It was addictive.
As he stood there, Shayne found himself comparing her to Aileen. While Aileen had been beautiful, she’d been more adorable than anything. She had an easy smile, loved to tease him, and she was so goddamn easy to love. Ashlyn wasincredibly beautiful, could probably be described as adorable, but she was too damn serious, worked too goddamn hard, and made him wonder if she ever smiled.
He wondered what it would take to make her smile.
“They put her in the perfect blind spot,” Shayne said, absently running his thumb over the smooth rock in his hand as they made their way back up the small winding pathway and took in the rest of the faire, from the line of trees to his right that bisected the faire along with the wood fence that ran in front of them, separating the entrance, guest services, and a few vendors like Megan from the rest of the faire, to the foot bridge that would take them to the main part of the faire.
“How many employees and vendors stayed on from last year?” Shayne asked as his gaze shifted to the hand-carved map of the faire in front of them. He took in everything from the vendor section to the jousting fields in the back, the restrooms, ATMs, and food booths before he focused on the surrounding area, noting that the entire faire was surrounded by woods.
“All of them,” Ashlyn said as he stood there, absently rubbing his thumb over the rock as he thought about their next move.
“How many new vendors?” Shayne asked, running his eyes over the map one last time before they made their way to that footbridge.
“Only two and they’re both food vendors. They didn’t replace Megan’s tent,” Ashlyn said, only to add, “There’s a two-year waiting list for vendors and this place has a very low turnover. It’s mostly manned by volunteers, college kids, and retirees looking for something to do on the weekends.”
“That should make this easier,” Shayne said as he absently tossed the rock aside.
“Does this case fit your criteria?” Ashlyn asked as they joined the line of people waiting to cross into the faire.
“I’m not sure yet,” Shayne said as he went over everything in his head as they moved to cross the bridge and-
“Halt, good travelers! None shall cross this most scared bridge without first paying the ancient kissing toll! One kiss betwixt thee or thou shall not pass!” a plump middle-aged man dressed in a medieval guard’s uniform that didn’t quite fit suddenly announced as he moved to block them from stepping onto the bridge.
“Please tell me that you’re kidding,” Ashlyn said only to groan when the man pointed to the “Kissing Toll” sign nailed to the bridge.
“Just let us pass, lad,” Shayne said, in no fucking mood to play this game right now.
“If thou dost not kiss her upon the lips right here and now, ‘tis most terrible bad luck for the entire faire! The gods of love shall frown upon us all and turkey legs shall burneth and the mead shall turn to vinegar! Dost thou wish to curse us on this very day?” the man with the name tag “Reginald the Bold” said, drawing everyone’s attention as he gestured for Shayne to get on with it. When Shayne moved to step around him, Reginald the Bold quickly blocked him.
“What ho, milksop? Art thou afread to kiss thy own lady? Look at him, standing there like a trembling squire, who hath never seen a maiden’s ankles! Forsooth, what manner of man art thou?” Reginald the Bold said in a mocking tone as Ashlyn sent the exit behind them a wistful look while Shayne debated jumping the fence.
“Fear not, fair damsel! If this lily-livered knave will not kiss thee, then I, Sir Reginald the Bold, shall gladly pay the toll in his stead! Come hither, m’lady! One proper kiss from a real man of the realm!” Reginald the Bold said, wagging his overgrown brows suggestively as he held out his hand to Ashlyn.
“He’s trying ta make ye his bitch,” Declean whispered from his right.
“I’m embarrassed for ye, lad,” Aidan said from his left.
Hoping to get this over with, Shayne bit back a curse as he leaned down and kissed Ashlyn’s forehead only to get booed from the crowd that was starting to form around them.
“A peck on the forehead? By all the saints and sinners! He doth give her a nursemaid’s peck upon the brow! Oh, what a valiant warrior thou art, sir! The bards shall sing of this day, the day the brave knight kissed his lady as though she were his infant sister! The fair shall never forget such manly courage!” Reginald the Bold said, earning chuckles and pissing Shayne off enough to lean down and-
Groan as soon as his lips touched hers.
As he moved his lips against Ashlyn’s, Shayne found himself reaching for her as she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer. He barely had his arms wrapped around her when the kiss turned hungry, desperate, and he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
Christ, it felt like coming home.
When he felt her small tongue slide against his, he groaned, and when she released a whimper as her hands fisted in his shirt, he-
“Enough, I say! Thou wert meant to pay a simple toll, not devour the poor maiden like a starving beast upon a honeyed ham! Mercy upon my virgin eyes! The kiss is paid! Now cross the blasted bridge!” Reginald the Bold said as Ashlyn suddenly broke off the kiss, leaving Shanye standing there, breathing hard as he forced himself to let her go as one thing became clear.
He wanted to kiss her again.
CHAPTER 15
She was done and for one very simple reason.
She honestly didn’t think that her sanity could take any more of this.
