d busted a few drug rings and stomped all over the pixies, but none of that involved actual investigating. I was screwed. As much as it pained me, I would have to let Leontyne ask the questions. I turned my head towards her, nodding to give her the go ahead.
“Etta, I believe Ms. Factor is waiting anxiously to see what questions you come up with,” she said.
This heifer was about to let me drown. She was Rose, and I was Jack. All she had to do was scoot her enormous ego over, and we’d both make it through this damn interview. Instead, she was going to let me sink to the bottom of the damn ocean to prove her point. Fine. I was smart. Occasionally, I was even capable at this job. It couldn’t be that hard to ask some questions.
