After we spent hours tangled up in each other, Xavier insisted we return to the balcony in the late afternoon.
And now I was able to enjoy the view of the Ancient Springs. Because in the morning I couldn’t really look at the silver-colored waters, too overwhelmed with Xavier’s tongue inside me. I wrapped my arms around my knees, feeling the soft breeze brush against my skin, remembering Damien in his dragon form as he flew across the sky, and it made my heart flutter. The wayhe moved was so graceful, just like the first time I saw him.
Xavier must have caught the way my eyes lingered toward the sky, because the next moment, he squeezed my hand and leaned closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
“You know,” he said, “we could go somewhere.”
“Where?” My voice rose up, the curiosity inside me undeniable and obvious.
“Maybe visit the Pixie Moon Roastery. I haven’t shown it to you yet.” ThePixie Moon Roasterywas Sparrow’s favorite place, run by Marielle’s wife and said to have cakes with real shimmering stardust on them.
I looked over to Xavier, his beautiful green eyes embracing me, making me feel like I solely belonged to him at this moment. I smiled and stroked his face, pressing a soft kiss on his nose.
“You’re so sweet,” he murmured, his arms embracing me. “And,” Xavier continued, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, “If you want… we could invite Damien, too. I can survive sharing you for an afternoon. Maybe it would help you to take some stress off… talk with him about whatever you want, even about his dragon form,” he said as his thumb stroked slow, lazy circles over the back of my hand, like he was imprinting himself there.
Xavier seemed to be aware of how many questions lingered on my mind. I still couldn’t process how I could thank Damien for saving me.
“I guess that would be great,” I said.
Maybe it was exactly what I needed, to talk with him again and get to know the person who was apparently mated to me. And with Xavier by my side, I knew I could be more open toward him, and it wouldn’t come off so much like a date or anything.
“Of course, you would,little demon. You’re getting spoiled tonight. Not like I didn’t spoil you for the last few hours in bed,” he said as he lifted my hand to his mouth, pressing a slow kiss toeach of my knuckles, as if sealing the plan with a promise.
An hour later I was dressed in a flowing sage-green gown with an intricate embellished bodice that was almost transparent, and several blush- and lavender-colored flowers attached to the dress. The most beautiful element about this dress was the sleeves that draped elegantly around my upper arms in the same material as the skirt. It was way too ethereal for a normal day in a coffee shop.
“You look perfect,” Xavier whispered as he finished weaving flowers into my hair. I turned around to press a soft kiss on his lips, causing a whimper to escape from his sinful lips. As he embraced me in his arms, I caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway.
Damien.He was leaning casually against the frame, his arms crossed, watching us with a small, almost amused smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was dressed in a black suit, almost robe-like, with a high collar around his neck. A white ruffled cravat was attached around his neck and tucked into the black waistcoat. He looked just as elegant as he had when we first danced together.
And he was also devastatingly gorgeous.
Damien smiled, offering his hand to me. I didn’t even hesitate when I placed my fingers into his warm palm, which he squeezed gently, his thumb brushing slow circles over the back of my hand, almost like he wanted to show me how much he cared for me.
Xavier took my other hand in his, pulling me into the space between them. My heart fluttered at being held by both of them, feeling their different energies—Xavier’s heat and Damien’s ice—and somehow the combination of both was grounding to me.
I wondered how the presence of Malakai would feel?
The coffee shop wasn’t far away from the castle, just beyond the edge of the gardens, nestled between old willow trees. Itsfacade was draped in garlands of colorful flowers, lavender and ivy weaving together under the pale moonlight. A shield with the name “Pixie Moondust Roastery” was hanging above the entrance, surrounded by many twinkling lights casting a soft, inviting glow. The interior of the coffee shop was as whimsical as the outside. The walls were adorned with fairy lights, glass bluebells and lanterns igniting a feeling of warmth and security. Everything was colored in pastel shades of blues, lavenders and pinks.
My gaze went over to the glass vitrines filled with more cakes and cupcakes than I’d ever seen in a bakery shop, filled with icings and fruits, even sticks with candied apples.
“This looks like heaven,” I muttered out loud.
Damien and Xavier both chuckled at my comment, as Xavier took my hand to lead me to one of the tables across from the window.
“Heaven is between your legs… nowhere else,” he whispered against my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine.
Why did it sound so incredibly naughty when it came out of Xavier’s mouth?
I looked over to Damien who had draped his dark black waistcoat over the chair and bent down to get some plates out of the glass drawers. My eyes trailed down the sharp line of his black pants that were hugging his hips and thighs a little too perfectly. And suddenly I started wondering how it must look without the fabric. No, I wasn’t going to stare at his well-proportioned butt as if I was some pervert. So, I turned around, just to notice Xavier smirking at me, like he was obviously aware of what I was doing.
Oh my god, I wanted to sink into the ground. My face turned crimson and I tried looking away from him.
Damien came back with a tray of cakes and candy apples, setting them on the table, to notice the tension.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, his voice low and slightly amused, like he already sensedsomethingwas off.
My blush deepened, burning all the way down to my chest.
