He is not in his right mind. He whines, a high noise in the back of his throat, but doesn’t let me go.
Magic crackles through me, responding to the annoyance I feel. It’s all directed at myself, of course, because I should have known better than to agree to this, and so I really have no one else to blame for this situation.
I take a breath, channel it, and when I twist the two of us, pinning Njáll to the ground, he blinks dazedly up at me. His dark blond hair falls around his head like a halo, and he instantly submits, tilting his chin back as though he’s ready for me to bite, too.
I straddle his waist. There’s really no other way to ensure he’ll stay where I need him to be. He shivers when I take hold of his wrists, pinning them on either side of his head.
“Maurice,” he says again. His voice is low and heavy with desire.
“You’re intoxicated,” I say, for want of a better word. “Even if… It is not a good idea.”
“Am not,” Njáll replies. He pouts.
I raise an eyebrow in response. “We won’t argue about this.” I ignore the way he’s trying to twist beneath me. I’ve never known anyone to react this way to drinking fae-blessed blood before—mostly, it makes them silly, out of it. “How do you feel?”
“Annoyed,” Njáll says.
“No, I…” I let go of one of his wrists. “Do you feel different? Like there’s some magic in you?”
Njáll’s frown deepens, and he looks a little confused, too. It’s possible I should have stopped him earlier.
Who am I kidding? I should have been more in control of the situation from the beginning. Him catching me… He should never have had the ability to take as much blood as he liked.
“Don’t think so,” he says a moment later. He takes advantage of his free arm to slide one big hand up my thigh. I catch it and squeeze hard enough that he growls. “Maurice…”
“Absolutely not.” I look up and nod when I see one of the benches not far away. “I’m going to sit you down over there and we’re going to wait until the worst of this has passed. Then we’re going to call a driver and get back to the clan house.”
Hopefully, he’ll sober up enough to make the call himself. I don’t actually have a number for any of the drivers, and I don’t know how I’ll explain to Bel that I need a car for both of us.
Njáll pouts again when I stand but drapes himself over me when I drag him to his feet. He’s very touchy-feely like this, andI’d be inclined to feel more flattered if I’d sensed any attraction from him at all before this moment.
No. No doubt he’s been neglecting all his physical needs. All my blood has done is allow space for those to rise to the surface—and even if I were the kind of person to take advantage of this situation, why should I want to?
I all but drop him onto the bench, but his hands are surprisingly fast, and he drags me down to sit alongside him. I sigh when Njáll pulls me close, nuzzling my throat.
It would be easy to give in. Not right now, I mean, but generally. It has been a long time since I have been around more than the occasional human—or the Huntsman—and denying my attraction to Njáll is a foolish endeavour.
He will not want me tomorrow. I know that. He has too much to focus on, besides, to complicate matters by becoming involved with a bodyguard he never wanted. A bodyguard who never wanted to help him.
I am gentle when I push a hand through his tangled hair and use my grip on the strands to tug his head back. He lets out a panting little gasp, lax and easy as I direct him to sit back, and desire curls in my stomach. If I could have him as pliant as this, but in his right mind?
My mouth waters. I am not as good as all that. I would not hesitate.
“Behave,” I say instead, putting just a hint of magic into it. He responded so well to it before, and he does so again now, though I am not certain whether it is the magic or my hand that has him nodding. “You need not feel embarrassed for this, Njáll”—because I am certain he will, much later—“but I will not have either of us doing things we will truly regret.”
He blinks slowly, blue eyes hazy, and when I let go, he remains with his back straight, right where I left him. I sigh and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
The park is silent around us but not suspiciously so. The wildlife will return now that we’ve stopped running and are no longer a danger to them.
“’M sorry,” Njáll says after a while.
I glance at him over my shoulder. He still looks out of it, a little dopey, but honesty shines in his eyes. “I know. There is nothing to apologise for, truly. It is only—”
A noise reaches my ears, and I fall silent. A nearby bush rustles, then again. It is not the sound any usual animal would make, and I fear we are not alone.
I do not wish for others to see Njáll this way, to work out what we have done and judge him for it. His needs are just that, and he has not endangered me one bit by indulging them.
“You will be safe here,” I say to him, my voice low. “I will be back in a moment.”
