Page 84 of A Taste of Bliss

Once I know Pisces is down the slide, hiding just above where Simon is, I ease myself into the slide, thankful I’m in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.This is ridiculous,I think to myself.

I slide down, the static of the plastic tube probably putting my hair into a state I don’t want to think about. But I gain a little too much momentum as the long slide drops suddenly and before I can stop myself I slide right in next to Pisces, instead of holding myself in place above him.

He wraps an arm around me before I can collide with Simon’s head. “Easy there, little succubus,” Pisces mutters, tucking me in next to him. “Don’t give our drum tech a concussion.”

I’d like to give you a concussion,I mutter internally and Pisceschuckles.As if he can hear my thoughts. I glare at him.

“Let me go.”

“You’ll take out Simon if I do.”

“Please don’t fall on me, either of you,” Simon says from below us.

“This was a very stupid idea,” I mutter.

They both laugh.

But it’s Pisces’ laugh that I can feel rumble in his chest. I start to slip and without meaning to I place my hand on his shoulder, helping to keep myself where I am. Simultaneously he tightens his grip, causing my chest to press into his, and our faces to only be a few breaths apart. Through his shirt, I can feel?—

My breath hitches. Are those nipple piercings?

His eyes travel up my face to my hair and I subconsciously run a hand over it, trying to smooth down the staticky frizz. I notice his sticking up a little bit too, and I can’t help but laugh.

He uses his free hand to smooth his hair down and runs it over mine as well, tucking a piece behind my ear. He swallows and looks down to Simon. “Any sign of anyone else?” he asks, thankfully giving me enough time to blow out a breath.

I take a deep inhale, which is a mistake because Pisces smells better than anything I’ve smelled before, including food. His scent is masculine and clean. There’s a breeze to it that reminds me of ocean air, but also a warmth to it that I can’t place.

I think he can tell that I’m smelling him. I can’t figure out what type of fae he is, even this close. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not a type of fae I haven’t met before, but it’s likely.

“Shh,” Simon responds, then in a low whisper, “I think I hear?—”

“Boo!” Evan yells as he quickly scrambles up the slide from the bottom. I’m not sure how he manages to get his six-five frame into the space so quickly, but my heart jolts inside my chest. Pisces chuckles again, no doubt being able to hear and feel it.

“A slide? Really, Simon?” the brown-haired vamp from before says, sliding down enough so that he’s just above Pisces and I. He blocks out enough of the light from the top of the slide that I can’t see much anymore. Another guy gets into the slide after him—Shaun, I think.

“Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t look here sooner. This is exactly the type of thing Simon would do,” Evan muses. “Hey, is that Bliss up there?”

“Hey, Evan,” I reply, not really able to see him anymore. I can just barely make out Pisces’ face, and that’s only because I’m still way too close to him.

“Well, this sure is cozy in here,” Evan responds. I can somewhat make out him crawling up the slide a little bit more, getting into Simon’s space.

“Watch it, mate,” Simon says, trying to move up the slide a little bit, but he only hits his head on Pisces’ shoes. “Fuck,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his head.

“No complaining, mate, you did this to yourself,” Pisces says.

Shaun shushes us. He crouches in the entrance of the tunnel. “I can hear more people,” he whispers.

We all fall quiet. And then a bark of laughter that I know is Tubbs comes from the bottom of the slide, and more laughter towards the top. “I can see Evan’s boots sticking out,” Tubbs says to someone who’s at the top of the slide. Taser pokes his head in at the top.

“Any more room down there?” he asks, laughing.

With Taser at the top, and Tubbs at the bottom, it takes only a few more minutes for everyone else to find Simon’s hiding place. The entire group breaks out laughing as one by one we ease ourselves out of the slide.

When Simon and Evan are clear, Pisces releases me without a word, even so much as going to give me a slight push, and I go sliding forward, almost falling to the ground. Tubbs sweeps me up and sets me on my feet.

Pisces emerges next, a smirk on his face, and he completely ignores me, going to stand with Evan.

What a fucking asshole.