Page 8 of Festive with a Grumpy Fae

Uh-huh.“Sure.”

He grits his teeth.“I meant, I will consider your book a loan and return it to you after I’ve read it, and in exchange, you will allow me to fulfil the terms of the summoning.”

I consider his words carefully.The terms of the summoning—that was to keep me company on Christmas.So he hangs around for a few weeks, and then after Christmas, he’s gone and I get my book back?

“You’ll return it to me before you leave, even if you haven’t read it yet,” I counter, wanting all my bases covered.

He waves a hand, as though that’s a trivial detail.“Agreed.”

“Fine, then.”

Oh, fuck.Did I just agree to keep the sexy faerie around until Christmas?

“Perhaps we should adjourn to your home,” he suggests, confirming my fear.“You’re getting cold.”

I follow his gaze to my arms, which I’ve wrapped around myself.Even if I wasn’t hugging myself, the goosebumps on my skin would support his statement.

“Yeah,” I say, a little reluctantly.“I guess there’s no point staying here.”I glance around, making sure he’s collected everything.“Come on.”

The walk back to my cottage is a true lesson in humility.Even though I’m—arguably—more sober than I was earlier, the ground is just as eager to trip me up, and I stumble and stagger the whole way.In contrast, the sexy faerie glides along as though he’s walking on paving.

“You live here?”he asks when we finally reach my cottage.“It’s charming.”

I’m not sure if he’s trying to butter me up or not, because with the lamps still on inside and the windows aglow, my home really does look great.It’s cute during the daytime, but at night, it’s a cosy dream.

“Thanks,” I mutter, reaching for the door handle.“Come on in.”

It’s not until we get inside that practicality slaps me upside the head.My cottage is cute, charming, cosy… all synonyms forsmall.The main room has a functional kitchenette along the back wall, with the island chopping block I bought doubling as a work surface and a place to eat, because there isn’t room for both.The couch is too big for the room, but I like to lie down and be comfortable when I watch movies, so I bought it anyway.There are two doors opening off the main room—one leading to the bathroom-slash-laundry, and the other to my bedroom.

And that’s it.

How the fuck am I supposed to live with the sexy faerie for three weeks in a space this small?Where’s he going tosleep?

“This is very… you,” he says, and his determinedly neutral tone and expression make me think that’s not a compliment.I change my mind about offering to let him have my room.

“That’s a good thing, since it’s mine,” I snap.“The bathroom’s through there.”I point, then wonder if he even needs a bathroom.I don’t remember any of the mythology mentioning fae bodily functions, aside from sex, of course.

So many of them mention sex.

My mouth is suddenly dry, but I force myself to add, “You can sleep on the couch.”

To my surprise, he doesn’t argue, just wanders over to the bookshelf beside the TV.“Is this your library?”

“I don’t have room for many,” I say defensively.“Did you hear me?You’re sleeping on the couch.”

He glances over even as his fingers continue to run along the spines of my books.“I heard you.”

I wait for him to say something else, but he doesn’t, and I’m left standing there, braced for an argument that doesn’t come.

“Good,” I retort eventually.“I’m going to bed.”I spin around and stomp into my bedroom, but before I can close the door, my manners reassert themselves and I grind out, “Help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen.”

And then I slam the door without giving him the chance to reply.The last word might be a petty victory, but it’s mine.

five

By morning,my little victory has paled into insignificance after a night of restless sleep.That damn faerie haunted my dreams and left me lying awake for hours, my brain unable to stop churning.

As a result, when my alarm goes off I’m hollow-eyed, exhausted, and in a very bad mood.Just what I need before a busy day working retail.