She placed her hands on her hips. “Look at you two. You’re fighting over the fact that Quinn and I got hungry. That’s it. It’s not a big deal.”
Casimir let go. Jareth muttered under his breath, rubbing his wrists.
“Jareth,” Ava said. “Your food here is terrible. We were starving. We shouldn’t have broken in and should have cleaned up after ourselves. So, for that, I’m apologizing. But it is you who should be apologizing for practically starving your guests.”
Casimir watched closely, prepared to intervene should Jareth try something against her.
“Are you saying your food in Mosshaven is better than ours?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
He stepped away, giving Casimir one last disdainful glare, as he sauntered toward the door to leave. “Well, you’re right,” he said over his shoulder. “Your food is better.”
As he ventured down the hallway, Ava stepped after him. “Wait.”
He halted, not turning around.
“I need to speak to your mother. Alone.”
“Good luck.” He walked away.
“Please,” she urged.
Jareth paused again, back still turned. With a sigh, he said, “She takes her afternoon tea at two o’clock in the solarium. She doesn’t like to be bothered.”
Resuming his stride, he turned the corner and disappeared.
Ava turned around triumphantly. “See? Easy peasy.”
“Is that another one of your strange human sayings?” Casimir asked. Though he often teased her, he thought her human terms were charming.
“Yes. I guess so. Even though I’m not human, I won’t ever unlearn our colloquialisms.”
“Another word I don’t know,” he murmured.
“Expressions. Sayings. Better?”
“Much.”
“Well, Quinn and I are off to the archives. We’ll see you two later,” Jorrar interrupted. “Good luck with the queen, Ava.”
Casimir stoodin the hallway outside the solarium, unable to take his eyes off Ava fidgeting with her silver necklace while they waited to ambush the queen. She wore cornflower blue billowing pants with a matching top revealing an inch of her stomach. There were only two things he liked about this kingdom. The beauty and the clothing. It was comfortable and Ava looked entirely delectable in it.
Perhaps they would have time for him to rip it off later.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ava asked.
“How am I looking at you, love?” Casimir’s lips tilted in a smirk.
“Kind of like you want to eat me…”
He stepped forward, backing her into the wall. Placing a hand beside her head, he caged her in. Fingers moving to her chin, he tilted her head to the side and leaned in. “That’s exactly what I want to do. I want to fucking devour you,” he whispered.
He proceeded to press his lips to the soft spot below her ear before pulling back. She cleared her throat, her pupils now enlarged.
“Maybe that can be arranged later,” she rasped.
“Ahem,” a soft voice spoke behind him.
