Page 2 of Fairy’s Forbidden Touch (Wings & Whispers #2)
Two weeks into my new job at Moonlight Brews, and I’d settled into a rhythm of sorts. Wake up at noon on Maya’s couch, endure her daily lecture about getting my life together, arrive at the café by dusk, and spend the night serving various magical beings their preferred beverages.
The prince—Thalen—had returned every night since my first shift.
Always the same order, always the same silent observation, always alone.
I’d gotten used to feeling those violet eyes on me, though I couldn’t figure out what was so fascinating about watching me fumble through making complicated fae drinks.
“You’ve got an admirer,” Pix teased one particularly busy night, nodding toward Thalen’s usual spot.
“He’s not admiring. He’s… surveillance camera-ing,” I replied, carefully preparing a complicated order for what appeared to be a cluster of tiny woodland spirits sharing a single enormous coat.
“He never watched the other servers like that,” Pix insisted. “Trust me, I’ve been managing this place for seventy-three years.”
I nearly dropped the sugar tongs. “Seventy-three?!”
She waved dismissively. “That’s like college-age for my kind. Stop changing the subject.”
The café was unusually crowded that night—apparently there was some kind of fae celebration happening, though no one would explain exactly what they were celebrating. I was rushing between tables, trying to keep up with orders, when disaster struck.
I was carrying a tray of drinks past Thalen’s seat when a small green creature with too many arms bumped into me. I stumbled, the tray tilted, and I instinctively reached out to steady myself. My hand landed directly on Thalen’s silk-clad shoulder.
The entire café went silent. Several customers gasped. Fern dropped a teapot.
I froze, my hand still on the prince’s shoulder, waiting for the searing pain everyone had warned me about.
Nothing happened.
Thalen was staring at my hand on his shoulder with an expression of absolute shock—the first real emotion I’d seen on his face.
“I’m so sorry,” I stammered, yanking my hand away. “I didn’t mean to—are you—am I supposed to be on fire or something?”
The prince’s eyes snapped to mine, wide with confusion. “You feel nothing? No pain?”
“No? Should I?”
Around us, the café remained dead silent, every magical creature watching our exchange with expressions ranging from curiosity to horror.
Thalen stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. He was close enough that I could see flecks of silver in his violet irises, close enough to smell something like winter storms and night-blooming flowers.
“This is… unexpected,” he said quietly, almost to himself. Then, without another word, he placed payment on the counter and swept out of the café.
The moment the door closed behind him, the place erupted in whispers.
“What just happened?” I asked Fern, who was staring at me like I’d grown a second head.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “But that’s never happened before. His touch has injured everyone who’s come into contact with him since he was a child.”
“Maybe he’s fixed whatever makes him all burny?” I suggested.
Fern shook her head. “Wild magic can’t be ‘fixed.’ It’s part of what he is.”
The rest of the shift was uncomfortable, with customers alternating between avoiding me and studying me with newfound interest. By closing time, I was exhausted and confused.
“Go home,” Pix said kindly. “Whatever that was about, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
It didn’t feel like nothing.
Maya was already asleep when I got back to her apartment. I collapsed onto the couch, replaying the moment in my mind. The shock in Thalen’s eyes. The strange electricity I’d felt when our eyes met.
What makes me different? And why do I want to touch him again?
That night, I dreamed of violet eyes and moonlight hair. In my dream, I wasn’t just touching his shoulder. My hands were exploring smooth, cool skin that warmed beneath my touch. In my dream, those perfect lips parted in pleasure, not shock.
I woke up hard and aching, tangled in the thin blanket Maya had grudgingly provided.
Great. Just what I need. A crush on a magical prince who’s been watching me like I’m some kind of science experiment.
Alone on the couch, I slid my hand into my boxers, gripping myself firmly as the dream images refused to fade. I closed my eyes, picturing Thalen’s face transformed by desire instead of his usual cool reserve.
What would it take to make him lose that perfect composure?
I stroked faster, imagining those elegant hands on me, wondering if his touch would be hesitant or commanding. In my mind, I was pressing him against the café counter after hours, my hands sliding under that pristine silk shirt to find the skin beneath.
“You feel nothing? No pain?” his voice echoed in my memory.
“Only pleasure,” I whispered to the empty room, my rhythm becoming erratic as heat pooled in my belly.
I imagined undoing each perfect button on his shirt, revealing inch after inch of that forbidden skin that apparently only I could touch. Would it be warm or cool? Would it really shimmer faintly like it seemed to around his exposed throat and wrists?
In my fantasy, I was kissing my way down his chest, feeling him shudder beneath me, those composed features finally fracturing with want. Those elegant fingers would tangle in my hair, guiding me lower.
I bit my lip to stifle a groan as I worked myself faster, pre-cum slicking my palm. In my mind, I was on my knees before the prince, looking up to meet those extraordinary eyes as I took him into my mouth. I imagined the taste of him, the weight on my tongue, the soft sounds he might make.
The image of Thalen’s head thrown back in ecstasy, silver hair cascading over his shoulders, was what pushed me over the edge. I came hard into my fist, biting down on my forearm to muffle my sounds so Maya wouldn’t wake up.
As the pleasure subsided, leaving me breathless and sticky, reality crashed back in.
Jesus, Parker. One weird interaction and you’re masturbating to fairy royalty. This job is really doing a number on you.
I cleaned up quickly and tried to go back to sleep, pushing away thoughts of what tomorrow night might bring. Would Thalen return? Would he mention what happened? Would he even look at me?
For the first time since starting at Moonlight Brews, I was actually nervous about going to work.