by Emma Roman
She ran her hands over the brown shirt. Yep, it was as soft as it looked—and now that she looked closer, she saw it was shot with gold thread. “You could be a fricking male model.”
“Thanks.” A faint flush heated his cheeks, and he hurried to say, “My mom bought the shirt—it was a solstice gift.”
Jenny grinned. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Chico embarrassed.
But he recovered quickly, stepping closer to stroke his hands down her silk-clad hips. “Damn, this is sexy. It’s like you’re practically naked. What the hell do you have on under there, anyway?”
“Something tight and way too expensive and”—she put her mouth next to his ear—“no panties.”
“No panties?” he asked in a strangled voice.
“Nope. No panty lines, you see.”
He groaned against her neck. “Don’t tease me, woman.”
She giggled. “But it’s so fun.”
She slid her hands under his leather jacket to the silky shirt beneath. The hard muscles of his back flexed under her hands. He nipped her neck and she gave a hum of pleasure and dug her nails into his back. Just a little.
He sucked in a breath and rubbed himself against her. “I knew you had claws,” he said against her skin. “I pegged you for a cat right from the start. And all I could think about was making you purr…”
He pressed kisses to her throat, her mouth, her eyes, and then grasped her ass, pulling her flush against him as his mouth came down on hers again in a series of deep, drugging kisses that left her wobbly at the knees.
They were both a little flushed when he released her.
“Mm,” he said. “Valentine’s kisses are the sweetest.”
“They are.” She smiled back—and slid the rest of the way in love.
Oh, lord. She closed her eyes. Way to complicate things, Jenny.
His nostrils flared and she was afraid he’d scent something different, so she released him and turned to the closet. “I’ll just get my things.”
She put on her coat, grabbed her purse and turned around to see him waiting, hands in his pockets, a perplexed look on his face.
Her heart clenched. She dragged in a breath and busied herself buttoning up the coat.
Max had been winding his way in and out of their legs. Now he let out an imperious meow, and Chico bent to scrub a hand over his furry head. “Yeah, yeah, I see you, big guy. How’s life treating you?”
And that was another thing she loved about him—how he talked to Max like he was a person. She’d say it was a shifter thing, except that she did it, too.
Chico stood back up and removed a foil-wrapped box from his jacket pocket. “I almost forgot—happy Valentine’s Day.”
For that, he earned another kiss. “Thank you.” She removed the wrapping paper and gasped. Inside were eight chocolate truffles in different flavors—dark, milk chocolate, dusted with chocolate powder, and two that had been rolled in some kind of crushed nut. “Oh, Chico. These look so good.”
“They’re handmade by a candy store in north Baltimore. My mom says they make the best chocolate in Maryland. Try the one with crushed almonds.”
She removed it from the box and tried a bite, and then briefly shut her eyes as the rich flavor of dark chocolate and almonds filled her mouth. “Oh…that is good. Here—have a taste.” She put the other half to his lips.
“Okay, but just this one. Those are for you.” He ate his half of the truffle, and then gave her a chocolate-flavored kiss. “I’m glad you like them.”
“I do. Thanks so much.” She put the lid back on the box and said, “I’ll just put these in the refrigerator, so that Max doesn’t get into them.”
When she returned, Chico crooked an arm at her. “Ready, babe?”
She swallowed. The butterflies were fluttering again, but she wrapped her hand around his bicep and smiled up at him. “Let’s do this.”
The Rising Sun Fae compound was north of Grace Harbor on the opposite side of the Susquehanna. They drove over the bridge and up Route 40 before turning east onto a private road.
The gate was open, and Chico drove right through. There was a brief prickle, and Jenny glanced around uneasily.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “That was just the ward.”
“The ward?” she repeated faintly.
“Yeah. It keeps intruders out. We’re on the guest list, though, so no problem.”
“And if we weren’t?”
He slanted her a grin. “At that speed, it would’ve felt like we ran into a brick wall.”
“Okay.” She swallowed. “But we can leave whenever we want?”
“Sure—a magical ward only keeps people out. Once you’re inside, you can leave any time.”
“But what protects us from the people who are already inside?” It was a joke, but a part of her wasn’t kidding.
“Didn’t I tell you? We’re protected by the fae laws of hospitality. Break them, and the sun fae will hunt you to the ends of the earth. It’s the only way the fae can get together at parties like this. Hell, Cleia can incinerate a man with one of her fae balls.”
Jenny blinked. “And you’re just telling me this now?”
“Hey, you’re with me. You think I’d let anyone hurt you?”
“No,” she said, and squeezed his hand. “I know you wouldn’t.” They exchanged a smile.
They passed an orchard and then reached a field full of vehicles. Chico parked the SUV and came around to open the door for her. In the distance, Jenny could see a huge pink tent filled with people, and beyond, a fanciful white circular building that looked like a four-tiered wedding cake.
“That white building is Queen Cleia’s mansion,” Chico told Jenny. “She lives there when she’s at Rising Sun. The rest of the time she lives at Rock Run—that was the agreement when she mated with Lord Dion.”
Jenny nodded, awed despite herself. The mating of a fae queen and a fada alpha seemed so far from her life as to be something out of Hollywood.
All over the field, balls of light were dancing above the grass in various shades of gold, silver and pink. Fae lights.
Jenny stared at them, fascinated. She’d heard about them, of course, but this was the first time she’d seen one. They were powered by a magical, self-renewing fae energy.
A silver ball of light drifted over to them, and as they began to walk, remained nearby, shedding light on them as they followed the paved path from the field to the pink tent.
As they neared the tent, Jenny gulped.
This isn’t a fairy tale, she’d told Kym—but it sure felt like one.
She could see people who had to be sun fae: tall, slim and glittering with jewels. Here and there were big, stony-eyed men and sultry black-haired women who she assumed were river fada. The music was Celtic rock, with an Irish drum, fiddles, guitar, and a singer whose high, clear voice swirled in a ribbon of sound above the crowd.
A tall blonde drifted past in a clinging salmon-colored dress that belonged on the red carpet. Her upper arm was encircled by a gold band set with what Jenny was pretty sure were pink diamonds, and she had a chunky gold necklace around her throat. On anyone else, it would’ve been too much, but the woman was so beautiful, the jewelry was just an enhancement.
Jenny had that unreal sense of being in a fairytale again. Next to all these gorgeous sun fae, she felt like Cinderella—after the magic had worn off. “Well,” she muttered, “I wanted some excitement in my life.”
“What?” Chico gave her a puzzled look.
“Never mind. Is that the sun fae queen?”
“Her?” Chico glanced in the tall blonde’s direction. “No. I think she’s a relative, though—one of Cleia’s cousins.”
“Oh.”
Jenny dug her fingers into Chico’s bicep through the leather. With her other hand, she touched her pendant. She’d been going to wear one of her new pieces, but at the last minute, she’d strung her pendant on a gold ribbon to match her skirt and the ribbon in her hair. Now it hu
ng between her breasts, a reassuring weight.
She lifted her chin a notch and reminded herself that she was as good as anyone else here.
It was warm under the tent. A pink fae light floated by and Jenny realized it was providing heat as well as light.
Chico gave their coats to an attendant, and then smiled down at her. “Relax, babe. We can always leave in an hour or so if you’re not having fun.”
“Leave?” Jenny straightened her shoulders, insulted. “I’m fine—just a little nervous. It’s not like I hang out with fae on a regular basis.” Or ever.
His cheek creased. “That’s my girl. Here, have a glass of ambrosia.” He snagged two glasses of the sparkling pink liquid from a server, and handed one to her. “To Valentine’s kisses.” He gave her a private smile that promised all kinds of kisses to come later.
Heat curled through her. She touched her glass to his. “To Valentine’s kisses.” She took a sip and widened her eyes. “That’s…good. Really good.” Fruity, and just a little sweet.
“What does it taste like?”
She took another sip and considered for a moment. “Strawberries and oranges.”
“To me it tastes like a pineapple-coconut smoothie. Ambrosia changes flavor to suit whoever is drinking it.”
“Really?” She took a third sip. Each time the drink tasted even better. “That’s pretty cool.”
He moved the glass away from her mouth. “Just be careful—it might taste like fruit juice, but it can get you drunk just like wine.”
She nodded and looked around. The tent was huge. In the center, people were dancing on a polished wood floor. There were tables at both ends covered with silver cloths and stacked high with food and drink. Around the edges were more tables, these for diners, although most of the people who weren’t dancing were standing around talking and sipping drinks.
Chico nudged Jenny. “That’s Queen Cleia and Lord Dion.”
She followed his gaze to the couple standing at the edge of the dance floor, surrounded by a laughing group of fae and fada. They were clearly a power couple—the woman stunning in a shimmering gold-and-silver dress that matched her bright hair, the man darkly handsome with a tall, powerful physique. Jenny would’ve guessed he was the alpha even if Chico hadn’t told her—the man reeked of authority.
Then Dion set a hand on the small of his mate’s back. She laughed up at him, and his hard face softened.
They love each other.
Longing twisted through Jenny. She glanced at Chico, and some of what she was feeling must have shown on her face, because his gaze sharpened.
She glanced away and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?” He tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her expression.
“That you won’t introduce me to them. This is about as close as I want to get to someone who can incinerate me.”
He let out a spurt of laughter. “All right, I won’t. Not tonight, anyway. Cleia’s good people, though. You’d like her—everyone does.”
She pursed her lips doubtfully. “If you say so.”
A river fada couple caught sight of Chico and their faces lit up.
“Chico.” The woman waved at them.
Chico grinned back and steered Jenny toward them. “That’s my mom and dad.”
Jenny gave them a tentative smile. The woman was average height and a little plump, with straight brown hair and a round, sweet face. The man was big and sturdy looking, with Chico’s olive skin and short dark curls.
Chico walked into his mother’s open arms. “Mamãe! And Pai.” They spoke a few words in Portuguese and then Chico turned to Jenny and switched smoothly back to English.
“This is Jenny,” he said, and she was stunned—and honored—at the pride in his voice. To her, he said, “I’d like you to meet my mom, Senhora Belinda, and my dad. His name is Frederico, but everyone calls him Fred. I have an older sister, too, but she lives with her mate in Rhode Island.”
Belinda took Jenny’s hands and kissed her on both cheeks. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Jenny smiled back. She had the feeling she was going to like Chico’s mom. “It’s good to meet you, too, Senhora.”
Then it was Frederico’s turn. He wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. “We’ve heard a lot about you, little one.”
“Really?” She looked at Chico. He’d told them about her?
He shrugged. “They wondered where I was spending all my time. My mom would’ve found out anyway—she’s worse than a shark when it comes to her children. You can’t run fast or far enough.”
His mom rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him. He’s talked of nothing else for the past few weeks.”
“Yeah?” Jenny asked, warmed.
“I knew they’d like you,” Chico told her. “Mom wants to see your jewelry some time.”
Jenny smiled at Belinda. “I’d be happy to show it to you.”
They spoke with his parents for a few minutes, and then helped themselves to some of the appetizers. As they headed for the dance floor, a river fada around Chico’s age strolled up with his arm around a woman. He was tall and broad shouldered, with long black hair held back by a leather tie and startling blue eyes. His companion looked like a woodland fairy—sun-bleached brown hair, topaz eyes, and a pointed face. Her slim body was clad in a light green dress that fluttered around her calves.
“Tiago.” Chico grinned and enveloped the man in a hard hug.
“How the hell are you, irmão?” Tiago pounded Chico on the back.
“Good, brother, good. And you? And Alesia—how are you?” Chico greeted the fairy-like woman with a kiss as Tiago turned his smile on Jenny.
“So this is Jenny?”
“It is.” Chico wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, “This is my oldest friend, Tiago do Rio, and his mate Alesia. He’s the alpha’s brother, so be careful what you say around him.”
Both men chuckled, and Tiago said, “Don’t listen to him. He knows damn well I don’t tell Dion any more than he needs to know.”
She smiled back a little shyly. The man was so big and good-looking, with an aura of power about him similar to his older brother.
Meanwhile, Alesia offered Jenny a shy smile of her own. “Nice to meet you. Is this your first fae ball?”
When Jenny nodded, the other woman confided, “Me too. Well, except for the party Rock Run threw for our mating.”
Tiago gave Alesia’s hair an affectionate tug. “For some damn reason, she finds the clan hard to take in large numbers, but she had a great time. I had to drag her out of there.”
She made a face at him. “You fada are so large and…overwhelming. Except Chico, of course.” She winked at Chico, and he chuckled.
Tiago curled his hand around her nape. “It’s a good thing I know you're teasing, woman, or I’d have to kill him.”
“Hush.” Alesia elbowed him. “What’s Jenny going to think of us?”
Jenny grinned, surprised to find she was enjoying herself. “I think you two are made for each other.”
“Good answer,” Chico said. To Tiago and Alesia, he said, “You see why I like her?” and they all laughed.
They spoke for another few minutes, and then Tiago and Alesia said goodbye and headed for the dance floor.
Chico smiled down at Jenny. “They liked you.”
“I like them, too—especially Alesia.”
“She’s pretty chill, isn’t she? Best thing that ever happened to Tiago. He was in a dark place when he met her.”
“Really?” She glanced at where the couple was dancing cheek-to-cheek. “He seems like he’d just mow down anything that got in his way.”
“It’s not so easy when the problem is inside you.”
“Ah.” Jenny nodded; she understood how that was. “But Alesia—she’s not a fada, is she?”
“No. She’s a dryad—lives in an oak tree that’s basically the coolest tree house in the world: mul
tiple rooms, a hammock to sleep on. She and her oak were born at the same time, and they can communicate with each other.”
“A dryad?” Jenny blinked. Dryads were a rare breed of fae, and notoriously shy. “Well, she seems nice.”
“She is.”
Jenny looked around her, struck anew at how different Chico’s world was from hers. His best friend was another shifter who had a dryad for a mate. If only her grandma was still alive—she would’ve liked hearing about all this. And she had a feeling her dad would’ve loved Chico.
“Who else do you know?” she asked. “I mean, other than sun fae and dryads?”
“That’s it. Rock Run prefers to stay under the radar. We didn’t even come to these sun fae parties until Dion mated with Queen Cleia. Unless you count night fae—I know a couple of those.” His face closed up. “But if you’re smart, you don’t talk about them. Fae are drawn to you when you say their name. And trust me, you don’t want to draw a night fae to you—or any fae for that matter.”
She thought uneasily of Lita and nodded. “Got it.”
After that, the evening flew by. She and Chico danced and then had another glass of the ambrosia. He seemed to know almost everyone there, and he introduced her to most of them until she lost count. The men were big and dangerous looking, but the ones who were mated were so clearly in love with their women that she felt a twist of envy.
Plenty of women came up to Chico, and a couple of them even tried to flirt with him right in front of her, but he stuck close to Jenny.
She and Chico danced again, this time to a driving beat that had everyone on their feet.
She left Chico to use the bathroom and on her way back, her skin prickled. She looked to the side and for a moment, she thought she saw Lita, dressed in a slinky scarlet gown that clung to her slim hips and breasts, making it clear she was wearing almost nothing beneath. Her fingernails were long red claws that looked like they’d been dipped in blood.
The night fae smiled. A cold curve of her lips that sent an answering chill down Jenny’s spine—and then in the next instant she was gone so that Jenny wondered if she’d imagined her.
She searched the crowd for Chico. He was dancing with a pretty, black-haired river fada, and for an awful moment, Jenny was convinced he’d ditched her for the woman laughing up at him. It rolled over her like a black cloud.