“So you don’t like her then?”
“Well, I never said that,” I sigh, finding a room for the nosy blonde and blocking it in our system. “Room Two is open for you.” It’s on the other side of the building from Daphne. It’s not that I don’t trust the fae around her, it’s just that I don’t want herbutting into whatever is going on between us here—if anything should come of it, that is.
“Come on, tell me about her! I’ve never seen you interested in anyone, let alone a tourist. What’s so special about this girl who has no idea how to dress for the weather?”
I know from the way the mere idea of gossiping about my love life puts a spark behind her bright green eyes that I’m not getting out of this discussion.
“I—I don’t know, she’s just different.” I grab the key to Room 2 from the drawer.
She rolls her eyes. “Gimme all the dirty little details right now, or I fly over to her room and ask her myself.” She grins. I have no doubt, given the incredibly long history of fairies meddling in human affairs, that she would.
“No!” I whisper-yell to her. “As long as you promise to never fucking discuss this with her, I’ll tell you.” I come across as stern as I intend.
“Fairie’s honor, I will keep my word.” She put her tiny hand out to shake on it. My hand completely engulfs hers as we seal the deal. When a small silver sparkle zips between our palms, I blink rapidly, unsure if I’m hallucinating or not.
She winces. “Sorry, fairy bargains, even if they’re just for fun, are bound by magic.” But her face perks up. “At least you know I won’t run my mouth about it, so spill the beans!”
How on earth I got myself into being the blizzard entertainment for the mountain’s most meddling fairy, I’ll never know.
“I’m drawn to her, and I don’t know the words to explain it. At first, I thought that I was just worried about how awful her ex was being to her. No one deserves that.”
Briarlee nods, her hand signaling that she wants more.
“Now that she’s free of that jerk, I think it might be something more.” I groan, still not believing I’m spilling my guts out about this.
“Like what? A one-night stand or a yard and three kids?” Her green eyes glow gold, she’s absolutely eating this up.
Kids. That’s a jump, but I can’t say the idea feels strange. It feels…oddly right?
“Let’s say I want more than one night,” I say diplomatically.
“Okay, sure. But, like, what do you like about her?”
My heart stutters. The only thing I didn’t like about her was Gerald, and he’s gone. Even though it’d be smarter to keep it closer to my chest, a floodgate inside me breaks and I can’t stop the rush of words that fall out of my mouth.
“I like everything about her. She smells amazing—like, so good. I can’t stop thinking about it. I want to kiss her neck, run my teeth along the delicate skin on her shoulder, I want to—”
“Oh my god.” Briarlee claps a hand over her lips, wings fluttering.
“What?” Panic shoots through me. Does this fairy know something I don’t?
“You don’t even realize it, do you?” She drops her hand and plants the other on her hip, floating in midair like a smug little cupid.
“WHAT?” I bark, knowing I’ll explode if she doesn’t tell me right now.
She blinks at my ferocity, but her grin only widens.
“That human woman must be your mate!” she says, clasping her hands together in pure glee, like she’s just unwrapped the season finale of her favorite show.
“What? My mate?”
“Do snowmen not have mates?”
“Well, I don’t actually know. Our parents don’t really… stick around.”
Briarlee’s smile softens for a beat, sadness flickering in her eyes.
“Well,” she says gently, “given what you’ve told me, I think it’s safe to say you might. You sound just like every ‘critter’ I’ve heard when they find their mate.” She winks.
