“And I thought I made myself even more clear the other night,” he cocked his head at me. “But perhaps it didn't sink in. Talk to the dragon about us, Seren. Or I will.”
“There isn't an 'us', Killian,” I sighed.
“Isn't there?” Killian slid across to me, his bulk bracketing me in against the wood rim. “I think you're lying to yourself, Twilight. See, I had a long think over what you said up in that tree. I thought about your words, the way you said them... and how you looked when you spoke. The things you didn't say were nearly as important as what you did. I came to the conclusion that you want me as much as I want you.”
“Killian,” my voice was the barest breath of sound. “Back up.”
“No,” he leaned in closer, his face a mere inch away from mine.
We were in our underwear. No one had thought to bring a swimsuit to Iceland. But we were all grown-ups, and we decided that we could handle seeing each other in our unmentionables. Especially if it meant we could soak in a hot tub. We had laughed and teased each other at first. But now it didn't seem so funny. Not with Killian's nearly bare body pressed against mine, and the evidence of his arousal laying on my thigh.
“No,” I repeated his word, but it meant something entirely different to me.
“Yes,” he switched tactics. “There it is, that look.” His hands went to my waist, then slid up to rest just beneath my breasts. “There, you just caught your breath. Your lips are parting, Twilight. Your eyes are slowly closing. Your body is shaking. I can make it shake more,” he spoke the last word against my lips. “Just give us a chance.”
Oh, Goddess. He was so close. And he smelled like a man. Like ahumanman with just the barest hint of other. But I could ignore that tinge of magic about him, ignore the ridges of the wings embedded into his back, and the slit pupils of his eyes. All I had to do was close my eyes and breathe him in. Then I felt human again. Killian reminded me that I wasn't just fey, and I loved that about him. It made him dangerously tempting.
“Killian,” I angled my face away from his, pressing my hands to his chest. “I won't betray Raza again. It was bad enough the first time.”
“Then talk to him, Seren,” Killian nuzzled my ear. “Tell him how you feel. Be honest with him, and with us.”
“Us?”
“Tiernan and I.”
“You're seriously campaigning for Tiernan now?”
“The only way Raza would accept this is if it were in line with Danu's plan,” Killian pushed a strand of wet hair behind my ear tenderly. “And that means Tiernan has to be a part of this too.”
“I never would have believed you'd be cool with sharing,” I shook my head.
“Maybe stepping into Fairy has changed me in more ways than the obvious,” he eased back just a fraction. “Or maybe you changed me. All I know is that I love you, and I think you love me back.”
“You're wrong, Killian,” I pushed him away, and scurried out of the hot tub. “Come on, Cat,” I nudged her awake, and we headed back to the safety of the hotel.
“Am I?” Killian's voice chased after me. “Are you sure about that?”
Danu damn him, but I wasn't.
Chapter Fifteen
“Hello, Princess Seren,” a velvet, male voice came from the darkness of my hotel room as I reached for the light switch.
“Jesus Christ!” I flinched, flipping on the light.
Sixty watts of warm white was not enough to fully illuminate the space to my liking, but it was enough to see the man sitting in the room's only chair. He looked like your average Caucasian man. Golden brown hair, dark eyes, skin a little paler than most, but we were in Iceland, and that was more normal than not. He wore jeans and a collared shirt, with a cashmere coat on over it. He gave me the impression of a businessman on holiday, and his slim build enhanced the image. But there was something in his eyes and the way he held himself. The way he smiled... and his smile itself.
“Guess again,” he smirked wider, making sure I could see his fangs.
“Yeah, I caught the canines already,” I leaned against the door frame as Cat sat before me, and regarded the intruder calmly. I thought that was odd, the fact that she wasn't reacting more violently, but I took it as a good sign. If Cat wasn't worried, then I wouldn't bother to be either. “You can put them away now, biter.”
“I was just trying to be polite,” he shrugged and stood. “Since you seemed to be confused over my identity.”
“Startled, not confused, as you very well know,” I watched him carefully as he walked over to me.
His stride was smooth and confident, his skin was nearly poreless, and when he extended his hand to me, I saw that his fingernails were buffed to a dull shine.
“General Soren Dahl,” he introduced himself as he shook my hand. “I've come to welcome you to Iceland, and offer my services.”
