The Dark Pretender
Page 15
“That’s unnecessary,” I tried reasoning with his back.
Ronin stopped a foot in front of my door and began tapping his fingers on his thigh. The signals I’d felt earlier started back up like town square bells ringing during Winter Solstice. Ronin looked way too serious all of a sudden.
“I lied about my prize for winning darts. It wasn’t buying you a drink.” My heart swelled in anticipation of his next words. When our eyes met, his face lit up with a smile. A unicorn could have jumped my gate and run through my yard, and I wouldn’t have been able to pull my gaze away from the heated look in Ronin’s eyes.
“I won first kiss,” he confessed.
“I thought you couldn’t lie,” I said, deflecting from the topic of the kiss to give my head a moment to stop screaming, Ronin wants to kiss me!
Ronin stopped drumming his fingers on his thigh and lifted his head up high. “I’m half elf.”
“And half Fae.”
He shrugged.
“So, you can lie,” I said, letting the information sink in fully.
“It’s a well-kept secret, but we trust you, Zelie.”
My belly warmed at that, flattered that he’d confided in me. Lark certainly hadn’t during years of childhood friendship. At least he’d never used my ignorance to trick me—that I knew of—but I’d believed I was Lark’s closest non-family friend growing up.
It no longer mattered. I didn’t want to think about Lark. I’d gotten over him years ago. Right now, I needed to figure out how I felt about Ronin.
“Hold up,” I said. “You and Reed both want to kiss me?”
Ronin grinned. “Well, yeah. We have since forever.”
I blinked. “And you let a game of darts decide who got to make a move?”
Ronin kept his eyes locked on mine. “On who kisses you first. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but Reed cannot kiss you until after I have. I’m sure he’d appreciate it if we kissed soon so that he can have his turn.”
My eyes widened. The twins wanted to take turns with me. Thinking of their two fathers sharing one female brought the heat level in my cheeks to full blast.
Placing my hands on my hips, I took a step directly in front of Ronin. “What’s next? Jousting to see who gets to have me first in bed?”
It was Ronin’s turn to blush. With his bronzed skin, it was more of an alluring glow. Damn him!
He glanced briefly at the ground before lifting his thick lashes to meet my gaze. “I, uh . . . Is that an option?”
I smacked him lightly across the chest. “No.”
Ronin’s face fell. Even sulking, he looked adorable. He leaned back. As he slowly turned away, the gaiety I’d felt seconds before slipped off into the night.
“Well, I guess I’ll get out of your hair. Good night, Zelie.”
I didn’t know if it was the beer feeding the butterflies in my belly, but the youthful half-Fae was too enticing to let go of that quickly. “Wait,” I said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I grabbed Ronin’s buff arm and pulled him to me. His skin sent icy pinpricks shuddering through my body, but it was the intensity of his eyes on mine that drove the strongest shiver quaking down my legs to my toes. Ronin brushed my hair over my shoulder, taking his time to tuck it behind my ear. My neck and lobe tingled from his gentle touch. I put my hands on his neck as his arms circled my waist. I couldn’t look away as he leaned in. We were frozen on one another as our mouths met.
Ronin’s lips were pleasantly warm and soft. He took his time, like he knew what he was doing, surprising me further. I tilted my head as the kiss deepened. Our tongues touched briefly before retracting. Ronin’s hands moved from my hips to hold me by my neck. I slid my fingers to his shoulders, gripping him as my lashes fluttered closed.
The frogs chorused as we kissed on my doorstep. I felt lightweight, like I was dreaming one second, then fully awake and alive the next. Everything around me came into sharp focus, from the bright crescent moon and sky full of stars above our heads to the dark cottages cloaked in shadows. Blades of unruly grass tickled my bare ankles.
With nothing to lean against, we clung to one another, making out like we were savoring our last meal. Our breaths grew heavy, but Ronin didn’t pause. I kept kissing him back. I couldn’t stop. This felt like the first time I’d been truly kissed, and it was sending my ovaries into orbit.
I pulled back to say, “I am not inviting you inside.” I was pleased with the steady pitch of my tone.
“I’m not asking you to,” Ronin replied, gaze dropping to my swollen lips.
Recapturing my mouth, Ronin pulled me in closer against the firm plane of his toned chest. The tip of his tongue brushed mine. When I moaned, he went still for a fraction of a second, drawing breath. His arms encircled my waist. His hands gripped my lower back. I had to stop myself from gyrating against him like some old perv who hadn’t gotten laid in weeks.
Easy, girl.
Absolutely not opening the door to this dark-haired prince of Faerie. Nope. Nope. Nope.
“I am not inviting you inside,” I said again, but I was pretty sure he knew I was saying it to myself, not to him.
###
Continue THE ICE TWINS.
For more laughs, be sure to read The Dark Pretender Bloopers next.
BLOOPERS
Conall was supposedly my great love. Had I been lying to himself? To him?
(Double lying to him . . . and himself. Poor Conall.)
Backing me against the ball, Helio’s lips brushed over the shell of my ear.
(Roll that bastard over and toss him out like a pit, Fraya!)
Taine snorted. “Aren’t your uncles faeries? I’d think you’d be more tolerable.”
(“She’s tolerable I suppose.” Shout out to Mr. D!)
I had done a convincing job of convincing my family I loathed my Fae ex—that I would gut him if given a second chance.
(“Hey, guys. Have I convinced you to be convinced?”)
Alok chuckled, handling the bow back. “I don’t see archery in my future.”
(Right. He “handed” it back because he can’t “handle” it.)
“I trust you won’t let my future bride ought of your sights while I lead the hunt.”
(You “ought” not let her “out” of your sights … or Helio will pitch a fit.)
I forced myself no to tap my booted toes while he saddled my horse, Evening Star.
(Just say “no” to Helio, Fraya! Do “not” stick around for this pit head.)
His lips were pursed when he faced me. His sister paused, silver tongues in her pale fingers.
(Is this some kind of Fae delicacy I never heard of before? Hard pass. I don’t eat meat, and that includes tongues.)
He interested a third finger and set his thumb to work rubbing my nub.
(“Hello, Alok’s fingers! Can I interest you in joining the party by inserting yourself?”)
When I finally released myself, the whole world turned ride-side-up once more.
(Just enjoying the “ride.” Oh, behave!)
“What it is that?” she asked slowly.
(Brain re-arrange.)
I took long strides across the long like I meant to lose the asshole along the way.
(Whoopsie daisy. Lawn. Must have been a longggg writing day.)
“Where is my steward?” Helio demanded, as though one of the guests would be cable of answering.
(Sorry, no cable at Amberhill. You will just have to entertain yourself with drinking, dancing, eating, sleeping, riding, swimming, sports, games, socializing, and smoochies. Tough times.)
“First I need a blow and arrow.”
(Umm. Get your mind out of the gutter!)
Mom looked only at me as she rushed over and clasped me in my arms.
(Stop trying to hug yourself, Fraya! Mommy’s here.)
“No way, we’re sharing. Have you not heard a work I’ve spoken?”
(I’m a morning person and find I make more mistakes when I work late—“work”
being the problem in more ways than one. It was after 9 PM when I made this mistake. Even in my twenties, my friends used to joke when we’d get together on weekends, saying, “Uh, oh. It’s past Nikki’s bedtime,” any time after 9. I mean, Alok and Fraya were getting ready to turn in for their first night trapped in a cell together. So should I. Then again, I was wondering if they were going to get naughty. I decided to wait until morning to find out.)
A troop of females in iridescent pants and shimmery halter tops had thrown purple and teal glitter from shiny urns by the handfuld at everyone they passed.
(I don’t know what to say about this one, except that it was Christmas day—2019—and I was drinking bubbly wine. Merry Christmas, yo! Is it 2021 yet? Can Alok portal me to a new year?)
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Oh, blackberries! This was the darkest of all the Royal Conquest Heirs novellas. Melarue’s children have lived a relatively sheltered life of privilege. Meanwhile, Alok and Fraya’s love story swallowed me inside a black hole.
This book’s dedication came from a deeply personal place when life became such a maelstrom of loss and hardship that I no longer recognized myself. In the past, I was always an optimistic person but sometimes life heaps on so many pits it feels like there is no silver lining, only endless shadows stretching across the vast landscape of the soul.
My heart bled for Alok and the bleak existence he had been forced to live since that fateful night from Holiday Crown. Fraya learned a brutal lesson at a young age that, even with an abundance of love and support from family, there is no sure shelter from tragedy.
As I type this author’s note, we are all, as Alok was in Hailshadow Manor, under house arrest during an unprecedented world-wide pandemic. While there is no portaling to a realm beyond here, I hope your mind has enjoyed a romantic escape to the elven and Faerie realms.
Thank you for reading the Royal Conquest Heirs! This saga has been a passion project from the beginning, and it gives me great delight to continue with the second-generation characters. I am so excited for you to see what happens next. If you think chilling elemental powers aren’t smoking hot, think again!
xo, Nikki
April 2020
NEXT UP: The Ice Twins
Wanting the same female as your twin brother is a big problem, unless you decide to team up.
Ronin
Reed and I have loved Zelie for years, but the age gap—and her stupid boyfriend Ren—made anything other than friendship appear impossible. When Ren screws up, my brother and I are ready to make a move. But which one of us gets first kiss?
Zelie
Life is sweetberries and cream, until my boyfriend dumps me only days before our class reunion ball and my dream job is handed to someone way less qualified. My parents are too busy worrying over their endless war on ogres to notice or care. Looks like I’m going to be single forever.
When Reed and Ronin Elmray start coming around, I attempt to laugh off their advances. But the troublesome twins aren’t playing around, and I’d have to be blind not to notice they’ve grown into attractive adult males. I know better than to fall for their flirtations, even if they’re experts at making me shiver in all the right places.
Reed
After years of pining after a female elf who treated me and my brother like pesky younger siblings, Zelie’s resistance is wavering. But the fun’s about to end. Ronin and I have a responsibility to use our elemental powers for more than snowball fights. Taking the heroes road is a hard one, especially when a prince’s first duty should always be to his future princess.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Najla Qamber knocked The Dark Pretender cover design right out of Highbloom Park. My list of requests went something like this: black cover, golden embellishments, a throne with arrows firing at it, chains, solar eclipses, a crown, and—if you can find a place for it—a sunflower because that’s what Goldendale is known for. It doesn’t have to have a sunflower, but if you find a place for it that would be fantastic. (Did you notice the sunflower at the top of the cover?) Naj goes above and beyond every time.
Thank you to my editors, Kelly Hashway, and Liz Ferry, for line-by-line in-depth polishing and suggestions.
Seb, thank you for formatting this entire series with regal embellishments.
I want to thank my amazing ARC team, along with the fantabulous book bloggers who spread the magic of fictional escapism.
Finally, I want to thank my Royal Readers. You are the unicorns in my meadow. Keep on reading and dreaming!
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Slaying, Magic Making, Running Wild, and Ruling The World!
Discover your next fantasy fix with these riveting paranormal romance and fantasy titles by Nikki Jefford:
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Stakeout
Evil Red
Bad Blood
Hunting Season
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Whiteout
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SPELLBOUND TRILOGY
Entangled
Duplicity
Enchantment
Holiday Magic
WOLF HOLLOW SHIFTERS
Wolf Hollow
Mating Games
Born Wild
Moon Cursed
ROYAL CONQUEST SAGA
Stolen Princess
False Queen
Three Kings
Holiday Crown
The Golden Prince
The Dark Pretender
The Ice Twins
The Forever Princess