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Vincent

T he scent of moonflower and juniper lingered in the bedroom the following day.

Luna’s magic must have rolled off her in waves under the full moon.

It would make sense; it had to make itself known somehow.

My arm was draped over her hip, her back to my stomach.

I pulled her closer, burying my nose in the wild curls of her hair splayed across the pillow.

I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.

She wanted me, maybe as much as I wanted her.

“Vincent.” The soft sound of my name on her lips had me brushing her hair aside to grant myself access to her skin.

I pressed a kiss to the place where her neck and shoulder met.

She scooted farther into me, tilting her head to expose more.

My wind stirred, a warm breeze stealing through the strands of her hair.

She was mine.

I dragged my lips over her skin.

Her taste was a flavor I would savor.

A taste I hadn’t come close to fully exploring .

She wiggled against me as I paused my exploration to nip and suck the column of her neck.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish.”

“Try me,” she said, her voice teasing as she wiggled again.

I didn’t think, only moved, rolling her to her back as I slid down her still-naked body.

My hands caressed curves I’d only begun to map.

My gaze raked over every inch of her, staring up at her through hooded lashes as I took in all she offered.

“So beautiful. And all mine.” The words were an offering to this woman who’d splashed into my life and for whom I’d fallen deep and fast.

“All yours.” Her hands were in my hair again, and though I teased her, I’d never grow tired of the attention.

I leaned into her touch even as I planted kisses at the curve of her hip and her stomach and nipped her thigh.

Nails scraped my scalp as I journeyed lower.

I felt the moment her head fell back against the pillow, her fingers stretching and flexing in my hair—both relaxing and tightening their grip all at once.

It was the exact moment my tongue slid across her center.

She shivered beneath me, her body already greedy for the next stroke—one I desperately wanted to provide.

One hand held her steady as I tasted her again, a long, slow exploration of every movement of her body.

She almost vibrated in anticipation as I paused, letting the suspense build her pleasure.

“You’re teasing me,” she breathed.

“I’m savoring.” My tongue plunged into her heat, unable to show further restraint.

Her answering moan had my wind lifting her body from the bed, angling her right where I wanted her while preventing her movement.

I feasted then, relishing her taste along with every noise I wrung from her.

“Vincent,” her voice was shaky from the inability to catch her breath.

“More. ”

I smiled smugly while continuing my ministrations.

My fingers worked her along with my tongue.

Her hands raked into my hair again, directing me where she wanted me.

I followed, cataloging her likes, wanting nothing more than to have her languid and satisfied.

Even suspended in the air, she bucked with her rising pleasure.

My wind spun tight, holding her firmly as her hips chased my tongue, demanding more, demanding everything I wanted to give.

“Right there,” she said, and I needed no further direction.

Her body coiled even as my wind held her in place.

Her heels reached for something to push against, and her hands searched for sheets to wrap around, everything building to the final stroke of my tongue, the final plunge of my fingers, before I sucked hard on her clit, granting her the friction I knew she sought.

Her answering cry was a beautiful melody, one I hoped to recreate time and again.

I didn’t stop, didn’t slow as I worked her through her climax, sucking and licking as she rode her release.

With my wind wrapped around her, I could feel her muscles uncoil, her legs straighten as her body went soft from pleasure.

I released her from my hold, setting her back down on the bed.

“That was…” She struggled to push herself to her elbows to look at me.

“That was perfect.”

I knew my smile was broad enough to show all my teeth.

“I’m happy to be of service.”

She pushed farther forward, where I still hovered on my knees, and kissed me.

My cock twitched at the thought of her tasting herself on my lips.

She was reaching for me before I could form another thought.

Each stroke of her hand along my shaft sent reason farther from the surface.

There was something I had to do—somewhere I had to be.

None of it seemed to matter as her hand slid against me.

“I—” Words escaped me.

I swallowed, realizing the meaning of the smile playing at her lips and the shift of her body as she worked to flip me over.

“As much as I’d like to continue,” I choked out, glancing at the sun streaming through the cottage window, “I need to get to the paper.”

She let her hand fall, granting me a semblance of focus.

Her smile was sinful, as if she realized her effect on me.

I took a deep breath, clearing my lust-addled mind, though a distant part of me knew this was more than that.

“I have to turn in the recommendation piece today. It’s not ready yet.” She didn’t look worried, but I didn’t want to disappoint her.

“You know…” she started, but I cut her off.

“I know you don’t need it before Long Night. I know everything you would say, but please.” I leaned forward.

“Let me do this for you.” I kissed her deeply.

She pulled me down against her, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“If you insist,” she whispered against my lips.

“Come back to me as soon as you can.”

“I will.” I kissed her again, using all my willpower to pull away.

I wanted to do this, though.

It meant a great deal to me to help her this way.

We would have a future full of mornings like this.

I could spare one to do this for her.

I swiped my quill back and forth across my face, and my leg moved restlessly in my chair.

Usually, the newspaper office was a welcome place of energy and ideas.

Today, I could only think about getting back to Luna’s cottage.

At least I hadn’t wasted the day.

I’d gone back through the memory stone and the other documents Patricia had provided when she gave me the assignment.

They proved to have no other helpful information.

Even when they’d been pointing directly at Darius Pierce, I’d said they were vague.

Now that I knew he wasn’t against the school, they were all but useless .

On top of everything, I was struggling with the draft to recommend Cliff House Inn.

I’d started it the same way I’d done all my other recommendations, with an eye on why the fae would find it an excellent establishment.

It hadn’t taken more than a few paragraphs to realize I hated it.

No matter what Luna said and how ready she was to go to any lengths to save the inn, I hated portraying her this way.

I hated trying to fit her unique flare into the box of fae propriety.

It felt wrong.

Crossing out another line, I finally gave up and crumpled the paper.

I pulled out a fresh sheet.

I would write this the way I should have from the beginning.

This draft came much easier.

A few hours later, I was tweaking the final words, ensuring they communicated everything I wanted.

This piece was certainly different, but that made me like it all the more.

“Vincent, do you have a minute?” Patricia called from her office door.

I needed to talk to her anyway.

Today was the day I owed her my answer on the feature.

Darius wasn’t guilty, and I had no other leads.

Nodding, I strode across the room.

“Have a seat.” She closed the door behind us and took her seat behind her desk.

“Do you have the school bribe piece for tomorrow’s paper?”

I crossed one leg over the other, taken aback.

That wasn’t what I’d said I’d deliver today.

“I’ve verified that Darius Pierce is not trying to stop the school’s development.” I ran my hand through my hair.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any new leads.”

Her eyes widened.

“You couldn’t have verified.”

“I did. I found the full letter to go with the scraps in the folder.”

“There’s no way you—” She looked worried now, and I didn’t like it.

I had been about to tell her about Luna, that I had a source on the inside, and that she’d helped me verify the information, but I knew a look of determination when I saw it.

Something in Patricia’s features had me on edge.

She was surprised I had anything.

Had she expected me to fail so completely?

Probably.

But why?

Why would she give me something she didn’t want me to complete?

“Do you have the letter?” she tried again.

“I don’t have it here with me, but I can get it today if required.” I used my unshakeable fae confidence voice.

I had lost track of the documents when we left Pierce House, but I was pretty sure Luna had them.

I’d had other things on my mind when we returned to Luna’s cottage, but to clear Darius’s name, I’d brave returning to Pierce House if we’d left them there.

I held Patricia’s stare.

She was acting incredibly suspicious about this.

She waved her hand at my comment.

“Don’t bother. We’re printing the tip anyway. Have it written up today.”

I shook my head slowly, wondering if I’d misheard.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” She glared at a document on her desk like it did her personal harm.

“We’re printing the tip. Write it up. You wanted a feature piece.”

“Not one I know to be untrue.”

“Someone is paying to hold off the school development,” she said.

Darius had said as much as well.

“Even if someone is, naming the wrong person will be incredibly detrimental.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“He’s Norden, what do you care?”

“Because I did what you asked, I looked into him, and I know what you’re saying to be untrue. Why would we still publish it?”

“Do you have another name?” she asked.

“No, but?— ”

“Then we print Darius Pierce.”

“That will ruin his reputation with the new Norden Point.”

She glanced up and met my gaze.

Hers was hard.

“You already know that.” I swallowed.

“It’s your goal? Why?”

“That’s above your pay grade. All I need is for you to write the feature.”

“I won’t,” I replied.

“Not when I know it to be a lie.”

“You’ll write it, or you’ll find other employment.” She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest.

“Patricia.” I leaned forward.

She may not have always given me what I wanted, but she’d always been reasonable.

This seemed entirely out of character.

“What is going on?”

She ignored me and continued.

“If you can’t write this, don’t bother submitting your next recommendation piece, either.”

I stood, not believing what I was hearing.

“‘Benefits of Magic’ is a staple. You can’t go without it.”

Her smile didn’t meet her eyes as she replied.

“It is, but I don’t need you to write it.”

I clenched my teeth.

“Alright, then.” My wind rustled inside me.

It wanted to burst free and wreak havoc with the papers on this desk.

At least this kind of reaction was one I could still control.

I wouldn’t show Patricia my emotions.

It was clear that wouldn’t make a difference.

I wouldn’t tell her that this job was the one thing that kept me from my parents’ leash.

Writing “Benefits of Magic” funded my apartment and granted me distance from my parents’ destructive opinions.

None of that would matter to Patricia.

Something was forcing her hand.

I shook my head in frustration.

Writing a piece about anyone—especially Luna’s father—that I knew to be false was unacceptable, as was returning to Andiveron House.

I’d figure something out.

“This is simply the way of things,” she said, dismissing me.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled at the familiarity of the phrase.

“Both drafts on my desk by the end of the day.” She didn’t glance up at me as she waved me away.

Her focus returned to the notes before her.

I grabbed my things and left the office.

Unfortunately, I knew what I had to do next.