Something in the redhead’s tone is long suffering. This poor man has had years of having to deal with Mabon and he has my every sympathy.
We are standing in Mabon’s sitting room and this valiant man is literally blocking the door that Mabon was about to stride through while dragging me behind him on my leash and in all my naked glory.
“So?” whines Mabon. “I want everyone to see his lovely cock and be jealous.”
Redhead’s gaze flicks down to my cupped hands and then mercifully darts away. He is intrigued, but clearly not as perverted as Mabon.
“Humans are shy,” he says patiently.
And I find myself nodding along even though I’m behind Mabon so he can’t possibly see me. Not that he’d give a shit about my opinion, anyway.
Mabon shrugs. “He’ll get over it.”
He is such a little shit. I’m glaring so hard at the back of his head, he has to be feeling it.
Redhead sighs wearily, “He’ll get sad, and then Jamie will be angry at you.”
A tense silence falls. Mabon is bristling. Surely this Jamie who holds so much power cannot be the human that was taken by Prince Rhydian?
“It’s not fair!” says Mabon as he crosses his arms over his chest.
My eyebrows rise. Did he really just say that? Redhead flashes me an exasperated look, so I guess I’m not hearing things. Mabon really is this dramatic. And childish.
“I haven’t ridden him yet. All this tantalising flesh, and now I can’t show him off either. It’s not fair!”
My cheeks are heating now. I’ll just stare at my toes for a while. This new fey seems wonderfully understanding, but I can’t look at anyone right now.
“I know,” the red fey says gently. “But if you are nice to your pet, he might fall in love with you, and wouldn’t that be something?”
My head snaps up at that ridiculous statement, just as Mabon looks over his shoulder at me. Our gazes lock. His eyes are surprisingly wide, innocent, almost. Timidly hopeful. Like a puppy peeking through the bars of a shelter. A lost and lonely look.
My heart thumps. Mabon looks away. I blink. Then shake my head to clear it. A little bit of stress and I’m seeing things. I can’t afford to lose my mind. Mabon is many things, but a lost and lonely puppy is not one of them.
“Fine,” says Mabon softly.
His shoulders are slumped. Almost a defeated set to them. It’s setting my teeth on edge. Almost as if I want him to stride out of here with his head held high, dragging my naked ass behind him.
He turns around to face me with an appraising look.
“I can put a very tight cockbag on him. That way, everyone will still see Mister Dinky’s outline.”
A strangled noise of mortification and dismay catches in my throat. Redhead winces. He is so lovely. Why couldn’t I have been abducted by him? Being his pet probably isn’t that bad at all.
Though he doesn’t hold a candle to Mabon looks wise. Mabon has this whole femme fatale, slash dangerous murder twink thing going on. Whereas, redhead here just looks like an ordinary fey man. There is nothing confusing about him.
And why I should care or even be thinking these thoughts is beyond me. I seriously need my head examined.
“What about his ass?” asks Redhead. “You need to cover that as well.”
Mabon’s eyes narrow and he taps his pouty lips with one long, elegant finger.
“Oh,” says Redhead. “How about a pretty piece of silk?”
Mabon’s amethyst eyes light up. “Oh Tristan! You have the best ideas!”
The redhead, Tristan presumably, grins in delight. There is a look of avarice in his eyes that is making me uneasy. Perhaps he isn’t as harmless as he first appeared. He is a fey, after all. None of them can be trusted.
Mabon claps his hands sharply, making me flinch. Shadow man appears, literally out of nowhere, and I yelp in fright.
