AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She let out a frustrated groan and stood, wanting to spit out that she wasn’t his type but sputtering the beginning of an excuse instead. “I didn’t realize–”
And her skin heated once more, recalling it. Touching him. Speaking crudely without concern for any sort of propriety ingrained in her since birth. He must think her foolish and garish, and she could feel herself wanting to prove him wrong but knew that would take her down a path that would ultimately prove him right. The memory pushed the pace of her heart a little faster, recalling the feel of his taut body, the rich fibers of his jacket on her fingertips, about telling him such intimate details of her thoughts. She needed to change direction immediately, otherwise she might say or do something impulsive.
He grinned. “It’s alright, Brinna.”
“As if I need you to tell me that.” She scoffed and raised her chin, then strode away from him across the room to the windows with as much confidence she could exude. To tease her so dreadfully was boorish, but it wasn’t any more than she deserved. She wished she wasn’t so oversensitive that she couldn’t laugh it off with him, but she mostly just felt ashamed. She’d bared a secret she’d only alluded to even with her sisters.
Looking out at the now dark sky, at the stars sparkling beyond, she took a deep breath, calming her heart, except it wouldn’t stop. She wished she could take it back, especially now that she knew she wasn’t even his type.
As much as she wanted to be optimistic, she couldn’t find the mettle to take a deep breath and believe that things could definitely be worse. That might be true, but at the moment, this felt as bad as it could get.
6
Luc ground his teeth together to keep from saying something flirty to Brinna. As much as he wanted to travel this path with her, he’d reassured Nix that he wasn’t attracted to her. It was an exploding star of a lie, but he also knew it would only serve to complicate things. Brinna was the type of woman who would want a lover to stay. And that certainly wasn’t him.
Her back was to him as she stared out the windows at the sky, still dark before the stars appeared. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Her smile—when it was real. The way she moved in the space around her, natural and unpretentious. Her energy. She was like the warmth of the sun, and he wanted to bask in it. There was something about her he liked immensely, and that was why he’d forced himself to ignore his attraction.
Only he couldn’t lie to himself about his attraction to Brinna anymore. She might be a blight on his peace, but she was one he wanted around more and more.
He pressed his fingers against his heart, annoyed at the pinch he felt there, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes, recalling the way her hands had felt on him earlier. The way her eyes and words had teased him. The way his body had responded, wanting to grab hold of the back of her head and kiss her, to render them both senseless. But he’d known better than to succumb to that temptation, just as he’d always known. He couldn’t. For Nix. For her. She deserved better.
There were so many times he’d wanted to kiss her—the one time at the dance included when he’d actually succumbed to the temptation, he’d fucked it up. But not just then, even the first time he’d met her—after the singing-in-the-wood version of her in a varied web of space and time—he’d had the opportunity to be a different version of himself and hadn’t. Brinna Fareview had a way of tying up his mind and his tongue and rendering him his basest self.
He stood staring at her across the great room of Sol as beautiful now as the first time he’d ever seen her. She looked like a goddess in that blue silk of a dress slipping around her curves like a caress, her gorgeous hair flowing over her shoulders, her feet bare, her kissable lips turned down in a slight pout, those gray eyes flashing at him with annoyance. She hit every nerve in his body.
Since he’d met her, Luc had only been his worst self. Or maybe, this was just who he was. He refused to allow himself to ponder Brinna’s allure because he knew his pondering would complicate things. He’d act on it, and he wasn’t able to be uncomplicated. Not with his sequestering.
Damn Nix for even bringing it up.
Now he couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.
Fuck.
He needed Nix to return with Brinna’s family immediately, otherwise he was going to be tempted to push boundaries that he knew were necessary. He wasn’t trustworthy.
He owed Nix. He owed Nix. He owed Nix.
He swallowed.
“Lucian.” His father’s voice boomed through the space.
Brinna twirled. “What was that?”
“My father. Brace yourself.” Before he finished, his father materialized.
Ur, dressed as he always was in one of his impeccable suits—this one a dark blue with a light gray shirt and dark gray tie—glanced around until his golden-brown eyes landed on Lucian in the kitchen.
His countenance communicating his displeasure, Ur unbuttoned his jacket and put his hands on his hips. “You left. Again,” he said without preamble. “I believe I made it clear you weren’t to leave.” His gaze bounced around the room. When he caught sight of Brinna, his hot gaze jumped back to Luc, full of assumption and accusation, his brows arched high. “That’s why you left?”
“No, sir. This”–Luc held a hand toward Brinna, watching the exchange– “is Brinna Fareview.”
His father either didn’t recognize her surname as Nix’s Aurielle or he didn’t care. Probably the latter.
Luc added, “Aurielle’s sister. The mortal who saved Nix.”
“You left and accessed your magic, then brought a mortal to Sol?” Ur shook his head, seeming to ignore the information in favor of the focus he wanted. “I had hoped, Lucian, that confinement to Sol would be enough of a punishment, given your poor choices.”
“Perhaps I should go?” Brinna said.
