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“By the window.”
She pulled free of my arms but held on to my hand and pulled me over to the alcove cut into the sloping roofline. I’d positioned the gargoyle on the window seat so it was looking out across the fields. She smiled when she saw it.
“Next best thing to putting it back out on the roof,” I said.
She dropped my hand and sat down next to the gargoyle on the window seat. “I loved sitting here, reading, and staring out at the rain,” she said. “You can see for miles from up here. I used to pretend I was a princess in a tower.”
I walked over and sat next to her. “I don’t know. I quite like the view from here.” I traced the curve of her long neck with my finger.
She turned toward me and smiled. “You’re sweet,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful.” I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. We kissed softly at first, her hands gripping the fabric of my shirt to pull me closer, mine slipping under the hem of her sweater to press against her warm, soft skin. Her lips parted in response, and she leaned into me, twisting to align her body against mine, but it wasn’t enough. I wrapped my hand around the back of her leg and hoisted her up until she was facing me with her knees wrapped around my hips.
“Hi,” she said, pausing from our kissing to take a breath. Our foreheads and noses were touching, and I could feel her breath on my lips when she exhaled.
“Hey,” I said. I smiled. I couldn’t help it.
She placed her palms on my cheeks and slid her fingers through my hair, pushing it back from my face. “What are we doing?” She looked lost, confused, concerned.
“Do you want to stop?” I froze, my breath caught in my chest, waiting for her response.
“No.” She shook her head, then frowned. “Do you?”
“Definitely not.” I could feel my heart hammering.
“What about…” Her voice trailed off, but I didn’t have a clue what she was trying to ask. She sighed. “Do you have any, you know, condoms?” she asked.
Of course. I’d forgotten about that very human concern. With a thought, I conjured a condom to the drawer of my bedside table. Then, reconsidering, I added a few more. Faeries didn’t catch human diseases, and as for reproduction, male Fae could only sire one child in their lifetime. So, we were very particular about when and how that occurred. Still, Evelyn thought I was human, and I’d need to behave like one.
“I believe I have a few around here somewhere,” I said.
She grinned, and I pulled her closer, then stood, lifting her along with me, careful not to hit her head on the low ceiling. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and her fingers worked to undo the buttons on my shirt as I carried her back into the main part of the room. Once I’d set her down on the bed, I shrugged out of my oxford and tugged my thin cotton undershirt over my head. Then I reached for her, but she’d beat me to it. Her hands grabbed my waistband and pulled me forward. I bent over her and inched the hem of her sweater up, running my hands along her sides as I guided it over her head, caressing her bare arms as I freed them from the confines of the cashmere.
My hand brushed against Godda’s bracelet, and when I pushed it back onto her wrist, I felt that gentle echo of magic call my power to the surface. I damped my magic back down, but not before the buzzing warmth that had rushed to my hands crackled against Evelyn’s skin. Her eyes fluttered and she wrapped her arms around my neck, but she otherwise didn’t seem to notice.
I breathed a sigh of relief and covered her mouth with mine. The spells I planned to use tomorrow were significantly more powerful than the simple ones I’d used tonight. They would light this house up with magic so that I might have a chance to end this war. But if I failed, and those spells brought the Hunt to Oscar’s manor, I’d have to join my kin to protect these humans as well as our own kind, and I might never get a chance to return. If I only had one more night masquerading as a human, I planned on enjoying every minute of it with this woman.
9
Sunlight streamed inthrough the windows, waking me from a sound sleep. I opened my eyes and stretched, only to find myself in an unfamiliar bed, alone.
“Liam?” I called out to the empty room as I sat up, clutching the blankets to my chest.
No one responded to my call. He’d left again. I felt my stomach twist. My mind instantly started making excuses. Maybe something had happened with his mother. Maybe he’d just gone to the bathroom. His clothes were gone from the floor, and mine were folded in a neat pile on a chair nearby. The bracelet my uncle had given me had been placed carefully on top of my clothes and, under it, a piece of paper. Gritting my teeth and bracing for the cold air, I dropped the blankets and set my feet on the rug.
I dressed quickly before reading the note.
E—
Didn’t want to wake you. Needed to get to work. Let me take you to dinner tonight.
—L
PS Your uncle’s paper on the temple ruins is next to the faerie if you want to borrow it.
The note was sweet, and he did owe me dinner. But I couldn’t shake my disappointment at waking up alone. I’d given in to my attraction to him. I’d convinced myself that he felt something for me. I wasn’t expecting a commitment. I wasn’t even expecting breakfast in bed. I’d just thought he’d at least be there when I woke up.
I padded down the stairs, carrying my boots and my uncle’s paper. Crossing my fingers that I wouldn’t run into my aunt or uncle on my way to my room, I crept down the hall. I had no idea how I would explain this to them. I hadn’t come home last night because I’d never left. And I’d spent the night with Uncle Oscar’s secretary. I shook my head. This was not part of my plan. My uncle had just agreed to let me help him, but now Liam was back, and I wasn’t sure where that left me. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure how I could possibly manage living in the same house as him for the rest of my visit without my aunt and uncle figuring out what was going on.
