“I’m sorry, I—”
“Lie back,” he demands.
I do, sinking into the soft sheets.
He kneels at my feet. I can’t help but admire his physique, painted silver in the moonlight, the incredible definition of his muscles, the strong curve of his jaw. He runs a hand along my leg, then raises one up, placing a kiss to my calf before releasing it.
“I don’t usually come in my lovers,” he says. “Only Farron. But if you want me, all of me, then I’ll fill you.”
“I do,” I gasp. “I want you.”
He presses a large hand over my stomach. “And what about protection?”
I flush. “It’s been a long time since I’ve actually had sex.”
Dayton smiles, his golden waves catching in the light. “That’s what I like to hear. I don’t want to think about any human men touching you.”
“Marigold mentioned some tea I can drink afterward,” I whisper.
“That’s right,” he says. “Then you’re going to take all of me, and I’ll fill your fertile little pussy tonight.”
He kisses my legs then drags his lips up to my pulsing core. When he licks me there, it’s as glorious as I remember. He sucks, then his tongue darts over my sensitive clit. I grip the sheets, throwing my head back. He takes me to the edge, then stops.
“You’re not coming,” he commands, “until I feel you clench around my cock.”
Desire courses through me. I wonder if Kel can feel this the way I felt his pleasure. A cruel part of me wants him too, but a bigger part wants to hold this special moment between myself and Day.
Dayton continues his worship of my body, kissing my stomach with a featherlight touch before he gets to my breasts. His wet tongue circles my nipple before he draws back, nipping in a way that sends fireworks through me. The way he’s pleasuring me… It’s like he’s touching something so much deeper than my skin. The reverent kisses fill a part of my heart I didn’t know was empty. His fingers thread through my hair, and his lips brush against mine, tasting of salt and sunshine. He deepens the kiss until I’m lost in his embrace, until I’ve forgotten everything except him.
“Are you sure about this, Rosalina?”
I blink my eyes open to see his turquoise gaze sparkling, his full lips parted in that strange smile of his, the one just for me.
“I know you have a mate. I’d understand if you only want him.” He looks almost embarrassed. My heart bleeds from the vulnerability he’s showing me.
I take his face between my palms, knowing I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.
“You make me smile even when the whole world seems dark,” I tell him. “You protect those you care about with a fierceness I admire. You’re brave and clever, and every time you laugh I do too, and I want—I want you, Day.”
“Careful, Blossom,” he whispers, and there’s a warmth on his face that could light up an entire room. “If you keep talking like that, I might just fall in love with you.”
That would be convenient because I’m pretty sure I’ve already leapt off the edge for him.
Slowly, he lifts my hips as I spread my legs and he positions himself. Then I feel it—the rounded tip of his cock, lightly pressing against my aching center. I throw my head back, my whole self erupting with the sensation of being so close.
But he doesn’t move. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, huh? Maybe I’m nervous.” He shakes his head, then brings a hand to clutch at his chest. “It’s, uh, a feeling—”
Something wild flits through me bursting to life beside my heart, a deep uncoiling. Euphoria leaks from my fingertips as I stroke his face. Because I know this feeling, this innate want. It’s the same as it is with Kel—
It’s the same. I knew Dayton belonged to me. I need to complete it and tell him I’m a part of him.
I grip Dayton’s face and bring my lips to his ears. “Kel, it’s the same.”
He stiffens, then pushes away from me. “What did you call me?”
A giant pit opens in my stomach, and I feel like I’ve been shoved into a dark room with the loss of his touch. I blink stupidly, my mind, which had just felt light and sparkly, suddenly murky. “I—”
“I should have known this was all about him.” Anger laces through Dayton’s voice, and he stands, throwing on a pair of pants.
He’s getting dressed? No. I need to bring us together. “Wait—”
“You even smell like him.” He gestures to me. “But I ignored it because, fuck, look at you.”
I sit up. Can’t he see I belong to him too? “Dayton, I didn’t mean—”
“You didn’t mean to call me by your mate’s name?” He grips the bedpost. “Then what did you mean, Rosalina?”
“I meant…” My mind clears more. How can I tell him, I felt—no, I feel—the same for him as I do my mate? How will Dayton react to that? Dayton, who won’t even spend the night with Farron, who he’s been with for years? Dayton, who implied there would be no cuddling after sex?
There’s no way I can admit to him the intensity of my feelings.
“What do you even care anyway?” I grab my nightdress off the floor. “Isn’t this just about sex for you?”
His face blanches, and he storms over to the wall, resting his hands upon it, muscles tense. “Yeah, that’s what I’m good for, isn’t it? A fun time? Excuse me for at least wanting my partner to know my name.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” I cross my arms over my chest. “I know your name. Can we—”
“I’m not going to have you while you’re pretending I’m someone else.”
I take a step toward him, wishing I could explain.
He turns away. “Leave, Rosie.”
Angry tears fill my eyes, and I stalk out of the room, slamming the door hard behind me. A frustrated growl bubbles from my chest. I prowl over to Kel’s door, pound my fist against it and snarl, “You can go to sleep now, you stupid smug bastard. Hope you’re fucking happy.”
I make it to my room, alone. Rejected by two fae princes in the same night. Throwing myself down on the bed, I clutch my chest, feeling that tight coil beside my heart.
How could my feelings for both of them be so similar? It’s as magical as it is terrifying.
One tear slips down my cheek, followed by a stream until I can’t help but curl into myself and sob. Finally, exhaustion takes over and I drift off to sleep.
44
Rosalina
“I’ve read the same paragraph three times.” I rub my eyes. “You’d think the ancient Autumn scholars could have livened their literature up somewhat.”
Farron exhales sharply out his nose and smiles but doesn’t look up from his own text. “Rosalina calling a book boring? You’ve been spending too much time with Kel.”
I bury my face in the book to hide my blush. I haven’t been spending any time with Kel lately, or at least as little as I can manage. We’ve all gone back to sleeping in our own rooms. It’s easier this way. Besides, the last few days Farron and I have been totally engrossed in our research.
The library in Keep Oakheart is beautiful, the shelves made of twisted bark that stretch up toward the ceiling dotted with glowing orbs that cast warm, amber light throughout the room. The air is heavy with the scent of old parchment and the musky aroma of aged leather. As I look at the man sitting beside me at the table, a sense of contentment washes through me. Everything outside of this room is confusing and dangerous and messy. But this feels like home.
“It’s not boring, just dense,” I say.
“Autumn scholars are not known for their brevity.” Farron adjusts the gold-rimmed reading glasses that have fallen down his long nose.