Page 13 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)

Chapter

Thirteen

Colbie

N ox picks me up in the afternoon. My grandparents can’t help but be nosy and hang around out front gardening, so I can’t avoid introducing him to them. He takes it in stride, though, shaking Grampy’s hand and telling Granny how fantastic her garden looks. It goes a long way, and Granny gives me an impressed wink as we walk away.

I chuckle as we get into the truck, and he looks at me questioningly as we drive away.

“What?” he asks, smiling, and I pat his leg reassuringly.

“You certainly know how to make a good impression. You’ve obviously done the meet the parents thing before.”

His smile drops, and he frowns. “Actually, not really. I’ve never really dated that much.”

My mouth drops open in shock as I stare at him. He has to be at least the same age as me, maybe twenty-five or twenty-six, and he’s fucking gorgeous. Women would have to be blind not to want to date him, and even then, with how good he smells, I’m sure that wouldn’t be a problem.

“Why the fuck not?” My polite filter fails me as I try to wrap my head around it, but then something occurs to me. Maybe he’s a hit it and quit it type, and he never got as far as the meet the parents stage. That makes more sense, and my stomach rolls at the thought. I don’t want to be another notch on his bedpost, but I’m not going to be able to start anything long term with him either. This is just temporary, and I guess a quick fling is exactly what I need. I let the hurt recede and decide to embrace this for what it is—a nice distraction from my life.

“I was an awkward kid and a late bloomer, and a little too nerdy for the kids in the town I grew up in. They were all into sports and the outdoors, and I preferred my books and computers. Then, when I finally had a growth spurt and filled out, I gained a reputation as a weirdo.” His cheeks blush red at his words, and I can hear the hurt in his tone no matter how casual he tries to sound.

“Eventually, I couldn’t take the taunting anymore, and I moved here. I have developed a love of the outdoors and surfing, but I like my solitude, though occasionally I do get lonely. My mom got me Stormheart to keep me company because she was worried about me. She keeps telling me people aren’t meant to be alone.”

“She’s right. I don’t have a lot of friends, but I think I’d be lost without my mom or the people I work with.”

“Well, maybe you can be my friend, at least for the time you’re here.” He sounds sad when he says this, like he knows our friendship has an expiration date. He probably thinks it’s because I will return to my life in the neutral zone, but little does he know, that’s about to change completely too.

I put my cuffs back on when I got ready earlier, and I fiddle with one as I murmur my agreement. “Of course, and maybe you can come visit me in the neutral zone occasionally,” I say, but I can tell from his reaction that’s not going to happen. We’re silent as we continue the drive to the lighthouse. The silence isn’t awkward so much as I think we’re probably both lost in our own thoughts.

When we arrive, I mentally shake myself and turn to face him. “Let’s not let thoughts of the future or the past ruin today. Let’s live in the moment and enjoy what time we have together, okay?”

The heaviness in his eyes lightens, and he nods and holds out his hand. “Agreed,” he says as I take it and shake it, a spark of static jolting us, but instead of pulling away, he holds on tight, looking down at my hand and nodding to the cuffs.

“Are you promised to someone? Those are fae mating cuffs, right?”

His hand is steady and warm in mine, but my heart races at his words. I hope he doesn’t want me to take them off so he can get a closer look.

I pull my hand from his and unbuckle my seat belt, not looking him in the eye. “No, they are just a pretty trinket my mother picked up on a shopping trip to the kingdom of Shayla. She liked the moonstones in them and said they would protect me.”

“They feel kind of magical,” he murmurs distractedly as he watches me, his gaze not leaving the cuffs.

“You can feel magic in them?” I snap, wondering if I made a mistake in assuming he is human. A human wouldn’t be able to feel magic. I can’t feel any magic in them, and I’m using them strictly because they cover my marks. Shit, maybe my marks feel magical, and he can feel that? I didn’t ask my grandparents if they felt magical to them.

He blanches and quickly shakes his head. “No, of course not, but they look kind of magical, right?” he says sheepishly before also undoing his seat belt and hurrying out of the truck.

I frown but follow him out of the vehicle. He puts his hand against my back as he guides me into the restaurant. There’s no weird static charge this time, but the breeze brings his scent to my nose, and my stomach rumbles. I have no idea what cologne he’s wearing, but the manufacturers surely knew their stuff when they made it smell like cinnamon and sugar. It’s mouthwatering, and I have a craving for cinnamon donuts.

The hostess shows us to our table and hands us menus before giving us a moment to look over them. The silence is a little awkward as I look over the menu, and Nox shifts uncomfortably in his seat before huffing out a sigh.

“Did I ruin this? Can we forget the last few minutes happened?” he asks, and I sag a little.

“Don’t worry about it. I was being oversensitive. I didn’t want to think my mother had done anything to them,” I lie, but it is plausible. “She’s always harassing me to get out and date. I wouldn’t put it past her to do something sneaky like give me magical cuffs.”

“Oh, I think fae are fairly honorable when it comes to those things. I doubt she would have been able to find someone to put a spell on them. They are kind of sacred to the fae culture. I’m actually surprised she got anyone to sell them to her.”

My eyebrows jump, but I smile. “My mother can be very persuasive. You seem to know a bit about them…”

He blushes adorably and looks down at his menu like he’s embarrassed. “Magic fascinates me. I’ve done a lot of research on the four different supernatural races. I also do a lot of work for different magical species, so it was sensible to learn all I can about them.”

He told me yesterday that he creates websites and security programs for a living. It’s why he can work from home.

“I’ve never really thought about the other races. Sure, we’re taught about shifters in school because that’s who we share a kingdom with, but it’s limited, and they are fairly secretive about a lot of things.” Which I’m cursing now, because I’ll be going into this queen thing blind. Aramis better be right when she said she gave me the tools and advisors I’ll need to get through this, otherwise I’ll be gunning for her, goddess or not. I should probably spend the next few days studying up on all my supernatural knowledge.

“I have some books you can borrow if you’re interested,” Nox offers, smiling, and I purse my lips.

“You know, I might just take you up on that. I like to expand my knowledge.” I also desperately need all the help I can get. I’m certain the queen of the shifters will have to have some kind of contact with other species. Hell, for all I know, the supernaturals intermingle regularly. I know that humans are allowed to travel within all of the kingdoms.

After that, conversation flows naturally. The food is delicious, and I indulge in a couple of glasses of wine. I do not understand how this man hasn’t dated more. He’s witty and charming and an excellent conversationalist. He is the full fucking package, and I am so disappointed I can’t spend more than a few days in his life. Whoever he ends up with is going to have a loving and devoted husband, and I kind of hate the fictional woman.

After dinner, we head back to his place to continue our game. We stop at a local bakery and pick up some dessert to have later. I study their offerings with interest. I lean toward cupcakes and muffins because they are easy and popular, but I have been thinking about expanding my range, and looking to see what is popular in other places helps me make decisions about that.

“See something you like?” Nox’s breath brushes over my ear as he steps up behind me to study the display case. I kind of feel like there might be a double meaning to his words, but I choose to focus on the pastries in front of me instead of the delicious snack behind me. There are a number of different kinds of cheesecake, a chocolate coffee torte, and four different kinds of pie.

“You can’t go wrong with any kind of pie,” I reply, my voice breathier than I intended. His body is warm against my back as his hands rest on my hips, and he places his chin on my shoulder as he makes his own decision.

“I’m partial to a piece of pie myself,” he replies, his grip tightening ever so slightly on my hips. “Should we get a couple of slices and share? I think I have some ice cream back home as well.”

“Sounds good,” I reply, squirming as my nipples harden when his words tickle my ear. I grit my teeth and hold as still as possible, even though I’d like to sink back into his heat and grind against him. I’m not sure if he’s being friendly or flirty, and I can’t see his face to read his expression.

The server bags up our order, and we also get a couple of coffees to go. The rain is drizzling again as we make our way back to Nox’s cabin in the woods.

“I don’t think I’m going to get my surfing lesson,” I grumble, staring at the ocean in front of his place when we arrive. The waves are still crashing onto the shore, and even I can tell there’s no way you could surf them.

Nox joins me, his hands full of coffee and pie, and he gives me a hip bump. “Be patient. You never know what tomorrow will bring. A shift in the winds and the swell might be perfect. Come on, let’s put these in the fridge for later and load the game.”

I turn away from the gorgeous view and follow another gorgeous sight into his house. Nox is wearing jeans that hug his ass spectacularly, and I am not sad to see him walk away from me in the least. He walks through the door, and I follow him but squeal in shock when a furry creature leaps at me, hissing and clawing at my legs. Luckily I’m wearing jeans, otherwise Stormheart would have done some damage.

“Stormy, no,” Nox scolds, hurrying to put down his bundle as I try to nudge the attacking cat away from me. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what has come over him.” He hurries back and lifts the cat away from me. He glares at me over Nox’s shoulder as he carries him to his cat tree, scolding him for his behavior. I feel such loathing and judgment from the animal. It’s weird, I’ve never had a pet, but this doesn’t bode well for me being a queen to the shifters if I can’t even get a domestic cat to like me.

“No harm done. I guess I am intruding in his space. He usually gets you all to himself.” Nox quickly dumped our pie and coffees on a small table inside the door, so I grab them and carry them over to the kitchen, popping the pie in the fridge for later then grabbing our coffees. I take a sip from mine. It’s a caramel latte and just the right amount of sweetness I needed. Nox finishes soothing his cat, and I hand him his own hazelnut latte. He takes it before turning his attention to loading our game.

I toe off my shoes and take a seat on the sofa, bringing my legs up underneath me and just watching him. His body is pure poetry in motion, elegant and graceful as he moves around his home.

“See something you like?” His amused voice jolts me out of my slight trance, and I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment at being caught.

“You’re pretty to watch, what can I say.” I shrug, owning my weird ways.

He winks at me. “You aren’t so bad yourself.” Nox passes me a controller and kicks off his own shoes before joining me on the couch. It’s fairly large, but he sits right next to me so our sides are touching. I can feel the heat of his body through my clothes, and I can’t help the shudder that rolls through me. He seems to run hot, and I can imagine what his naked skin would feel like against mine—toasty warm.

He must see it and mistake it for being cold. “Are you cold? Do you need me to light the fire? I don’t feel the cold very often, so I don’t usually bother lighting it.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m okay,” I reply, but he reaches for a folded blanket at the end of the sofa and shakes it out before placing it over my legs.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you getting sick or using the excuse of being cold for letting our team down,” he teases me.

“You just worry about keeping up with me,” I retort, and we turn our attention to the game.

I’m not sure how much time has passed, but eventually, I need to get up and use the bathroom. It’s dark outside now, and the only light in the cabin is from the screen. I pause the game in the middle of a fight scene, unable to wait any longer.

He looks at me, his brows wrinkled with confusion. “What’s wrong? We almost had them.”

“Ugh, I need to pee, I’m sorry.” I throw the blanket off, but I get tangled and end up falling into his lap. My breasts press against his chest, and my lips are only inches from his.

We stare at each other for a second. I think we’re both shocked into stillness, but then it’s like we both come to the same decision and close the gap between us. Our lips clash together as his hands circle my body and tug me into a better position. I groan, partly because my bladder aches, but mostly because he can kiss like the devil. His tongue tangles with mine, slowly and sensually, and he drags his teeth across my bottom lip before nipping. As much as I want to enjoy this kiss, I have to pull away, because I will literally wet my pants.

We’re breathing heavily, and his eyes are foggy with lust when I push myself off him. “As much as I want to continue this, I really need to pee.” I grimace and try to make my way through the dimly lit cabin.

A light flicks on, and when I turn back to look, he’s standing next to a lamp, adjusting himself. I make it to the bedroom quickly now that I can see, and I can’t stop the smirk that crosses my lips as I make my way into the bathroom. I’m pretty thrilled to see he was as affected by that kiss as I was.

I quickly do my business then flush and wash my hands. I stare at myself in the mirror, noting my eyes are hooded and my cheeks are flushed. I just hope we can continue what we started. Damn my bladder for interrupting.

When I return to the living area, he is in the kitchen arranging our pie slices on some plates. There’s a tub of ice cream next to it, and he points to it with a spoon. “Do you want ice cream with your pie?”

I feel disappointed that he’s not still on the couch. I was hoping we could continue what we started. I bite my lip and remember how his teeth felt on it, and then I decide to be bold.

I stride over to him, take the tub of ice cream, and shove it back in the freezer, then I take the two plates with the pie on them and put them in the fridge before turning my attention back to him. He’s leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, watching me with a small smirk on his face.

“I don’t know about you, but I suddenly have a craving for something else,” I tell him before palming his head and drawing him down to kiss me.