There was nothing like this on Earth. And if there was, she’d never known it. Not this keenly. Not even with Eric.
What she felt for Robin defied logic, reason, and anything else. It was lust, yes, but it was so much more. Standing transfixed before him now, with his neon blue gaze holding hers fast, she felt like she was falling into a deep, dark abyss. But before the madness of that darkness could consume her, there was a light. A faint, but glorious pinprick of golden light, and that if she’d let herself give in to it, there’d be no coming back from it ever.
There were no slow burns on Kingdom when two souls destined to become one finally came together.
And that was terrifying.
“Nixie.”
Her lashes fluttered to hear the brokenness of his voice. As if he too felt it, this yawning chasm of lust and tenderness, desire and obsession drowning them whole.
But she also heard in his voice the fear that gripped her by the throat, the fear of what this was. The fear that if they committed to it fully there’d be no turning back. For either of them. Ever.
Releasing a shuddery breath, she took a giant step back. Grabbing onto her lower stomach as he curled his fingers into a fist.
“Your eyes,” she whispered, because they were glowing.
Only Robin Hood’s eyes glowed like that. They’d never be able to sneak into the castle with his eyes as they were.
He closed them. “Touching you, Nix. It’s like…it’s like coming home.”
Snatching the peacock mask from off her lax fingers, he thrust it at her. She could hardly breathe or think. Had he just said what he’d said? Had she really heard that right?
This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t.
She knew what Danika had said, what her father had told her, hell, she felt it… But she couldn’t accept this. Her life had been on Earth. Her thinking, her reasoning, it’d been formed on a world where true love took years of pain, of heartache, and joy to build up one cornerstone at a time.
Fingers trembling, she took it from him. Hanging on to it by its red silken strings.
“I would tie them for you, but…” He gave a small grunt cough. “Under the circumstances, it’s probably best not to touch you again.” Then with a swift nod, he exited their palatial tent.
Feeling like a hot, sexually frustrated mess, Nixie walked over to the floor-length mirror—another one of Robin’s spelled objects, most days it was only the size of a hand held piece of glass, but as with most things in his tent, not everything was always as it seemed—and tied the mask on with nerveless fingers. It took her three tries before she finally tied a true knot, then, taking a step back, she studied her reflection. Trying to see herself as Robin had.
Her fingers traced the fine lines of the Grecian goddess gown. She was to play Aphrodite this night. A goddess of seduction and love.
The rich red fabric gleamed with shades of orange and gold wherever the flickering glow of candlelight touched it. Her arms were bared except for a golden circlet of a snake consuming its tail on her left bicep. Tendrils of black hair spilled artfully over her right shoulder. Her breasts looked ripe and lush. She wore only a nude corset and slip beneath, giving the illusion that she was naked beneath.
Closing her eyes, she prayed for strength, then turned and went to join him.
Chapter 15
Nix couldn’t believe the splendor of the castle. It’d been transformed from a cold, sterile tower of gray stone to one glittering with balls of lights strung from the rafters. But these weren’t Christmas lights on a string; they were finely woven balls of briarwood with fireflies trapped within. Their neon green glow added to the slightly festive creepiness of the place.
Carved pumpkins dotted the walkways, their open mouths flickering with candlelight. Bats zipped around them. Skeletons lined the walls in full battle armament—and man, she hoped they were fake—clacked and danced in the gentle breeze.
Everything smelled of apple and hot cinnamon.
Everywhere she turned they were people dressed in exotic styles. Some wearing the skins of animals, with their faces and legs painted in spots and stripes. Others looking like zombies just come from their grave, their suits and gowns looking old and molded, tattered at the edges, and with their face paint and slightly decayed scent, they could have passed for the real thing.
Maybe they were. This was Kingdom, after all.
This was a Halloween party, Arthurian style.
Robin grabbed her hand. “My lady.” He bowed low before her. “Shall we dance?”
Nixie smiled behind her mask and nodded. She vaguely wondered where the other men had gone off to. More than half of Robin’s men would be in attendance this night.
Though she couldn’t find any of them. She’d cloaked them all in magic, so much so that even she, the creator, could not see them.