Bastien shook his head slowly, stretching his arm across his chest so he could pop his shoulder. “I need to go do another walk of the grounds. I’ll be up in a few.”
I spread out my arms and legs like a starfish over the door. “Not a chance. The guys have everything under control. You’re going to hit your breaking point, and pass out in the mud somewhere along the way. It’s still too dark to see anything, so it would take us hours to find you. You’re stalling.”
“You know me too well.” He faced the bed and slapped his palms together, eyeing Kerdik with mild frustration. “So how do we do this?”
“Pajamas,” I suggested, pulling out Avalon’s version of sweatpants. I’d had them made by the seamstress who worked for Lane. They were flannel, drawstring and would cup his tight butt like he was modeling the outfit. Rugged chic, for sure.
Bastien slowly unbuttoned his flannel shirt, holding my gaze as his turned smoldering out of nowhere. He took a few steps closer, tugging the bed curtain across the foot of the bed to separate us from Kerdik and give us the illusion of privacy. “I might need your help with those. You Commoners with your strange customs.”
I knew he was putting the moves on me to fend off sleep, and darn it, if it wasn’t working all over the place. My cheeks turned pink as my unsteady hands reached out to fiddle with his belt’s buckle. It was a standard latch, but my hands started to forget the simple mechanics of such things. My fingers kept slipping on the metal, my face grimacing when I should’ve been giving him my best you-know-what-you-want-so-take-it eyes. “I’m having trouble with…”
Bastien kissed me, our lips moving slowly as he took my hand and used it to unfasten his belt. My heart spasmed in my chest until I let out a childish whimper when the button of his jeans came undone. I hopped back from him, spinning around with my eyes shut when his jeans fell to the ground. I winced when he chuckled, tugging up the pajama pants so I didn’t have a panic attack. Part of me knew he was wearing underwear, which I’d seen him in before, but there was a new intensity to our relationship since he took my lueur. Everything was heightened, which made me more than a little nervous when I pictured the lusty and delicious possibilities that come with undressing a man. For all that I’d been through along the way in life, there were some things I just wasn’t ready for. “It’s okay, Daisy. I’m dressed. You can turn around.”
I turned back to him, but kept my eyes to the side, holding myself to keep my bashfulness from vanishing me off the planet altogether. “Okay, um, you ready for bed now?”
“Look at me.”
I shook my head once, my gaze still pointing to the left. “Not yet. I need a minute to pull myself together.”
“Do I get to dress you in your pajamas?” His eyebrows waggled suggestively, making light while I was freaking out.
“No! Go lay in bed, you boy. I’ll be there in a second.” I ignored his chuckle and huffed while I snatched up my soft nightgown. Abella, the seamstress, had made me five of the same design in all different colors. It was loose cotton, low cut, but not enough to make me feel slutty. The gown had spaghetti straps, with soft lace around the bust and the mid-thigh hem. I marched behind the partition, tore off my jeans and t-shirt and slid on the sexiest thing I owned. I’d never been given to wearing sexy clothing, but there was something about the loose fit of this that made it feel like I was wearing a comfy old t-shirt. I gulped when I glanced down, taking in my cleavage that was barely visible, but definitely a feature that couldn’t be ignored. I flipped my hair over my shoulder and tried (unsuccessfully) not to overthink it. We’d laid in bed dozens of times before. Somehow this felt different. Bastien was giving me this vulnerable side of him. He could have opted for one of the dozens of other rooms in the vast mansion that was now my home, but he wanted to share this new experience with me.
I took a steadying breath and moved out from the partition, rubbing a spot on my elbow as my nerves took over the use of my hand.
Bastien’s muttered curse and wide eyes told me this little number was a hit, and that I had nothing to be nervous about. He was sitting on the side of the bed, gawking at me like a teenager. Kerdik was on the mattress as our unofficial chaperone, so I knew nothing would venture farther than I was ready for. Still, there was a highly-strung note of sexual tension that thickened the air between us. “Suddenly I’m wide awake. Come here. Let me look at you.”
I moved closer, a shy downward tilt to my head as he pulled me to stand between his open knees. Bastien moved my hands to rest on his shoulders, looking up into my eyes that were trying not to dart away from his. “So, I bet of all the times you were hoping we’d be in bed together, you never pictured a second guy in the room.”
Bastien’s hands slid down my spine and stroked my backside, cupping the swell possessively. “I’ll take what I can get.” Then he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, exposing my face to his. Oh, how very exposed I felt. “Kiss me.”
I leaned down and brushed my lips to his, sinking into his body as he leaned back on the mattress. We really lucked out that the bed was so large. I would’ve been so embarrassed if we brushed up against Kerdik while in the throes. It was bad enough to be carrying on like we were, but some things just couldn’t be helped. I mean, it was Bastien in pajama pants. Be still my heart.
Bastien had a rugged charm to him that had me crawling on top of him like a prowling jungle cat, my body practically purring with every brush against my skin. I couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t kiss deep enough, couldn’t possibly want him more than I did in that moment.
It was as good a time as any for Kerdik to stir. He didn’t open his eyes, but cried out for me as he’d been doing for days when he needed reassurance that he was safe, and I hadn’t left him for scavengers to tear apart. I kissed Bastien once more in silent apology before rolling off of him to fumble my way over to Kerdik before he got too worked up. “It’s okay, Kerdik. I’m right here. I haven’t left you.” I picked up his hand and patted the back to reassure him. “Deep breaths, hun.” As quickly as Kerdik’s fit started, it began to drift away at my touch. He mumbled something I couldn’t make out, and then went back to sleep. I smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “Poor baby.”
Bastien let out a low breath, adjusting himself before he sat up. “I guess sleeping with a third person in the room won’t be too terrible. But as soon as he’s better, I want a night alone with you in here. No Hamish. No Abraham Lincoln. Just us.”
“You got it, chief.” I pulled back the covers and tucked my feet inside, snuggling down next to Kerdik. I patted the space next to me, beckoning Bastien to lay down. “Come sleep with me.”
The left corner of Bastien’s mouth lifted wryly at my proposition. “Can’t imagine getting a better offer than that.” He turned off the lantern and slid in next to me, his weight tipping me toward him so I landed in his nook. My neck lay over his outstretched arm, and my hand rested on his shoulder. “I’m nervous,” he admitted. “I don’t like closing my eyes when the guy who attacked you is right in the bed with us. It’s counterintuitive.”
“Kerdik and I talked it all out. We’re cool now. He’s going to work on his temper.”
“My body’s exhausted, but I’ve got all this anxiety over him being right there.”
“I have to stay in here, but you don’t. Did you want to try finding a different bed?”
Bastien scoffed. “Like you could pry me away from you right now.” He tightened his arm around me. “Come closer.”
I snuggled into his firm body, my spine stretching when he looped my leg over his. His hand traced from my knee up to my thigh, tickling the underside until my back arched. My backside landed itself in his palm, and he wasted no time giving it a tight squeeze. We took turns nipping each other’s lower lips, falling for each other all over again until the night took us under.
Bed for Three
Bastien slept like the dead, making up for lost time, I guess. I roused in the night, so I got to just watch him sleep for a
while. His scratchy cheeks made him look far older than me, and his perpetually grouchy expression melted into the face of a docile man who’d been through just plain too much. His chest moved slowly up and down, taking my hand along for the ride.
Kerdik rolled onto his side during the night, seeking out my body so he could touch my back while I was cuddled up to Bastien. It was hopefully the strangest sleeping arrangement I’d ever be in. Though, really, if I added Abraham Lincoln to the mix tomorrow night, that would be weirder. My bear had been growing an affinity for Link as of late, and was no doubt sleeping outside so he could be closer to Link if he needed backup.
I knew I should feel claustrophobic with Kerdik resting right behind me. Instead of anxious, I slept deeper than I had in ages. Bastien was facing me, his hand cupping my butt like it was his coveted treasure. At one point, he rolled onto his back, but instead of parting from me, he grabbed my leg and took it with him, stretching it over his lap so he could stroke it in his sleep. I kinda loved him for it, and dozed back to sleep with a smile on my face and my man in my arms.
In the morning, I awoke to someone’s hand cupping the underside of my breast. I didn’t look because I didn’t want to know which one of them it was. I couldn’t tell if either of them were awake, or if it was a sleepy blunder. Instead I stretched, giving myself just enough wiggle room to breathe. I heard birds singing a cheerful call to wakefulness that made me smile. They were excited to see the province filled with people for once. One of the birds chirped that he’d found a twig just the right size to help rebuild his nest, which had been damaged during the rain.
My eyes popped open, and I saw natural light cascading in from the window. Though three-quarters of our bed curtains had been shut, I could still make out a noticeable difference in the room. I gasped, relieved and excited that the sun had finally returned after days of darkness, and that it shone without rain marring the beauty. I heard no trace of the rain, only felt the possibility of new life springing from outside the mansion.
“Are you happy to have your birth blessing back, darling?”
I hadn’t realized Kerdik had been awake. Bastien was still snoozing, so I tried to be careful when I turned over under the covers to face my buddy. “I am!” I whispered with a grin. “Plus, it’s finally light out. While you were out, there were days and days of darkness. Like, the sun didn’t rise. I’m glad you were out for that part.”
“Oh, that was me.” He said it with the bashfulness of excusing himself after blasting out a belch. “I don’t sleep often, but when I do, I accidentally control some of the elements, so they usually keep themselves attuned to me.”
“Huh. That’s kind of cool. I guess it’s a good thing you don’t sleep often, then. People have been freaking out without the sun.”
“How long was I out?”
“Days, Kerdik. Like, four days now. I’m glad you’re back. Are you feeling alright?”
“Better now. I didn’t… Did I hurt you in my sleep?” His eyes were wary, as if bracing himself for my outburst.
“Not at all. You were afraid, though. If you couldn’t find me in your sleep, then the house would start to shake with an earthquake. Kind of scary.” My nose scrunched. “Okay, I get why Avalon was dark, but what about the nonstop rain before that? It was weeks of nothing but rain. Was that you, too?”
Kerdik nodded, ashamed. His eyes darted away from me, but his hand curled around my waist to move my body flush to his. It was very intimate, and beneath the preciousness of the moment, the back of my mind wondered if perhaps we were a little too entwined. “I was upset that I’d hurt you when we had our little spat. I told you, the elements are tied to my emotions sometimes. I was devastated without you, so nature cried on my behalf. That kind of thing I can’t actually control. I mean, when it happens, it’s a fluke. I don’t know how to turn it on and off on purpose.”
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and balked at him. “Are you serious?”
“Serious and sorry. I won’t lose my temper like that again. I gave it a lot of thought while I was sleeping.”
“I don’t think sleep works like that.”
“Mine does. It gives me time to examine my choices, which truthfully, is one of the reasons I don’t often do it.” He closed the breath of a gap between us and pecked my lips, as if we’d been married for decades and did that sort of thing all the time. He pulled back two inches and examined my face to make sure that was kosher. I was too stunned to weigh in. “I’m truly sorry I hurt you.”
“I forgive you. Just like I forgive Morgan for what she did. Just like I forgave this one when he crossed the line a while back.”
Kerdik’s expression darkened. “You shouldn’t waste your forgiveness on Morgan. It won’t change her. Revenge is the better choice.”
I brushed my nose across his, savoring the sweetness before the world piled too many problems on our plates. “Forgiveness isn’t meant to change Morgan. Forgiveness changes me. It keeps me from turning into someone who could throw her daughter down a well.”
Kerdik’s mouth popped open, as if I’d said something totally crazy. “Just when I think I’ve lived long enough to have heard it all, you come along and retrain all I thought I knew.” He tangled his fingers through mine, kissing my knuckles and holding them to his chest. “Leave the vengeance to me, then. You should worry about only the things that are completely within your control, like this one, for example.” He jerked his chin in Bastien’s direction.
“Hello, I don’t control Bastien.”
“Darling, you hold power over every man who’s ever touched the silk of your hand.”
I’d thought Bastien was sleeping, but he murmured a lazy, “I’m not under Rosie’s control. Unless she says I am, and then it’s all, ‘Yes, Mistress. Whatever you say.’”
I smirked and rolled over. “I like the sound of that.”
Kerdik tugged the curtain that separated our bed from the window the rest of the way open, letting in a flood of light that brought Bastien up to a seated position so he could gawk at the beauty we’d been missing. Kerdik leaned over the mattress and lightly kissed my lips again in plain view of Bastien, marking his territory like a dog. “I’ll go see to your father, darling. Then I’m afraid I’ll be gone for a little while. Revenge on Morgan is best when it comes with plenty of explosions and surprises. I’ll need a little time to prepare.”
Bastien said nothing, but he went from pleasantly barely awake to all of a sudden on full alert.
“Okay. Let me know if you need me to help you with my dad.”
“After you’ve had breakfast and dressed, come up to his room so you can talk to him for me. That would be most helpful.”
“Sure, K. No problem.”
Kerdik rested his hand atop mine. “And thank you for staying with me. I knew I could trust you to watch my body while I slept. Not many safer places than with you.” He leaned in to peck my lips again, addicted to the new flavor.
Bastien cleared his throat, winding his arms behind his head as he leaned back against the headboard. “That you think I won’t test the limits of your immortality if you make a move on my girl just shows how little you know me.”
Alarms went off in my head at the two men in my life fighting over stupid stuff. I missed Judah.
Kerdik’s face composed itself into mild amusement as he took in Bastien’s relaxed body and tight lips. “This should be fun.” Then he squeezed his fist a few times, and out of the bottom came a polished rock-like substance that was equal parts solid and liquid. As the air hit it, the solid shape took over while Kerdik corrected the curve, and hollowed out the center. It grew longer until he seemed satisfied with it, and then he set the flat bottom on my nightstand.
“Whoa. Is that a vase? Did you seriously just make a vase?”
Kerdik grinned at me, and then waved his hand over the foot-tall, teardrop-bottomed stone container he’d made on the fly. Fresh flowers sprang up in the vessel, blooming with purpose and unfolding their petals.
The buds of the yellow roses aimed toward the sun, as if soaking in the light with human-like enthusiasm. “For you, darling. The scent deters prowlers. They’ll never wilt, so keep them in your bedroom to fend off anyone who shouldn’t be lurking.”
“Oh, that’s the sweetest thing! Thank you.”
Bastien threw up his hands and rolled his eyes. “Give me a break.”
Superman in Pain
“I don’t like it. That’s a hard ‘no’ for me.” I replied not for the first time. I was standing outside my father’s door because no one could keep it straight that I was, in fact, Britney Spears in front of my father.
Kerdik rubbed his forehead, as if my sticking up for Urien was giving him a headache. “I don’t see many other options, darling. Yes, it’ll be excruciating, but it’s our only chance of getting him to wake. I’ve had plenty of time to ponder. This is the only option.”
“Do you even hear yourself? I’m not going to say yes to anything that puts my dad in excruciating pain. Not going to happen.”
Bastien remained stoic, his arms crossed over his chest as he mulled over Kerdik’s plan. Sleep was good for Bastien, and in the week since he’d started snoozing regularly with me tucked in his arms, his temper didn’t run quite as hot.
Lane asked questions, but refused to weigh in with an opinion. She was modeling a simple green dress that made her tanned skin look almost rose-hued when she stood in the sunlight that filtered through a window in the long corridor. Reyn couldn’t stop looking at her with adoring eyes. Something told me he’d take whatever side she landed on.
Kerdik huffed. “It’s not as if I wish pain on Urien. I have a handful of true friends in the entire world. Do you really think I’d hurt him if there were any other way?”
“Hello, you just came up with this plan not half an hour ago. Give it a little time for something else to dawn on us. Something less horrible. Something with a sure rate of success.”
Stupid Girl: A Fantasy Adventure Based in French Folklore (Faite Falling Book 4) Page 13
