“Arthur—” Corbin stepped forward.
“I’m knackered.” Arthur got to his feet and slid the sword back into his scabbard. Beneath his beard, his expression was impossible to read. “I think I’ll head up. You coming?” he raised an eyebrow at me.
My stomach fluttered. I shoved the rest of my bun into my mouth and set down my tea. “Yes, I am. Goodnight, everyone.”
They took turns to hug me goodnight. Jane was first, brief but genuine. Corbin’s embrace was warm, sending hot echoes of our evening together. Rowan held me tight, his arm trembling, the other hanging awkwardly at his side like he didn’t quite know what to do with it. Flynn held on for too long and pinched my ass. Blake went in for one of his kisses that stole my breath until Arthur’s grunt tore me away.
Stomach fluttering with nerves, I followed Arthur out of the room. I hoped like hell the tension in his shoulders was just from the strain of the task ahead of us, but I had a sinking feeling that wasn’t it at all. At the foot of the stairs, he turned.
“You want me to carry you?” he asked gruffly.
The fact that he was asking instead of just swooping me up meant something had changed between us. But still, at least he was asking. He regarded our time alone together with as much reverence as I did.
“Take me to the tower, my prince.” I grinned. Arthur’s grumpy expression cooled slightly. He scooped me up and started up the stairs.
I snuggled into his t-shirt, relishing the hot, spicy smell of him. The magic Corbin had awakened glowed hot under my skin. Maybe tonight was the night Arthur and I could finally shag (such a great word). My skin pulsed in anticipation of his bulkaround me, his tight muscles holding me with such ease as he ploughed into me?—
My hope was shattered when Arthur crossed the threshold of my room, dropped me on the bed, and went to stand by the window, his back to me and his impressive bulk silhouetted by the moonlight.
“Is everything okay?” My hand poised on the zipper of my dress, wondering if full nakedness was the way to go here. My body hummed, begging for his touch.
Arthur grunted. He didn’t look around.
“That sounded convincing.” I slid off the bed and stood behind him, sliding my hands around his waist. He was like a tree trunk, strong and tall and proud.
And impossible to read.
I reached up to stroke his cheek but Arthur turned his head away, so all I did was graze my fingers against his scraggly beard.
“They told me today about you and Corbin and Rowan and…and Flynn,” he muttered. “The things you’ve been doing with them.”
“I’ve not made any secret out of it,” I shrugged. “Honestly, I thought you knew about all that, but I forget guys don’t talk about that sort of thing like girls do.”
“I thought…” Arthur sighed, his huge body sagging. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t give me that macho bullshit. If you’re going to be all mopey about this, then you’d better tell me what’s going on. There are enough secrets and fables in this house as it is.”
Arthur stared out into the vastness of space. The constellation of Scorpio danced behind his cheek.
“Fine, so I have to guess.” I tapped my chin. The sizzling under my skin dissipated a little. “Guess One: This is a bullshit double standard about girls having to be all pure and not sleeping around.”
“No.” Arthur muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “You haven’t even slept with me.”
“Wow, that’s not bitter at all.” Anger flared inside me. This was veering dangerously close to a conversation I did not want to have with any of the guys. “I don’t owe you anything, Arthur, sexual or otherwise.”
Arthur sighed again. “You’re right, Maeve.” His hands balled into fists. “You’re right and that was shite of me to say. You need to step back in case I let rip with a fireball.”
Like hell.Instead, I got right up in his face so he couldn’t avoid looking at me. I wrapped my hands around his wrists. “Don’t hide behind your power. Tell me right now what’s going on or Guess Two is going to bereallymean.”
Arthur finally looked at me, and the storm in his eyes nearly made me leap back again. But I held fast. “I thought you and I had something,” he hissed. “I thought I was special to you, but you’re running around with all the guys…with Blake, even. I can’t handle it.”
“Whoa, there. First of all, you don’t have tohandleit, because it doesn’t concern you. Second, youarespecial. I’ve never met a person who is even remotely like you, Arthur. I think all of you guys are special. Even Blake.”
“Those guys are my best mates. They’re my family. It’s weird…”
“I know. And I’ve only been here a few days and things are a bit messed up in this house because of my spirit magic, but I think you’re all becoming my family, too.”
“I want you to be my girlfriend,” Arthur growled.
