Lennox jerked his hand up as though to grab her but stalled. He looked at his hand in confusion, then at nothing. His eyes tightened.
Fuck. He was cluing in.
It was a somewhat scary thing when Lennox charged. That male might seem like an even-tempered, chill fae, but when he was roused, he was fast and powerful and determined. Give him an axe and he’d cut down a door to get to an enemy.
She’d been on the other side of the door when she learned that.
She slowed the siphon to a trickle. In a moment, she stopped it altogether. The siphon had to be started and stopped slowly. Sudden movements triggered the crazy.
“Daisy.” Tarian stepped into the doorway of the dressing room, his face a hard mask. He’d be taking her into the lion’s den this evening. The Court Hall.
She met him there dutifully and tried her damnedest not to run a hand down his chest, or over a shoulder, and definitely not over his groin. It turned out he didn’t have much control when it came to sex. He wanted it as often as possible, and he wouldn’t be rushed, not even when he was late for a meeting. Or a trap he’d set.
She wasn’t any better. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Keeping her hands off was a lesson in control she so often failed. He just felt so damn good. She’d never experienced sex that gave her such huge highs. And she had never dreamt of the closeness and intimacy they experienced in the quiet aftermath, when his fingers glided across her skin and they talked of trivial nothings. His was a presence and proximity that had hooked her, and she didn’t want it to let go.
He held out a dress.
Her focus snapped to attention.
“What is this?” She took it by the bodice and lifted it up for inspection.
“As of today, you are officially a toy. I dress my toys how I wish to view them,” Tarian said, readying to go into court and speaking and standing (and acting stuffy) accordingly.
He frowned at her. “And what accordingly?”
“None of your business.” (Usually, she allowed him in her head because it was comfortable, but sometimes, she naturally omitted things without realizing it until he wanted to know what shit she was talking about him.)
He leaned forward for a kiss and let it linger, his arms coming around her and holding her tightly.
“Stop.” She pushed away. “If you show too much affection, they’ll kill me for sport. You yourself told me this. Let’s keep our heads in the game.”
His hungry eyes watched her, but he let her increase the distance.
The dress had warm brown tones with hints of dusty rose. A subtle sheen overlaid a pattern that resembled delicate lace. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline with intricate black lace detailing that cascaded down the sides and center. It was formfitting, would allow for cleavage while hiding her knife, and was absolutely beautiful. She’d wear this in the human lands, no problem. Some thick-soled boots would be best for daytime wear, a delicate heel for nighttime, and who knew what he had available here?
“Jewelry?” She slipped off her servant’s dress.
He blew out a breath and turned around. “Warn me when you’re going to do that.”
He couldn’t handle her nakedness any better than her touch.
She smiled to herself as she looked over the underwear options. She wouldn’t use anything for her bottom half in case he wanted to make a show, but she needed something in whichto store her knife. For that, she grabbed something similar to a strapless bra in the human world. He must’ve had that made up specially for her and the knife.
The dress had a shoestring contraption in the back that was a decoy. Along the side was sewn a zipper that blended in seamlessly.
“Is this the fashion, or does the dress have human embellishments?”
“The zipper is from the human lands. I figured you wouldn’t want to be strapped into a dress in case you needed to fight.”
“Ladies here don’t fight?”
“Not when they are dressed for court. They have bodyguards, servants, and eyes on them. They don’t leave anything to chance. Neither do the males.”
“Yet they still die.”
“Not at court. Not in front of witnesses.”
Ah.It was leaving court or showing up to court that was treacherous. The corridors and hallways, the gardens and promenades, posed the danger. They had rules here.
