Talia grinned, nesting further into her oversized hoodie. “Deal.”
“I can’t believe she fucking talked me into it,” Bo muttered, glancing to Ever again. “You drink your coffee black, right? No road trip rules about drinks except that the driver can’t have booze.”
“Black is fine,” Everil answered, stepping closer to Bo and the coffee machine. Bo very determinedly did not lean in and press a kiss against the man’s shoulder. “I appreciate the act more than the substance. And I find my desire for sweets quite thoroughly met.”
Talia’s glance bounced from Ever to Bo before landing, quite decidedly, on Bo. “Okay, fess up. Did you hit him on the head? Drug him in his sleep? He’ssmiling.”
“You spent our first nine days complaining I was too dour,” Ever observed while, yeah, fucking smiling even more.
And Bo heard him, same as he did Talia’s questions. Knocking Ever over the head and drugs, all of that. Really. He did.
It was only that he had Ever in front of him, smiling, happy still, and talking about hisdesire for sweets. And Bo, being that for him. Knowing he was.
“I complained the situation was shit,” Talia corrected from seemingly very far away as Bo grinned at Ever. “It’s still shit, though, in a more exciting way. Did he hypnotize you?”
“No,” Ever answered with another tilt of his lips. “Bo did not hypnotize me.”
“Good. No hypnosis, Bo. Don’t make me call for a new oath.”
“What, you don’t like your foster dad in a good mood?” Bo winked at her. Though, admittedly, most of his attention was on Ever. He reached out, pushing some of the kelpie’s damp hair behind his shoulder. “No new oath needed, kid.”
“Hit your head on something?”
“I am not concussed,” Everil assured her, leaning into Bo’s touch.
Talia rolled her eyes, fingers hooked together. “Are–”
That was as far as she got. The door opened, disrupting the moment of quiet affection and bickering. Ever glanced over his shoulder and froze, his expression falling flat. Bo followed his glance, getting an eyeful at the person who’d just broken into their goddamn hotel room.
Shame and fear and a sick sort of longing overwhelmed the bond, tasting like mulled wine gone rancid. It grew stronger, the longer Ever looked at the stunning stranger.
Sleek and sharp, his dark blond hair combed back like a stereotypical ’80s stockbroker, all decked out in a suit that even Bo could tell was tailored. Or magicked. Whatever. When he smiled–and he did–it rang of warm fires and coaxing, comforting meals. The world shifted around him, the green and palm-patterned room wilting and faded. Like it wasn’tenough.
Ever didn’t move. He only stared while Bo blinked, eyes narrowed in an attempt to wrap his brain around the unexpected stranger, suit and smile and aggressively attractive face.
“Ah, there you are, my love,” the man said, his voice bright and forceful. Like a too-firm handshake from a guy just tall enough to make you feel small. “I was just beginning to worry you’d be difficult to find. But thatshockinglittle display of magic last night was … difficult to miss.”
‘My love?’ Fuck this guy.
“Nimai.” Ever’s voice was barely a murmur, a complete 180 from Fuckface In TheFlesh.
The single quiet word burned away Bo’s confusion and what little hurt might have started to form when feeling your damn soulbond ache for something else.
“And here’s Talia. I’m so glad to find you safe.” Nimai stepped inside their room and bowed to the Gate. Graceful and fluid. Fucking gentlemanly, if not for the ooze of oil Bo got from Ever when he spoke. “Your disappearance caused a certain amount of distress.”
“I can go where I like,” Talia snapped.
“Of course, my dear. No one said otherwise. Certainly, you can’t begrudge people being concerned over your wellbeing.” Nimai smiled again, even though his gaze returned to Ever.PastEver, straight at Bo. “Oberon, isn’t it? What a wonderfully suitable name. A pleasure to meet the man who’s been looking after Everil.”
Bo stared, jaw set and eyes narrowed. Fucker felt like a goddamn paparazzi, using his full fucking name, a media leech asking a teenager about his parents. Fucking looked like one, too, slime and all.
Then, like with Declan, Bo became abruptly acquainted with Ever’s back. It was like a switch flicked, Ever’s shoulders squaring up, and a bristling protective thrill running along their bond. But “Oberon“ hung in the air, and Ever said nothing.
Bo shifted just enough to look around Ever’s arm to the gorgeous fae and his little will-o’-the-wisp escort. Not Suire, thank fuck. He let out a slow, quiet breath, lifting a hand to rest it on the small of Ever’s back.
“You didn’t knock,” Bo said in the same mild tone he used with the media fucks, smile in place, teeth no longer visible. “Presumptuous as fuck of you. Coming inside, being rude, using my legal name instead of what literally every other scrap in the world says about me. My name’sBo.”
Bodidn’tadd, ‘You fuckface.’ But it was a close thing.
