“No. After the eating but before the monster. In the tent.” He’s standing right in front of me. Close. Temptingly close.
I rub my chin. “I’m not sure I remember exactly how you got yourself into this mess, Seven.”
He grabs me around the waist and sweeps me against him, leaving me breathless. “Perhaps I should show you again.”
We’re both panting now, and all I can think is that Seven is in my arms. He’s mine again. It’s like something out of a dream.
“I’d like that,” I say breathlessly.
He sighs. “Unfortunately, we both need to sleep and recharge in case any of his friends come back.” He points his chin at the dead beast.
As a pixie, I can’t propel luck into him like he’s done to me. It crosses my mind to give him Kiko, but it takes time to siphon off enough luck to fill her. She’s for emergencies, and having hot leprechaun sex with Seven hardly fits that description as much as it might seem so at the moment. “You can’t have hot leprechaun sex without luck?”
Taking my hand, Seven tugs me toward the tent. He arches a brow and shoots me a look that makes my stomach do a little backflip. “Patience, Sophia. For what I plan to do to you, I need a full tank.”
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Luck consists largely of hanging on by your fingernails until things start to go your way. — Aaron Allston
Lucky me, I wake with a leprechaun curled around me. We’re both fully dressed, but his arm holds me firmly against his chest and his breath skates along the base of my neck. The corners of my lips curl upward, as a warm, contented feeling fills me.
Warning bells draw me fully awake. It’s dangerous to feel this way. This emotion is too close to the blind adoration I felt as a teenager, the same feeling that came before the worst experience of my life. Allowing myself to think Seven is mine, to flirt with loving him again, makes me vulnerable. It’s foolish. It’s fantasy.
Then I remember that fooling around in Shadowvale means nothing. No one can see us here. Seven doesn’t have to face his father’s wrath here. It’s the ultimate place to keep a secret. Since I’ve returned to Devashire, our relationship has been all about secrets. He has a professional reason to be near me thanks to Godmother. He’s been careful not to show public displays of affection. At the club, he made me change my appearance. He’s always kept his distance or used luck to keep anyone from noticing us together.
I’d be an idiot to think this is anything more than exactly what it was, one night of pleasure. Isn’t that why I allowed myself to indulge in it in the first place? It was supposed to be a safe way to get this thing with Seven out of my system.
A bone-deep sadness weighs me down at the thought. Last night, I’d convinced myself I’d be okay with becoming Seven’s secret lover, at least for one night. This morning, in the light of day, it’s oh so clear that my heart—my crazy, vulnerable, traitorous heart—wants more. I know this feeling. I’ve been here before. I’m falling in love with Seven.
A tear streams down my cheek and I wipe it away.
“Hey, what’s going on inside that pretty little head?” He shifts to press a kiss to my temple, and frowns as he wipes away another tear.
“I think... last night was a mistake,” I say softly.
He pushes himself up to a seated position, his expression turning stone-cold serious. “No, it wasn’t.”
I sit up too, pressing both hands to my chest. “Last night was incredible, but we both know that once we leave here, it will be like this never happened. Sure, we could carry on in secret for a while, but at some point, you’d be expected to marry some equally powerful and successful leprechaun to carry on your family’s dynasty. Sooner or later, what happened here will be a distant memory. It will be better, less painful for both of us if it’s sooner.”
“You seem to think you know my future better than I do.” He folds his arms in reproach.
“We both know it’s inevitable.”And I feel too much for you to taste what it’s like to have you, knowing I’ll have to give you up.I wipe another round of tears.
“Because you think I would never take this relationship public.”
I tip my head. “You have your father, your company, and your reputation to think about Seven. I don’t judge you; I just need... more.”
He snorts and points at his chest. “You don’t judge me? I don’t care about any of that, Sophia. If this were just about me, I’d do it in a heartbeat to have you. I might be able to keep you safe from my father, but the minute people found out about us, they’d gossip and harass you. The things they would say would make your and Arden’s life hell. The secrecy is as much for your sake as mine.”
“I know,” I say, my heart clenching painfully.
He shakes his head. “You don’t. Not all of it. Standing up to my father means being prepared to break from Lucky Enterprises. He holds a controlling interest. Honestly, I’d consider it if not for what it would mean for people with fewer choices than me. I wouldn’t be there anymore to buffer Evangeline from his bullshit. I’ve done it since we were small, and she’s not ready to handle him herself. And then there are the employees. You know, before I took control, there were no benefits for pixies and satyrs, and the pay hadn’t kept up with inflation in twenty years. Oh, and under Dad’s control, pixies wouldn’t be allowed as customers in the club anymore. He doesn’t think they belong.”
“More of a reason we should end this here, before it gets more... complicated.”Before I fall in love with you.
He considers that for a moment. All at once, his eyes go wild, feral, like an animal backed into a corner. “No,” he says firmly.
“No?” I wait for him to elaborate.
