Page 39 of A Fate of Ice and Lies (Fated #1)

I shook my head. He put me on the couch with care and draped a blanket over me. After a quick kiss to my temple, he went to the kitchen, where I heard him rustling. A few minutes later, he returned with cheese, fruit, and bread.

“You don’t have very much in your fridge,” he told me, worry lines creasing his forehead.

I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not very good at shopping for food.”

“You own a food store,” he countered.

“I don’t own Colina Verde Community Food Bank,” I said with a laugh.

“I worked there before the end of the world happened.” I inched my brows up for dramatic effect.

“The owner took off after everything, so I stayed in case some miracle happened, and a fae prince and his Guardian decided to use their magic to fix the broken windows and shelves and grow us food.”

“This fae prince sounds pretty incredible.”

“He’s okay, I guess,” I said. “The dragon, on the other hand, is all sorts of awesome.”

When he leaned back on the couch, I curled up beside him and ate. Between bites, I ran a hand over his shirt and wondered what he’d think if I asked him to remove it. Wondered if he’d make that purring sound again if I ran my nails over his chest. Wondered if he could smell my sudden arousal.

Shit.

This whole super-fae-smelling thing wasn’t exactly one of my favorite qualities .

“Have you had a chance to read the journal I gave you?” In my ears, I heard the way my heart thudded in an erratic beat. “I mean, I know you’re busy, so it’s fine if you haven’t. I was curious, you know?”

His hand traced along my arm. “I finished reading it the other night,” he said. “I’m going to read it again to see if I missed anything. While neither Nalari nor I have heard of a tenebris, we did used to have mages in our realm.”

“Used to?” I asked. “What happened to them?”

“They grew greedy with their power and wanted to not only take over our realm but also cross to other realms to destroy and conquer them as well.” He paused, taking a second to kiss the top of my head.

“My ancestors went to war with them to stop them. They almost killed us off before the elder Guardians saved us. They killed the mages, not exactly how you wrote in your journal, but they’re all gone. ”

The mages Leanora told me about hadn’t been at war but murdered because the fae had grown jealous of their mounting powers.

“Do you think it’s strange I’m dreaming of this mage?” I asked. “Could she be real?”

He stilled, barely breathing. I peered up at him, at the shadows that danced behind his eyes.

“Elias?” I asked.

“Nalari sensed something dangerous in your home,” he said quietly.

“Something that possessed soul magic. The mages from long ago used a corrupted form of soul magic. I don’t know if this Leanora is real, but Nalari and I are both looking out for you.

If you’ll allow it, I’d like my friends to read your journal too. ”

Thinking, I drew in a shaky breath. While I was okay with Brenton reading it, I still wasn’t comfortable around George. But I’d promised I’d try with him.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I answered. “Maybe they’ll know something.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he promised.

While I was sure he meant it, possibly even believed it, I knew he couldn’t keep me safe. Not from someone who lived in my head.

Wanting to change the subject, I kissed the stubble on his chin.

“How was your day?” I asked. “You already know mine went pretty fantastic.”

He chuckled. “Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with something,” he said. “Javier’s been going on about wanting burgers, so my friends and I figured out the right cut and how to cook it.”

I peered up, and the pride in his expression made him look sweet.

“Donnie’s spreading the word, but I wanted to tell you myself,” he continued. “We’re having a party of sorts tomorrow night. Donnie called it a barbecue. There’ll be spirits, music, and burgers.”

“Tomorrow night?” I asked.

He took the old cell phone Donnie had given him and read a message he received.

“About five tomorrow,” he said, tucking his phone back in his pocket. “Everyone in the region’s supposed to come. Maybe. Hopefully?”

That didn’t give him a whole lot of time to get everything ready. But he looked so happy, so eager. I wanted his barbecue to turn out well. For the people of his region to show up and not be assholes .

I wouldn’t blame them if they were still wary of him, but not assholes.

“How can I help?” I asked.

“I was kinda hoping you’d know how to help.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “My parents have thrown parties but usually the staff do the hard work. Our main duty was simply to show up.”

“Life of a royal, amiright?” I teased. “Tell me more about this party.”

“I got some of the other region leaders to trade things with us,” he said. “We’re getting fresh burger buns”—he scrunched up his nose like he wasn’t sure what that was—“cooking oil to fry potatoes, and...are you ready for this, Teddy?” His brows danced.

I was completely entranced by the purity of Elias’s joy.

“What?” I shot my own brows up in eager anticipation.

“More coffee so we can open the coffee shop back up if we find someone willing to run it.”

“Ry’ll do it,” I offered without bothering to ask my friend.

It wasn’t like she had anything else to do since wedding planning was no longer as big of a priority.

Maybe someday, with fae like Elias and people like my friends, a more normal way of life would return.

In so many ways, it already felt like it had.

“Oh, and two coffee plants already producing coffee cherries.”

Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms. With a laugh, he cupped my ass and brought me closer to him.

“You.” I kissed his cheek, that quickly pinkened. Enjoying his slight embarrassment, I squished his cheeks together. “You are too, too good for this world, Elias. ”

He bowed his head down and reworked his long hair to put it back in the tidy bun he sometimes kept it in.

The urge to take it out of its bun, to run my hands through his hair, burned through me.

I wanted, no needed to touch him. His hair, fingers, face.

Whatever I could get my hands on. Because this man was damn near perfect.

And what was more, he reacted to me on an almost primal level.

To my touch and sometimes simply to my closeness.

It made me feel powerful and sensual.

“The farmer in charge of the coffee plants is coming with the fae I’m trading with to show us how to keep your plants healthy.” His voice was husky, his eyes darker although not quite black.

“Why do your eyes darken like that?” I asked, caressing his cheek.

His fangs lengthened enough to push through his slightly parted lips. “Right now?”

I made a sound in the back of my throat.

“Because I like you.” He ran a hand through his hair again, pulling strands out of the bun. “I like it when you touch me and tease me.” He shrugged. “I just like you, Teddy.”

His fingers grazed across my cheek to my jaw.

I wrapped my hand around his wrist and brought his hand to my lips.

I took his hand in mine, ran a finger over his arm to his shoulder and neck, where his pulse quickened.

I leaned into him to brush my nose over his throat.

With a shuddering breath, his hands circled my waist and pulled me to his lap, where I straddled him and felt just how not tiny his cock was.

“Would you like it if I kissed you here?” I whispered.

Instead of kissing him, I flicked my tongue over his warm skin. Moaning, he angled his head to the side to give me better access to the side of his neck. I pressed open-mouthed kisses over his neck to his Adam’s apple that bobbed at the pressure, up to the stubble on his jaw.

“Teddy.” It came out breathy and needy.

Beneath me, his length twitched. I pushed down to feel the pressure between my legs. I hissed in a breath and rubbed myself against him while I trailed kisses over his jaw.

Tipping his head down, he captured my lips. His growl made me smile, as did the way he sucked my bottom lip.

He deepened the kiss, and with one hand, I tangled my fingers through his hair, pulling it out of its bun while I wrapped the other around the back of his neck to bring him impossibly closer to me.

Pressure built in my core. Release, I needed release. I spread my legs to straddle him and shamelessly rubbed myself against him.

He grazed a hand over my pebbled nipples, and I hissed in a breath.

“Does that hurt?” he asked, his brows drawn together in worry.

“Only if you stop,” I said. “Touch me, Elias.”

His hands sank beneath my shirt, and he pulled it up, pushing my bra down to lick my left nipple. My head fell back, and I moaned.

“More,” I demanded.

He blew a breath against my nipple before his tongue swirled again. This was bliss. Beautiful, torturous bliss. He ran his hardened length between my legs while his lips and teeth teased my nipple. With my legs around his waist, I began to ride him harder. He let out another guttural moan.

“Don’t stop,” I pleaded.

“Can’t. Stop. ”

He ground against me, his tongue licking, his sharp canines grazing. Without thought, I bit his neck and his thrusts came harder, faster, more demanding. I pressed my head to the crook of his neck and screamed his name while the hot flashes of my orgasm exploded inside me.

It was everything. More than I’d ever experienced and he wasn’t even inside me. My orgasm continued, and I whimpered against his throat.

“ Vith,” he hissed out.

His hands massaged my ass while he took my lips again, thrusting his tongue in my mouth while his hips rammed against my pelvis.

“Teddy, I. . .”

He didn’t finish but pressed his lips to mine and moaned into my mouth. I felt his dick throb and twitch, and I rode him harder while he came undone.

For a moment, he rested his head on my brow but then moved to kiss me softly, tenderly, thoroughly, as if kissing me was the sole purpose of his life.

Without breaking our kiss, he guided me back so that I was lying on the couch.

I scooted over to give him room, and when he nestled beside me, I ran my fingers through the silky strands of his black hair.

“Teddy,” he murmured against my lips. He placed the sweetest kisses across my cheek to my ear where he suckled the lobe. “Is this real?” he asked, his voice pained. “Are we. . .”

I cupped his cheek and leaned back to take him in. His brows were drawn together in concentration, and his eyes shimmered with lust and something foreign, something more. I kissed his lips once.

“I don’t know what we are,” I told him honestly.

He flinched.

With my knuckles, I stroked his cheek. “I’d like to find out. If you want to?”

“I want to.” His lips broke into a smile, and then he nuzzled his face into my neck and chuckled. “I haven’t spilled in my trousers since my youth.”

I drank in his laughter, drank in this man that I’d come to like and trust. And hoped for more.