Drowning Studies (Artemis University Book 2)

by Erin R Flynn

“Meet in the middle. Sell it to the rich for money and profits but we also figure out a way to do some sort of free donation for scholarship students or people who can’t afford it.” I met Calloway’s curious gaze. “Doesn’t that give you needed tax write-offs, or how does that work given the bank isn’t a human bank?”

  She seemed to bounce that around. “I still do have a human cover and yes, taxes. A lot of them to explain why I have a store at such a prime location even if humans always see it as being renovated from the glamour on it.”

  Oh, that made sense. I didn’t even ask how humans didn’t stop in and freak the fuck out at what she had.

  “Fine, but Geiger’s setting up some non-profit I can use legally,” she agreed. “I’m not turning my store into a food stamps accepting location but I will help, as I have staff that can deliver for me.” She tapped her chin and looked at Irma. “What about some freebies for my providers I broker for?”

  Irma snorted. “Not much. Some of them are rich too. I know your prices.”

  Yeah, she wasn’t wrong on that. It did make me curious as to what they were making besides material and fruit. And what kind of fruit?

  I got back to work now that it was settled and right as I needed a break, I heard Craftsman pull up. I tore out the pages I was done with from the journal and used magic to burn them up.

  “Careful with that, my dear, you didn’t write the rune,” Calloway muttered under her breath. “That’s a very quick way to out you as a fairy.”

  “Well, good to know at least why I don’t need to write them,” I admitted.

  “I’m going to start charging you for my consulting.”

  “Take it as part of my continued patronage as we both know I can get some of those books at other places and for cheaper. You being a font of knowledge is why I come to you. Keep proving you are.”

  “You are adorable,” she… Praised? It felt like praise and not condescending at least.

  I went and helped Craftsman unload, my phone vibrating in my pocket as we finished up so I checked it.

  Mason: Hey, where are you at? I heard you’re not on campus.

  Mason: I thought if you were up for fun you’d invite us again.

  Mason: It’s not as much fun without you here.

  I frowned, I hadn’t thought we’d made up to the point for those texts, especially when I only had his number because he’d taken my phone and he’d called himself from it.

  He was cute but the pushy wasn’t making me feel any less awkward.

  Tamsin: Handling personal stuff.

  Mason: Where? I can take the portal and come help.

  Tamsin: I’m good. Mel’s here with me.

  Mason: No, really, where? I don’t mind.

  Tamsin: I think you need to back off, Mason. I’m still not thrilled about Monday.

  I frowned when I got a text from somewhere else.

  Darby: Mason just came to my door and asked if I knew where you were so he could portal to you. Aren’t you gone all weekend?

  Tamsin: Yeah, I am. Damn, he needs to stop. Sorry he bugged you.

  Darby: No worries. I don’t think the Alpha’s son gets told no often and doesn’t know what to do with it. Have a safe trip.

  He might have been right because I had a few more texts from Mason apologizing and he thought hanging out would smooth out the weirdness between us. I didn’t want to start trouble, but that weirdness between us was him so I just replied I would appreciate it if he backed off and certainly didn’t bug my friends to find out where I was.

  Mason: Sorry, I figured maybe you were studying with him and thought we could get ice cream.

  Well, that wasn’t what Darby said. Maybe it was a bit of lost in translation but I wasn’t into pushy. Okay, fine, I was into a bit of pushy if it was Hudson, but that was different as he asked and I did invite him or give him a signal.

  Maybe Mason was seeing that and thought it was a blanket one as they were all friends or got along?

  Men were weird.

  Speaking of Hudson, I sent him a message that I took him up on his idea to involve his parents. He seemed happy about that.

  And asked for a picture of what I was wearing… Which he hoped was nothing.

  “I can make that happen,” Craftsman teased, looking over my shoulder.

  Of course he could.

  “I do think we need to talk later,” he murmured as he kissed my neck. “A naked talk would be even better.”

  “La, la, la, la,” Mel sang as she came in the kitchen. “So all the appliances need to be updated like the Townsend house. Jeremy will handle it and if you approve, I’ll order the same ones we already picked out.”

  “Approved,” I agreed, taking the card from Craftsman as he held it out and handing it to Mel. “Claudia, can you wave your magic wand and get Mel a card for my accounts?”

  “I’m assuming that’s a reference as to the magic I do with my phone and not an insult that I need a wand,” she muttered.

  “Wait, do we use wands?” I asked, glancing between them. “I’ve not seen any.”

  “Grade school witches and warlocks do to channel their power when they’re learning like we do working with our dragons,” Mel explained. “That’s it. That’s why you didn’t know.”

  “Got it. Sorry, Claudia. Your magic is way beyond that.”

  “Of course. Geiger is taking the master bedroom since I told him your aversion to using the owner’s rooms for now. That leaves several guest rooms for those of us staying,” Claudia told me.

  “I am not, but I have a list and work to handle,” Calloway said as she looked over something. “I will be in touch with the best places to get what they need and at the best prices.”

  “Thanks.”

  Well, that was one way to announce we were done for the night, especially when Claudia used magic to print out the pages I’d typed up for the hobgoblins.

  So what next?

  14

  Craftsman’s answer was for us to claim a guest room… Together.

  “I’ve already seen you naked,” he teased as he brought in our bags. “Mel knows something’s going on now so I don’t have to stay in a different room like when I stayed the weekend at your house.”

  “They’re all my houses,” I muttered, rubbing my arms. I think he realized I was really off-kilter and glanced at me. “I’ve never had a guy stay over. I’ve only had hookups and as I’m sure Mel has already told you, my choices of men haven’t been stellar until now.” I blew a raspberry as I plopped on the bed. “Not that there have been many. Three. I’ve slept with three before Hudson.”

  “I have only a few more,” he muttered as he squatted down in front of me. “I have done the overnight thing before so trust me to do it right?”

  “Yes, fine, you can be the boss this once because I’m on overload.”

  “Deal,” he chuckled. “Get naked, love.”

  “For?” I purred, giving him a look that it better be good if I was getting naked.

  “Fine, I can just undress you then.”

  That worked for me too. I smirked at him and decided to go look over the books I’d seen in the study in hopes of finding what I was looking for. I struck gold when I found a book on fae dogs and another one about the plants and trees of Faerie.

  Both were in Faerie. So it should be the good stuff and secrets. Nice.

  I plopped on the bed and opened the book on fae dogs, completely sucked in within the first few pages.

  “Love, the bath is ready,” Craftsman muttered as he moved over me.

  “Huh?” I glanced up at him but wanted to return to the book.

  He frowned. “What are you reading that you didn’t even hear the water running in the attached bathroom?”

  “Oh, fae dogs. One of Evans’s ancestors was big into them, like a Faerie vet the way he talks about their behavior.” I worried my lower lip.

  He leaned over and kissed my lip so I didn’t hurt it. “I talked with Geiger about signing a magic NDA like the stude
nts do, that way I can’t say something I shouldn’t and you can talk freely with me. Even if we don’t stay together.”

  “Are we together yet?” I wondered, mostly because I’d sort of missed where he asked me out.

  “We’ll get there but we know something’s here. I’m saying you can trust me, I promise.”

  I nodded, closing the book and stretching. “So what’s the plan?”

  “My fantasy of spoiling you,” he growled as he started undressing me.

  Okay then. Sure.

  He picked me up when I was naked and deposited me in the bubble bath that had the perfect temperature of water. I dunked under and came up to find a pint of Talenti’s gelato layers and it was dark chocolate cherry.

  I groaned and grabbed it from him. I’d never had ice cream in the tub. Was that like adults having wine?

  Fuck, it was so good I was doing it even after I was twenty-one.

  Next he put my phone up to my ear. I frowned and balanced it as I kept eating.

  “Why are you moaning so much?” Hudson’s deep voice asked, filling my ear and making me shiver. “What’s he doing to you that you like so much?”

  “One of my favorite pints of ice cream in a bubble bath. I never would have thought it was so much fun.” My eyes went wide as Craftsman walked in and totally naked too. “Dayumn. I knew you had something good under that always professional attire. You have too fine a jeans butt to not be fucking hot naked.”

  “You’ll make me blush, love,” he chuckled, but his cheeks tinted a bit which was sweet. “Make room for me?”

  “Oh, so this fantasy involves you in the tub with me, not just me snarfing ice cream?”

  “You got it.”

  I scooted forward and gave him room to get in behind me. “Mel was bitching we need bigger tubs installed in my house and I teased her for being a brat. I think I just changed my answer.”

  “Yeah, this is a bit tight of a fit,” he agreed. “Cozy.”

  “Put me on speaker,” Hudson demanded. “She’ll be pissed if she drops her phone in the tub.”

  “Good call,” I agreed, handing it back to Craftsman, who put it on speaker and on the closed toilet lid where it was safe. “So why did you call him?”

  “Because you’re eating ice cream and I’m doing something to keep my hands and mouth busy too.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant until he started rubbing my shoulders. Then I groaned deeply. Sure he moved his hands to massage my breasts now and again too but he was really good at a shoulder rub. He had me lean forward and worked the muscles of my back until I was a pile of goo.

  My ears perked up when I heard Hudson grunt from the phone, having completely forgotten about him until then.

  “Did you just spank the monkey to the noises I made getting a back rub and ice cream?”

  “Uh-huh,” he panted. “And I’m going to do it again if you keep making noises.”

  “Oh, I’m just getting started, mate. I want a lot more overnight trips and fun with her since I can’t be as risky as you can on campus.”

  I snorted. “With that charm you can. Calloway said as long as we’re not caught in any type of sex, people will explain it away. We could make out in the middle of the cafeteria and people will assume… I don’t know but not that.”

  “Let’s not risk it and I still want this with you.”

  “I will not complain if you bring ice cream and those hands.” I liked them even better when he moved one of them lower.

  “Shit, you are so sexy, love,” he growled as he kissed along my neck after my first orgasm. “You like my fingers in you, huh? I’m going to wake you up this way and eat you out. I’ll show you now nice sleepovers are.”

  “I can skip running for that but Mel might come drag me out of bed.”

  “I locked the door.”

  “Smart.”

  We played around some more and I actually shared one of the last bites in the pint with him.

  “That’s really good,” he admitted. “You taste better.”

  I yelped as he wrapped his arms around me and stood, taking me with him and apparently calling it the end of the bath. We didn’t really wash, more just he got dirty with me—which I was fine with too—but I could take a shower in the morning to enjoy that.

  That was my firm opinion and then he brought me to the bed and did even more good things to me. I pulled him to me and flipped us so I was on top. “Hold the headboard and don’t move.”

  “Awww, fuck, love,” he groaned, knowing I was up to something good.

  I straddled his thighs and took care of him with my hand while I touched myself all over. His nostrils flared when his spunk landed on me. That was such a guy thing but even the nice ones liked it apparently.

  He flipped us again and rubbed his dick between my legs, kissing me softly. “I’d give you a hundred spoiled nights like this to deserve being inside you, Tamsin. I can’t wait for us to be together like that but I will wait as long as you need.”

  Damn, he really was sweet and serious about me. Something held me back though. I knew there were still problems with his family but my gut told me not to yet.

  Sure, Hudson was casual but there wasn’t a risk to me if we got found out.

  Something with Craftsman was different and I had a feeling it was that Artemis practically owned him. I needed to change that before I could give myself to him.

  If that made any sense in any way that would be nice but it was how I felt.

  We fell asleep wrapped around each other and I didn’t even know if we ended the call with Hudson or what.

  Oh well.

  Banging on the door woke me. I knew Mel’s particular brand of banging, so I was dressed to work out within a minute.

  “You’re not the boss of her,” Craftsman bitched at Mel when the door opened.

  “Nice cock, mate,” Mel threw back, laughing when Craftsman hurried to cover up and found he already was.

  “Don’t be mean,” I grumbled as I closed the door behind me.

  “I get to pick on him a bit for deflowering you.”

  “I’m not a virgin,” I reminded her.

  “La, la, la, la,” she sang and hurried towards the kitchen.

  I gave a wave to Irma and Liluth, who were already fussing about to probably make too much food. Jeremy and Claudia were sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee as they each looked over something different.

  “I was nosy and found Ganter Evans had a war room,” Mel told me as we reached the bench by the back door. “Time for some more sword lessons. This looks like a fairy blade as well.”

  “They were family heirlooms and I’m sure his instructions will beg you not to sell them off as collector’s items but give them to some fairy warrior who can’t afford such items,” Jeremy told me firmly.

  “I’ll make sure but I told Calloway I’m not even thinking of selling anything for a few years and until I go through everything.”

  “Good.” He was gruff around the edges—even more so than Hudson—but he seemed like a good guy.

  I was careful not to grab the sword from Mel until we were outside as I guessed it would act like the other one I’d bought. Sure enough, the moment it was in my hand, light flashed brightly and color raced around the metal like it had some cool LEDs in it.

  “That is so sick,” Mel murmured, shaking her head at me.

  “I like this one,” I said as I checked the balance. It was a thicker, curved blade that had some indents and looked badass. “It reminds me of a pirate sword.”

  “Yeah, or a scimitar,” she agreed. “It seemed up your alley more than the double blades.”

  “Yeah, but I want to wield them hooked together as that would be really lethal.”

  “Your favorite thing to be,” she teased me.

  We got into position and she showed me a few ways to attack that would keep me with the strongest grip and not drop the sword when deflected.

  I attacked her a bit to get a feel, Mel always thinking
that important instead of the type of training that had you swinging the sword a million times at nothing before you got into sparring. She pushed form hard, but learning form before how it will feel didn’t help.

  It always made sense to me and I knew she was the best of the best but I didn’t even know her whole clan was like that. I wasn’t about to start doubting her now that I knew so much more.

  “Breakfast,” Irma called from the back door about an hour later.

  “I really like this one,” I said again as we walked back inside. “Think we could get a duplicate made that won’t scream I’m a fairy so we can really start practicing at school?”

  “I’ll talk to my cousin,” Mel replied, shrugging when I gave her a confused look. “Rothchilds are the complete package when it comes to protection, fighting, and wars. We make some of the best dragon blades for our family or any the Vogels gift them to. I bet he could match the weight and balance fairly close.”

  “Cool, thanks.”

  “Speaking of the Vogels,” Geiger led in, already digging into his breakfast. “They are to arrive here soon so you need to take down the full fairy barrier and get cleaned up after you eat.”

  “And the first load of hobgoblins are arriving,” Claudia added.

  “Damn, girl, that’s some magic you got,” Mel praised as we sat down and loaded up plates. “How did you even mange that?”

  “Us who work at Artemis had a list of family we trusted already prepared,” Irma explained. “Once you agreed and with Claudia’s help, we saw no reason to delay.

  “If we did that, some employers would start telling lies this new employer wasn’t a good person or even that those left behind would be punished.”

  “I will be handling those instances,” Geiger promised me. “For now, they all left resignation letters using me as the one who offered them the job. We didn’t take all of one family’s hobgoblin workers, just the ones we trust. However, they will believe the same story we’re telling the Vogels, as the list of people knowing the truth about you doesn’t need to get any longer.”

  “Got it.” I picked up the juice set at my spot and about spit it back out when Craftsman walked into the kitchen in only jeans, fresh out of the shower.