AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.”
Orrin frowned. “No? You can’t?”
“Oh, I can, but I won’t.” Reaching out, he brushed a lock of hair away from Orrin’s face and cradled his cheek. “You are too beautiful. What if I mess up and make you look like a troll forever?”
Orrin didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or roll his eyes. In the end, he did both. “I highly doubt that will happen.”
“And I highly doubt the world will end if you learn how to set boundaries.”
“It’s not that I don’t know how to set boundaries. I just have to—”
Erus locked an arm around his waist and jerked him close, effectively ending his argument by slanting their mouths together in a searing kiss for all to see. Orrin knew they had witnesses to the moment because several whoops and whistles went up through the crowd.
Face flaming, he ended the kiss and buried his face against his mate’s neck as he struggled to tame his racing pulse. Yet, a quiet, logical part of his brain argued that it had proved Erus’ point, even if the kiss had left his propriety on life support.
He had broken etiquette, and the world hadn’t ended.
“With a kiss like that, I’m guessing congratulations are in order.”
Orrin bit back an embarrassed groan, pasted on a neutral smile, and turned to face the owner of the familiar voice. “Miss Maddock. You look lovely tonight.”
Wearing a frosted blue evening gown that hugged her curves and flared out around her knees, she was easily the most striking person in the room. She wore her normally soft waves in tight curls piled atop her head, with a few tendrils left loose to frame her face.
“I’m glad you could join us.” Her gaze flittered to the side. “And this is…”
“My mate,” he confirmed. He took the male’s hand and linked their fingers together. “Erus, this is—”
“Skye Maddock. The last in a line of Blue Draken.”
If Skye was surprised, she didn’t show it. Her smile never faltered as she reached out to take his free hand. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know me, but I don’t know who you are.”
“Cerberus,” he answered flatly. “Guardian of the Underworld.”
Again, Skye didn’t react. “In that case, shouldn’t you be guarding it now?”
“I’m not sure,” Erus sent to him, “but I think she just told me to go to hell.”
Yes, Orrin had caught that as well. He just didn’t understand what had triggered her.
Her smile dissolved, and her eyes glowed a brilliant blue as they narrowed at the corners. “I want to like you. Don’t disappoint me.”
With that, she turned and strode away, plucking a champagne glass from the tray of a passing server before disappearing into the crowd.
“You know, I’m not afraid of much,” Erus said, still watching her. “That female terrifies me, though.”
Orrin knew the feeling well. “Welcome to the club.” Skye Maddock was a force to be reckoned with. “I don’t know what you did to piss her off, but you should probably find a way to fix it.”
Lines creased his brow, forming a shallow ridge between his eyebrows. “Indeed.” The expression cleared, replaced with a warm, indulgent smile as he squeezed Orrin’s hand. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” he answered honestly. Torches had been placed around the perimeter of the greenbelt, but the flames couldn’t completely chase away the chill from the wind. “I don’t want a cloak, though.”
Erus nodded, a roguish grin on his lips. “Then, how about a dance?”
Perched on a cloud with a literal silver lining that floated ten feet in the air, the orchestra played a beautiful and touching rendition of Blue Danube. A classic among classics, tasteful, and one he had waltzed to dozens of times.
“I would love that.”
Lifting their joined hands, Erus brushed a kiss over his knuckles before leading him to the dance floor. They made it as far as the edge when a petite female with elongated brown eyes, sloping ears, and long chocolate curls stepped in front of them to block the way.
