But if she’s a liar, that woman’s a damn good one.
No. Addison’s no liar.
“Did she ruin the earth ceremony?” I say lightly. “I didn’t notice.”
Trawick scowls and plucks a nut from a bowl in his lap, tossing it into his mouth. “I was barely able to convince some of the other fae that it was an accident. Feylin, what the hell happened?”
I lift my palms in a surrender gesture. “I don’t know. She swears that she doesn’t know, either.”
“Do you believe her?”
“Yes.”
He watches me, his gold eyes narrowing. With a heavy sigh, he brushes nut crumbs from his hands. “Would you like to explainwhyyou believe her? Because from where I’m sitting, that family of hers put her up to it. They’re trying to strike before you have the chance.”
I motion for a nut and Trawick tosses one into my hand, which I pop into my mouth. “I asked her, and she said that she didn’t do anything.”
And then I grabbed her by the ass and lifted her onto my desk.I would’ve done a hell of a lot more than that if Ryals hadn’t accidentally knocked over those books.
I must’ve been out of my mind to leave the door open for him to see us.
Iwasout of my mind—with rage and lust.
My cock stiffens as images from last night barrel into my head. Addison moaning into my mouth, how she shivered under my touch. How her nipples hardened when I stroked them.
I need a cold shower.
Good luck there—she’ll probably wind up in it nakedagain. And what a glorious sight that was. Her breasts with those hard pink nipples are perfect for cupping, and that stomach and waist—I was ready to worship them both, along with what lay between her legs.
I curl my hands into fists. Why can’t I get her out of my head?
And for that matter, how did she wind up in my shower in the first place? She’d obviously been in her own bathroom, while I was under the water remembering how she tasted and dealing with my own hard-on.
Wait. Maybe it’s not just distance that pulls her to me. Maybe there’s more to it. Maybe my desire played a part. Hm.
Trawick eyes me suspiciously. “I told you this was trouble.”
“It’s not trouble,” I argue.
“Feylin, there are whispers that your relationship is doomed, just like…”
“Just like what, Trawick?” I growl. His jaw jumps, but he won’t get off that easily. “Say it.”
He averts his gaze. “Just like Tess,” he murmurs. “Do I have to remind you what happened?”
“No,” I snap. “You don’t. Believe me, no one could remember more than I.”
“And you’re walking right into their trap. She destroyed the ceremony,” he repeats for emphasis.
I slam my hand down. “For the last time, she didn’t! She doesn’t know anything about me. About Tess. I know that for a fact, and before you question how, when her family introduced us and told her who I was, do you know what she said?” I laugh because it’s so ridiculously sweet and quintessentially Addison. “She said, you don’t look fae.” I scoff. “They haven’t told her, and for how much that’s lacking in judgment, they believe that they’re doing her a favor by not revealing the truth. They realized that it doesn’t help her if they tell.”
He shoots me a hard, skeptical look. “How does itnothelp her?”
“Where can she go that I won’t be? Nowhere. We’re stuck with one another. Besides, I promised her father that no harm would come to her.”
“Physically,” he snips.
I exhale a gusty sigh. “With my promise of protection, that sealed their decision. Believe me, I’ve played this over in my head. She knows nothing about me and how I’m connected to her family.”
