“Did I ruin this? Can we forget the last few minutes happened?” he asks, and I sag a little.
“Don’t worry about it. I was being oversensitive. I didn’t want to think my mother had done anything to them,” I lie, but it is plausible. “She’s always harassing me to get out and date. I wouldn’t put it past her to do something sneaky like give me magical cuffs.”
“Oh, I think fae are fairly honorable when it comes to those things. I doubt she would have been able to find someone to put a spell on them. They are kind of sacred to the fae culture. I’m actually surprised she got anyone to sell them to her.”
My eyebrows jump, but I smile. “My mother can be very persuasive. You seem to know a bit about them…”
He blushes adorably and looks down at his menu like he’s embarrassed. “Magic fascinates me. I’ve done a lot of research on the four different supernatural races. I also do a lot of work for different magical species, so it was sensible to learn all I can about them.”
He told me yesterday that he creates websites and security programs for a living. It’s why he can work from home.
“I’ve never really thought about the other races. Sure, we’re taught about shifters in school because that’s who we sharea kingdom with, but it’s limited, and they are fairly secretive about a lot of things.” Which I’m cursing now, because I’ll be going into this queen thing blind. Aramis better be right when she said she gave me the tools and advisors I’ll need to get through this, otherwise I’ll be gunning for her, goddess or not. I should probably spend the next few days studying up on all my supernatural knowledge.
“I have some books you can borrow if you’re interested,” Nox offers, smiling, and I purse my lips.
“You know, I might just take you up on that. I like to expand my knowledge.” I also desperately need all the help I can get. I’m certain the queen of the shifters will have to have some kind of contact with other species. Hell, for all I know, the supernaturals intermingle regularly. I know that humans are allowed to travel within all of the kingdoms.
After that, conversation flows naturally. The food is delicious, and I indulge in a couple of glasses of wine. I do not understand how this man hasn’t dated more. He’s witty and charming and an excellent conversationalist. He is the full fucking package, and I am so disappointed I can’t spend more than a few days in his life. Whoever he ends up with is going to have a loving and devoted husband, and I kind of hate the fictional woman.
After dinner, we head back to his place to continue our game. We stop at a local bakery and pick up some dessert to have later. I study their offerings with interest. I lean toward cupcakes and muffins because they are easy and popular, but I have been thinking about expanding my range, and looking to see what is popular in other places helps me make decisions about that.
“See something you like?” Nox’s breath brushes over my ear as he steps up behind me to study the display case. I kind of feel like there might be a double meaning to his words, but I choose to focus on the pastries in front of me instead of the delicioussnack behind me. There are a number of different kinds of cheesecake, a chocolate coffee torte, and four different kinds of pie.
“You can’t go wrong with any kind of pie,” I reply, my voice breathier than I intended. His body is warm against my back as his hands rest on my hips, and he places his chin on my shoulder as he makes his own decision.
“I’m partial to a piece of pie myself,” he replies, his grip tightening ever so slightly on my hips. “Should we get a couple of slices and share? I think I have some ice cream back home as well.”
“Sounds good,” I reply, squirming as my nipples harden when his words tickle my ear. I grit my teeth and hold as still as possible, even though I’d like to sink back into his heat and grind against him. I’m not sure if he’s being friendly or flirty, and I can’t see his face to read his expression.
The server bags up our order, and we also get a couple of coffees to go. The rain is drizzling again as we make our way back to Nox’s cabin in the woods.
“I don’t think I’m going to get my surfing lesson,” I grumble, staring at the ocean in front of his place when we arrive. The waves are still crashing onto the shore, and even I can tell there’s no way you could surf them.
Nox joins me, his hands full of coffee and pie, and he gives me a hip bump. “Be patient. You never know what tomorrow will bring. A shift in the winds and the swell might be perfect. Come on, let’s put these in the fridge for later and load the game.”
I turn away from the gorgeous view and follow another gorgeous sight into his house. Nox is wearing jeans that hug his ass spectacularly, and I am not sad to see him walk away from me in the least. He walks through the door, and I follow him but squeal in shock when a furry creature leaps at me, hissingand clawing at my legs. Luckily I’m wearing jeans, otherwise Stormheart would have done some damage.
“Stormy, no,” Nox scolds, hurrying to put down his bundle as I try to nudge the attacking cat away from me. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what has come over him.” He hurries back and lifts the cat away from me. He glares at me over Nox’s shoulder as he carries him to his cat tree, scolding him for his behavior. I feel such loathing and judgment from the animal. It’s weird, I’ve never had a pet, but this doesn’t bode well for me being a queen to the shifters if I can’t even get a domestic cat to like me.
“No harm done. I guess I am intruding in his space. He usually gets you all to himself.” Nox quickly dumped our pie and coffees on a small table inside the door, so I grab them and carry them over to the kitchen, popping the pie in the fridge for later then grabbing our coffees. I take a sip from mine. It’s a caramel latte and just the right amount of sweetness I needed. Nox finishes soothing his cat, and I hand him his own hazelnut latte. He takes it before turning his attention to loading our game.
I toe off my shoes and take a seat on the sofa, bringing my legs up underneath me and just watching him. His body is pure poetry in motion, elegant and graceful as he moves around his home.
“See something you like?” His amused voice jolts me out of my slight trance, and I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment at being caught.
“You’re pretty to watch, what can I say.” I shrug, owning my weird ways.
He winks at me. “You aren’t so bad yourself.” Nox passes me a controller and kicks off his own shoes before joining me on the couch. It’s fairly large, but he sits right next to me so our sides are touching. I can feel the heat of his body through my clothes, and I can’t help the shudder that rolls through me. He seems torun hot, and I can imagine what his naked skin would feel like against mine—toasty warm.
He must see it and mistake it for being cold. “Are you cold? Do you need me to light the fire? I don’t feel the cold very often, so I don’t usually bother lighting it.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay,” I reply, but he reaches for a folded blanket at the end of the sofa and shakes it out before placing it over my legs.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you getting sick or using the excuse of being cold for letting our team down,” he teases me.
“You just worry about keeping up with me,” I retort, and we turn our attention to the game.
I’m not sure how much time has passed, but eventually, I need to get up and use the bathroom. It’s dark outside now, and the only light in the cabin is from the screen. I pause the game in the middle of a fight scene, unable to wait any longer.
