AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rook’s eyes begin to glow, and he growls before attacking my mouth with ferocity. The kiss is hard, punishing. I let him take what he needs, let him control the kiss. But I give back as much as I’m getting so that he knows how much I love him. He rakes his hands through my hair and pulls me flush against him. He squeezes me painfully tight, but it feels good. Reassuring. After realizing that I’d hurt him, I need this kiss as much as he does.
When he finally regains control of himself and breaks the kiss, he leans back without letting me go. For a moment we just hold each other, panting and trying to catch our breaths. “Not right now,” he murmurs. “Not here. Not in front of people. But soon.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his again. “Whenever you want. I’m not sure what it takes, but however it’s done, you just say the word, and we’ll do it.”
Rook searches my face for sincerity and nods. “Your next day off. We’ll check into a hotel for the night. I’ll take you someplace nice where we can be alone.”
I comb his hair away from his eyes and give him a soft smile. “That sounds nice.”
He kisses me again. “I love you, Nora.”
“I love you, too.”
Silence settles between us, and I finally remember that there are two other people in the room with us. Awkward. I turn around slowly, willing myself not to blush. Terrance is waiting patiently. He cocks a brow at Rook and me as if to ask,Are we done now? Drama over?It’s classic Terrance.
Charlie, on the other hand, is staring at us with something between a heated stare and a dopey smile. I’m not sure what to make of it. “You’re not some kind of creepy voyeur, are you?”
He grins wickedly. “I’m a cupid. I love love.”
I’ll take that as ayeson the watching fetish.
“I sense relationships.” He wags his finger between Rook and me. “Yours is strong. It’s not based on pure lust like most people’s. It’s real. Solid. It’s very refreshing. But I knew it would be. You’re a siren. I’m going to love being part of your harem and being around all of your relationships all the time.”
“Right.” I clear my throat, trying to break the awkwardness. “Um. About that…”
I walk over to the couch and throw myself down, sinking into it with exhaustion. I’m not physically tired, just mentally and emotionally drained. All three men watch me like they’re waiting for me to lose my shit again. I think I’d be freaking out a little more over this if I hadn’t just gone through something similar with Illren. I toss my next question out to all of them. “What are we supposed to do now? What all does the fey mate bond entail?”
Charlie braves joining me on the couch. Rook grumbles under his breath but makes no move toward Charlie. I can tell he’s trying his best to remain calm even though he feels anything but. It helps that Charlie doesn’t sit too close to me or try to touch me, either. I’m both surprised and grateful that he’s keeping a respectful distance. He angles his body toward me and flashes me his dimples. “Obviously we can feel each other’s emotions.”
He waits as if he wants confirmation that I feel his too, so I nod, and he smiles again. “We can also sense each other’s life force. If you concentrate on the bond, you’ll always be able to feel me. We’ll always be able to find one another as well.”
“That’s it?” I ask. “That doesn’t seem so scary.” Actually, as much as I get attacked or kidnapped, our bond might even come in handy. “I was imagining something like we’ll never be able to be out of each other’s presence.”
“It’s nothing as bad as that,” Terrance says.
Charlie nods. “We won’t have to be glued together or anything. It’s not like the bond works as some kind of love spell.” He gives me that playful smile and adds, “I’ll still have the pleasure of wooing you.”
I match his grin with a smirk. I can’t help it. His good mood is contagious. “You’ll have your work cut out for you.”
His eyes spark with excitement. “I do love a good challenge.”
Rook groans. Before he can say something snarky about Charlie flirting with me, Terrance jumps back into the conversation. “Youwillbe drawn to one another. You won’thaveto be in each other’s presence, but you maywantto be. You’ll find peace and comfort in being near each other.”
I let out a sigh. “So wewillhave to live together, then?”
“Nora,” Terrance warns. I cringe. He’s switched into his stern lecturing voice. He’s going to lay down the law. “Just like with Illren, whether you meant to or not, you’ve made a commitment to Charlie. He is yourmate, and that is for life. You can’t take this lightly. You need to do your best to accept him.”
Charlie holds his hand out to me. I feel bad for wanting to take it because it kind of feels like betraying my other guys, but part of me is curious about Charlie. I can’t help wondering what about him made my fey instincts kick in, or why I lost control of my power.
I slip my fingers into his waiting hand, and my face catches fire at the sly, almost cocky smile he gives me. “If you want,” he says, giving my hand a gentle squeeze, “I have a great apartment overlooking Mt. Elliott Park. It’s plenty big enough for two.”
“No,” Terrance growls at the same time Rook shouts, “Hell no!”
Charlie lets go of my hand and looks up, startled by their outbursts. They both glare at him. Terrance assumes his bouncer stance and says, “Nora stays in the den. It’s safer for her, and all the rest of her men are there. If you want to be near her, you will join her there, not the other way around.”
Charlie’s eyes grow painfully wide. “You wantmeto move in? To atroll’sden?”
“It’s more like the Island of Misfit Toys now than a troll’s den,” Rook grumbles.
