by Nikki Jacks
Evan bundled me into the passenger seat and I allowed myself to sink into the plush leather. I looked over the interior and noted that Evan had turned my seat warmer on. The small, but extremely thoughtful, gesture brought out a small smile.
Evan got the car turned around and headed back toward the far end of town. We got just past the town limits, and Evan took a paved turnoff. We drove through the forest for a few minutes, and as we rounded a curve, I noticed golden lights showing through the trees. The curve deposited us on a circular drive that was large enough to hold two Hummers sitting side by side.
The house was beautiful. Two stories, it spread out in two wings from a central point. It was too dark to make out the exact shade of the brick that had been used, but I could tell it was dark. Wooden shutters framed the oversized windows. There were steps leading up to the front door that looked to be made of the same brick.
The second story featured a wrap-around verandah that sported French doors every so often. I figured these were guest rooms with access to the verandah. I thought about the French Quarter and how verandahs would be packed at Mardi Gras. Tourists would crowd in to watch the parades. They were usually too drunk to appreciate the history and culture behind the different parades. Instead, they were too focused on drinks and collecting beads to care.
Shaking off my maudlin line of thought as Evan opened my door, I stepped out of the car and inhaled. I was greeted with the scent of pine, snow, and cold air. It was intoxicating and invigorating all at once. Evan placed a hand on my back and led me to his home.
The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. While large, the house was cozy and lived in. Decorated in neutrals with splashes of greens and golds, it was like being outside in the deep woods with rays of sunlight or beams of moonlight hitting in places. The entryway opened up into a larger central foyer. To the left there was a closed door I assumed would be a home office.
As we moved deeper into the house, we stepped into a large front room. There was a large river stone fireplace bracketed by floor to ceiling windows. An overstuffed couch faced the fireplace. Set at angles to allow someone to look at the fire or the people sitting on the couch were a loveseat and an armchair that would easily allow two people to snuggle.
The furniture was a dark brown, while the area rug underneath was deep-piled and a grassy green color. The effect was comforting and welcoming. I looked around, noting artwork that could not have been created by human hands. I wasn’t even sure it was created on Earth!
Evan cleared his throat quietly. “May I take your coat and bag? I need to pop our dinner in the oven to warm and prepare the salad. Would you like to sit in here with a glass of wine or join me in the kitchen?”
“I’ll come to the kitchen. If we’re spending the evening together, I don’t want to sit in here without you.”
Evan smiled at that and stepped behind me to take my coat off. I handed him my bag, and he draped them over the loveseat. Taking my hand, Evan led me through a door on the left side of the room. We stepped into a formal dining room. The table was large enough to seat eight comfortably and was set with the most delicate-looking china. While I knew patterns, the delicate swirls that rimmed the plates were stunning.
“Where did you find this pattern? It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“My mother brought it from the Fae Lands after I decided to settle here. She’d always intended the set to be a gift to my mate after I found her, but she got impatient. She said the room needed to know and remember Fae Lands.”
“This came from your home? Oh, Evan! I would love to see the Fae Lands and explore what their artisans can create. I assume the artwork in the living room is from the Fae Lands as well?”
“It is. My younger sister, Phoenix, painted them. She’s quite gifted, but can’t settle to do something. But enough of that, let’s get dinner going. I don’t know about you, but I’m ravenous.”
The glint in Evan’s eyes as he said that set a flame burning in my body and my earworm chiming. At the same time, my stomach gurgled loudly. The burning in my body made itself known on my cheeks as they flamed. Evan’s rich laughter boomed out as he resumed walking.
Evan
Lotus was in my home. When I’d asked her to have dinner with me, I was prepared to take her somewhere for a nice meal, maybe at Sanquis Vinum if they had an open table. To hear her say that a meal at my home was perfect was music to my ears. Not that I could tell with the mating chimes going off in my head.
I’d been concerned when I got Lotus’s text this afternoon. She was strong and stubborn. I knew something was wrong if she was admitting to being nervous with someone. I was glad I’d decided to flash to the shop and make sure everything was okay.
Not willing to leave things to chance, I’d put the tracer mark on the man and sealed the bond with my blood. If the man ever thought about Lotus or came near her, I’d know and be able to find him in an instant. While I did not relish ending a life, a part of me hoped the man didn’t heed my warning.
Shaking myself out of the flashback and thoughts of what if, I led Lotus into the kitchen. Once she’d agreed to dinner in my home, I’d taken the rest of the day off to prepare. I’d made one of my favorite dishes, three cheese stuffed shells with a rich red sauce. I had the ingredients for a simple, green salad. Paired with a crusty bread and a nice merlot, I was hoping that Lotus would enjoy herself. The bottle of wine had been open and breathing for hours and was ready for pouring.
Making my way to the small wet bar on the far side of the kitchen, I turned to Lotus. “I opened this to go with dinner, but would you like a glass now? It’s a nice merlot I enjoy with the dish we’re having.”
Lotus’s eyes lit up as she nodded. “I like a good food and wine pairing. What are we having?”
“Well, I thought I’d share my favorite dish with you, if that’s okay. We’re having three-cheese stuffed shells with the salad I mentioned and crusty bread.”
“That sounds amazing! Lasagna is one of my favorite foods, so this sounds great! Will you let me help you with the salad?”
“If you’d like.”
I handed her the glass of the rich, red liquid and turned around. I walked to a drawer and pulled out two aprons. I tied one around my waist and walked back to Lotus. She’d just taken the first sip of her wine, and as she let the flavors roll over her tongue, she moaned.
How am I going to make it through this dinner?
“Evan, this is delicious. The flavors are so rich! It’s deep and full-bodied, but I can taste the sweetness as well. Is that cherry?”
Stepping behind her to lift the apron over her head and tie it off, I bent slightly. “Yes. Cherries and a bit of chocolate make up the mid and end notes. You have a cultured palate.”
With a wry chuckle, Lotus replied, “You can’t live with my parents and not have a cultured anything. It just so happens I really like food, so learning about it wasn’t a hardship.”
I finished tying the apron, and my hands slipped to Lotus’s waist. I could feel her body starting to relax, and I hoped she didn’t relax too much. If she did, she’d feel the erection I was trying not to press into her curves.
Just as I was losing the battle with myself, Lotus’s stomach let out a loud sound. Chuckling, Lotus straightened and stepped away. “This is the second time today. I guess my body is saying fresh winter air means more food in it.”
“That would make sense. With the colder temperatures, your body needs more fuel to keep you warm.”
“Well then, let’s feed this body before it kicks up any more noise!”
I gathered the ingredients from the refrigerator. I’d already washed them that afternoon, so they just needed to be cut up. I told Lotus where to find the cutting boards and salad bowl as I grabbed knives and set them with the vegetables.
Lotus found the high cabinet with the salad bowl but was too short to reach it properly. As she valiantly tried to hook the lip of the bowl with her fingertips,
I stepped up behind her.
“Here, let me help.”
A little shudder went through my fe’yanil as I spoke. With one hand on her hip, I reached up and grabbed the bowl and handed it to Lotus. Lotus let the bowl hang from one hand as she turned to face me. Looking up through her lashes and a little breathless, she murmured, “Thank you, again.”
I ran a finger down her neck to under her chin and tilted her face so I could see her clearly. “Always, my fe’yanil.”
With the cutest scrunch to her nose, Lotus asked me, “What does that mean? You called me that earlier, but I was a little out of it to ask.”
“It means ‘beautiful blossom’ in Fae. That’s what you are to me: a beautiful blossom.”
Giving a small, derisive laugh, Lotus replied, “Beautiful, sure. You know that lotuses grow in mud, right?”
“Even in the muck and mire, beauty can bloom. You may not see it, but you are beautiful. Lance, Drake, and I are going to help you bloom here, Lotus.”
28
Lotus
Dinner was delicious, even if I hadn’t really tasted it. The flavors were so rich and robust, I couldn’t help but notice them. What kept me from focusing on the taste completely was the rush of desire flooding through me. From Evan’s heat behind me as he tied my apron, to the brush of his breath as he spoke into my ear. When Evan stepped behind me to grab the salad bowl, I felt small, but in the cute, feminine way.
Again, his breath on the back of my neck sparked something in me, and I wasn’t able to stop thinking about Evan behind me, his breath hitting just behind my ear, one hand on my hip as he sunk into me. My fae was so composed and exuded all the maturity one would expect with someone so much older.
We finished dinner and took our wine into the living room. We settled on the couch, each angling to see the other. The room was cozily warm and the flickers of light playing over Evan’s features were entrancing.
We talked about everything and nothing, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted Evan to lean over and kiss me. My earworm had been getting louder the longer we’d lingered over dinner, and it was making it hard to focus on Evan’s words and my responses.
“Lotus? Are you okay? Are you getting tired, do you want me to take you home?”
I couldn’t have kept the words back if I’d wanted to. “No, Evan, I want you to kiss me.”
Evan
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Lotus had a faraway look on her face, but there was no hesitation in her voice as she told me she wanted me to kiss her. Throughout the evening my part of the mating chimes had been getting louder, reaching to blend and harmonize with Lotus’s. The short time the two had blended in Lotus’s shop earlier had been overwhelming. The harmony was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard, and I couldn’t wait until we were fully bonded. We’d both hear the chimes play one more, glorious time before they faded away, but the song would be like nothing we’d heard before.
Not wanting to disappoint my mate and unable to deny myself, I took her wineglass and set it on the coffee table with mine. I grabbed Lotus’s hips and pulled her to me. Cupping the back of her head, I slanted my mouth over hers.
Lotus gave a little moan and opened to me. In a move that surprised me, she slung a leg over mine and straddled me. With her positioned like that, I was able to place one hand at the small of her back. I pressed in and caused her to arch her back. Even through her sweater and bra, I could feel the pebbling of her nipples. With her sitting atop me, there was no way to hide the erection that I’d been ignoring all evening. Lotus’s heat caused me to swell even further.
Lotus pulled back and dropped her forehead to mine, breathing raggedly. “Evan, I want you.”
“Lotus, fe’yanil, I want you too. But this is our first evening alone together and I don’t want you to think I brought you here just for sex.”
“I know you didn’t, Evan. I feel like I’m going to combust if I don’t have you now.”
Lotus’s voice had turned into a kind of keening sound, and I realized that the mating bond would be working on her. The drive to complete the mate bond was strong in many species. With Lotus being a witch, she didn’t feel the bond the way shifters or other supe species did. The combination of the bond magic and fae mating charms would be compelling her to complete her bond with me.
I knew she wasn’t ready for that yet, but I could help ease her need and mine without completing the bond. To complete a fae mate bond, both parties had to verbally acknowledge the other was their mate. So long as that didn’t happen, they could have sex with no worries. The bond chimes would continue to ring out, but if the couple was strong enough, they could take time to get to know one another before being tied together forever.
Searching her eyes to make sure she was thinking clearly, I asked, “Are you sure, Lotus? Tonight was no strings attached. I just wanted to spend time with you.”
In answer, Lotus sunk her hips lower on my crotch and rocked back and forth.
With that, I couldn’t restrain myself any longer. Cupping under the globes of Lotus’s beautifully curved ass, I stood and started walking toward the stairs. If this was happening, it would happen in my bedroom, not on my couch like teenagers trying to get a quickie in before someone’s parents made it home.
At the top of the stairs, I headed to my room. Lotus had been kissing my neck and nibbling on my ear. Giving her a squeeze, I ground out, “Fe’yanil, you need to stop. We don’t want this over before it begins.”
At my words, Lotus ground against me and replied, “I’m sure we can warm up before the main event, right?”
I groaned, knowing that Lotus was going to kill me before the night was over. I stepped into my room and kicked the door closed behind me. I didn’t bother with the lights. I’d left the heavier drapes open, and moonlight was spilling into the room. It was more than enough light for me to make it to the bed.
I leaned over the bed and reached behind me to unhook Lotus’s ankles. Gravity pulled her torso to the bed and unhooked her arms from my neck. Standing up, I took in the sight of my mate, my fe’yanil, laid out on my bed. Her eyes were fogged with lust, and it was all I could do to keep myself from ravishing her like a feral beast.
“Don’t move,” I ground out as Lotus started to squirm. I turned from the bed and walked to the fireplace on the wall opposite from my bed. I didn’t need the heat, but Lotus might. I quickly lit the logs I had laid out and turned around. I wanted to see Lotus’s skin in the moonlight before the fire created too much light. I quickly returned to my bedside to see that Lotus had listened and stayed in place.
“Oh, my fe’yanil, how sexy it is to have you obey me in here. One day you won’t, and we’ll have a different kind of fun then.”
Lotus’s pupils dilated further as I spoke, and I suspected my mate might enjoy a little light spanking. We’d explore together to find what she liked, and I would make sure to give it to her.
I removed the cute little boots Lotus had been wearing and tossed them toward my closet. Running my hands up the outside of her legs, I reached the fastening of her jeans. I opened them and hooked my fingers inside, making sure to grab her panties as well. I slid both items from her body and stood mesmerized. At the apex of the thighs, I could see the glistening of her arousal.
I wanted to feast on her for my dessert. I was sure she would be more delicious than any confection Lance could create. Kneeling on the bed, my thighs caging her body, I ran my hands under her sweater to caress the smooth skin of her torso. The silken texture that met the pads of my fingers electrified me. Lotus’s body was a thing of tactile pleasure.
I slid the sweater up, and Lotus sat up to allow me to pull it off. While she sat upright, I reached behind her and released the hooks of her bra. I would have loved to spend a few moments enjoying the sight of Lotus in her lingerie, but I was too consumed with the thought of seeing her unclothed to linger.
Laying her back down, I regained my feet so I could take in her whole body.
The moonlight was glinting off her legs, giving them an ethereal glow, while the fire had gained enough heat to throw light onto her upper half. Her deep, auburn colored hair shimmered with subtle, gold highlights. Her eyes stood out, bright and luminous. The firelight created shadows in the dips and hollows of her body, but perfectly illuminated her breasts: full and generous.
I couldn’t hold off any longer. I pulled off my clothes and joined Lotus on the bed.
Braced on one elbow, I ran a hand over Lotus’s body. I traced lazy patterns, watching her skin pebble and her nipples tighten even further. Drawn like a magnet, my hand closed around Lotus’s breast, and I gloried in the feel. Soft and giving, Lotus’s breasts were made for a man to worship. Her areola was a rose color in the firelight. Her nipple had puckered and tightened, begging for attention. Not one to disappoint, I leaned over and suckled hard.
Lotus’s sharp intake of breath clued me in to how responsive she was going to be in bed.
“Evan, please.” The whine in Lotus’s voice drove me to continue exploring her body for as long as I could hold out.
Leaning back over, I blew a small stream of cold air across her nipple, and before she could finish the moan that escaped, I’d pulled the bud into my mouth and flicked at it with a stiffened tongue. Lotus’s moan continued, and she writhed on the bed.
I felt Lotus’s hand fist in my hair, holding me to her body. With my hand free, I rolled her other nipple between my thumb and forefinger. I gave a little pinch and did not miss the way Lotus’s breath hitched and her thighs rubbed together. Unable to resist any longer, I snaked my hand down my fe’yanil’s body and dipped between her thighs. Spreading herself wide, Lotus’s hips arced up, searching.
“Evan, please, I need you!”
At her plea, I traced my fingers along her petals. She was slick with her desire, and I couldn’t resist releasing her nipple to lick my finger. I groaned at her taste. She was sweeter than any honey I’d had, on Fae or Human Lands.