AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As the shock waves rolled away, I fell back on the pillows, savoring the ripples racing through my body. Trillian murmured something I couldn't hear, then curled up next to me, his arms wrapping around me like a comfortable and well-worn cloak.
"I've missed you so much," he said. "It hasn't been the same without you. No other woman can do to me what you can, and believe me, I've tried to fill your place."
I stared at him. Trillian was admitting to having feelings for me? I knew he enjoyed me in bed, but to hear him say he missed me was like hearing Donald Trump say he was giving up his empire to join a commune.
"Did you really miss me?" Sleepy and sated, I snuggled deeper under the covers. Damn, it felt good to lie next to somebody.
He nodded, slowly at first. The flicker of a scowl passed over his face. "Nobody's ever left me before, though I've left plenty of women behind. But Camille, there's something about you. I couldn't stop thinking about you while we were together, and I couldn't stop thinking about you after you left. You're like the honeysuckle wine the dryads make—one sip and you never forget."
"I thought that was the peril of loving a Svartan," I said, pushing myself up to a sitting position. I slipped a couple of pillows behind my back to cushion myself. "Trillian, do you know why I left?"
"You told me once, but I didn't pay any attention," he said and for a moment, the Trillian I knew so well shone through. Unless it pertained to his comfort, he never listened to anybody else. At the core, he was selfish, as to some degree were all Faerie.
"I left you because I knew you'd leave me. Svartans are notorious for casting away their partners. In fact, most of your people are so hedonistic you make the Sidhe look like saints. I was trying to protect my heart, Trillian. I am Sidhe; I don't have a problem playing with a crowd. But I'm also human, and when I fall, I fall hard. I couldn't face rejection."
Thirsty, I slipped out of bed and padded into the bathroom, where I poured myself a glass of water. Technology and its wonders. Gotta love it, I thought.
Trillian rose, and once again, I found myself mesmerized by him. His muscles rippled under the moonlight shining through the window, and he stretched, luxuriating like a cat. He gave me a sly smile.
"Camille, oh my Camille… I told you before that I wouldn't cast you away like the others. Why won't you trust me?" As he took a step forward, there was a knock on the door, and it opened. Morio peeked around the corner.
Trillian whirled around, an angry look on his face. Before he could yell at Morio, I stepped between them, unfazed. I was seldom embarrassed by nudity, unless the voyeur showed discomfort. Morio perked up. In fact, he looked downright pleased when he caught sight of me.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Your sister Menolly's on the phone. She wants to talk to you. And the gargoyle is whimpering. I think she's hungry." He glanced at Trillian, and his expression changed to one of boredom. "You're due to relieve my watch in ten minutes," he added, then closed the door behind him.
Trillian gazed at the bed, then looked at me. "You want to fuck him, don't you? I could sense the spark between you downstairs."
I sighed. "What can I say? He's the first man since you that I've found attractive."
He cleared his throat. "Play with the fox if you want. Just don't let him get in the way of us." I heard a warning note in his voice.
I held up my hand before he could go on. "Get dressed. You need to let him get some sleep. I don't want the two of you fighting."
Sliding into my new nightgown—which Trillian liked as much as I thought he was going to—I slid into a pair of fuzzy slippers, then headed downstairs to find out what Menolly wanted.
* * *
CHAPTER 11
The minute I picked up the phone and said hello, Menolly snorted.
"I know what you've been doing, but the question is, with who?" Ever since she'd become a vampire, Menolly had the uncanny ability to ferret out sex, whether it be by smell, sound, or maybe just a buzzing in her head. "Never mind. I'll get the juicy details later. I just called to let you know that I'm headed to my car now. You wanted me to let you know when I left the bar."
I glanced at the clock. Two a.m. Right on schedule. "Okay, but call me when you get in your car and are on the road. Where did you park, by the way? That thing—that skinwalker—is still out there. Also, somebody was prowling around the house tonight. Trillian and Morio couldn't catch him, but we have his jacket and one very interesting notebook."
"Hmmm…" I could almost hear the wheels turn in her head. "I'm parked in Ayers Garage, the one on the corner of Broadway." She hung up, and I slowly replaced the receiver in the cradle. The Capitol Hill district was home to the tattooed freaks and gothic geeks who were about as on the fringe as you could get and still be considered human. They were a lot of fun to hang out with, but the area also housed the junkies and lowlifes.
I glanced up at Morio, who was leaning against the wall, staring at me. "What? What is it?" I asked, uncomfortably aware of his scrutiny.
He raised one eyebrow, shrugged, and said, "I don't know what you see in him, but you obviously have some connection. If you ever want to talk, just tap on my shoulder."
I had a feeling the word talk was fraught with meaning for the fox demon, but he turned away as Trillian lightly ran down the steps, fully dressed, with his smug smile back in place.
"All right, go on, get some sleep," Trillian said.
Morio glanced around, then looked at me. I pointed to our rarely used parlor. "You can stretch out in there. The sofa's comfortable, and you won't be bothered unless Mr. Profeta decides to make a return visit."
