Page 60 of Crave Me

They were both in the pool, lounging near the streaming waterfall in the corner.

Both of them were naked, which could have aroused a thousand different scenarios in my head. But it was Nyx that captivated my attention, her long, dark hair resembling silk as it fell around her in damp waves.

She tilted her head back to stare up at the moon, that glittering substance dancing along her skin and disappearing into the water.

All thoughts of tomorrow fled as I began wondering how the fuck I was supposed to survive tonight with this seductress in my bed.

“Ah, there’s our king,” Cara murmured, her pale green eyes flashing with golden flakes as she grinned at me. “You’ve been holding out on us,Your Majesty.”

“I pay you and your mate enough in magic to create your own oasis, Cara,” I said, leaning against the wall beside the pool.

“Hmm.” Her smile grew. “And speaking of Larus, I should like to return to him now.”

She stood, completely unfazed by her nudity. She often used it as a weapon, luring in her prey with her looks before sinking a blade into their hearts.

I ignored her in favor of the goddess humming a soft goodbye from the water, her gaze still on the stars above.

“I hope you keep her,” Cara informed me as she passed my leaning position. “She’s fun.”

“So you don’t mind helping her shop for clothes tomorrow?” I asked, my attention still on the beauty in the water.

“I would consider it sexist that you’re assigning a female to this task—particularly as Larus’s taste in fashion is better than mine—but I’m going to accept the offer because it involves Nyx.” She turned to give the goddess a little wave. “See you around three tomorrow, Twinkly.”

“Twinkly?” I repeated.

“She’s all twinkly like a star,” Cara explained.

“Bye, Flower Fae,” Nyx called after her, making Cara laugh out loud.

My brow furrowed. Cara wasn’t aflower faebut adeadly fae. Although, she didn’t appear all that lethal now as she giggled her way toward the door.

She grabbed a towel along the way and disappeared from sight.

“Flower Fae?” I echoed, feeling a bit like a bird repeating words.

“She thinks she’s scary, but she’s not,” Nyx murmured, her eyes finally finding mine. “But her weaponry magic is fascinating.”

“Did she try to attack you?” I wondered aloud, pushing off the wall.

“Not exactly. But she tested me.”

I moved closer to her corner, skirting the edge of my pool along the way. “By sparring?”

“By displaying her marksmanship.”

My lips curled down. “That sounds like she attacked you.” Knowing Cara, it hadn’t been a killing shot or one even meant to wound, just a warning.

Nyx shrugged. “She was demonstrating her authority.”

Those words confirmed my suspicions on Cara’s motives, but I would need to have a discussion with her later about a more appropriate approach where my fated mate was concerned.

“It’s all right, though,” Nyx continued. “I returned the favor by turning her bullet into stardust.”

I arched a brow. “Before she fired or after?”

Nyx’s mouth twitched. “Before.” The mirth in her golden irises suggested it’d been a humorous encounter. “The dust exploded all over her.”

Amusement touched my chest. “I bet that pissed her off.”