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How do you know Tru and why haven’t you told me about it?
“Party. Late,” Yu announced again.
Setting aside the nagging curiosity, Rick sighed.
“A late appearance makes for a grand entrance, but not where my sister is concerned—and we don’t want you two in hot water. Come on. Let’s give you a good second impression.”
As far as banquets went, this one was grander than the one he was used to in his court, but far less intimate, as everyone was in attendance and the event spiraled from a warm welcome to just his folks hanging out in groups and eating their hearts out. He carefully selected plates of food for Emerald and Yu, warning them not to accept food offered vocally by others. Her eyes lit up.
“That’s in the books,” she said. “They say that once you eat a Fae’s offered feast, you are magically bound to him and his home and can never find your way out.”
“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but we don’t need to offer you food for that. I’m just being cautious of poison and ingredients that might not sit well with your regular stomachs. I’m good at detecting those in food.”
“Except drinks.”
He choked on his drink, eyes widening at her little joke. She tossed a piece of the tart in her mouth and closed her eyes.
“Except drinks,” he agreed, unable to keep his gaze off the way she savored her food.
“Yup. Oh, heavens. Is this how most of your food tastes?”
“That’s the chef’s specialty.”
“Can I meet him? Ask him his secrets and to teach me his ways?”
A flare of jealousy punched him in the gut, aware that Tyrone could. But Tyrone was a bigger flirt than him, and the thought of the man putting his hands on her while he taught her to knead the dough properly made Rick want to do violent things. When she continued popping tarts in her mouth and looking like she was having an orgasm—at least, it looked like that in his mind—Rick couldn’t take it anymore and had to distract her from eating more and torturing him.
“Come dance with me.”
“What? But I’m not…” She trailed off, gaze landing on Yu, who was already doing the moves practiced in the dressing room. It thrilled her. “Sure. Dancing sounds fun.”
Dancing was also guaranteed to put the spotlight on them again, but at least she wouldn’t be eating. When they were on the dance floor, she awkwardly swayed, out of her element and regretting it immediately.
“I didn’t think this through. Perhaps we should go back and…”
“I got you.”
Lightly, he guided her hands around him and placed his on hers, pressing closer when other folks joined them on the dance floor. He realized his mistake when he felt her softness against him, a body so familiar yet still so strange.
“This is…nice,” she said.
It was more than nice, having her this close again when she had studiously avoided even brushing his hand since they arrived here. When another dancing couple sidled closer, he took advantage and drew her even closer, mouth quirking at the small gasp that petered out of her. But before she could say anything, a hand clasped his arm and squeezed intimately.
“Prince Rickavior. Would you care for a dance?”
The woman was vaguely familiar until he realized she always attended his private parties with his close circle of friends and always found a way to sit on his lap. She gleamed with intention now, her body already poised to take over and push Emerald away. But the thought of Emerald no longer close tensed him up and he was already shaking his head.
“No, but thank you for the invitation. I’m already dancing with someone and would like to keep dancing with her.”
He sensed the Fae’s shock and remembered how he never rejected her drunk, fun advances in the past. But the Fae didn’t argue, slinking away. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a small group of women gathering before another approached him, wearing even less clothes than Jyss.
“I’m sorry about this,” he said to Emerald in advance, then braced himself for the invitation. Sure enough, this one asked him to accompany her outside to search for a lost sex toy while a third joined in and announced that it was in her bedroom. They eyed him in anticipation, waiting for him to join them.
“That’s lovely, but I don’t want to. Have fun.”
The lack of explanation stunned them more than the outright rejection. When another one slinked forward, Emerald growled.
“If this keeps up, then I don’t want to dance anymore.”
