Page 99 of Lust & Lollipops

“Yep!” I stuffed the things I’d gathered into the bag. Cam had to help me wrestle them down so I could get it to zip, but he did so without me asking. “Let’s get going.”

Watching him shift was incredible. I couldn’t hide my awe as he shifted from a gorgeous man to an elegant, gigantic bird. The gold on his feathers covered his entire body.

When I ran a hand down his side, he preened for me, making me laugh.

It took a minute to figure out how to get on his back, but I eventually managed. And when I did, I didn’t hesitate to lean against him.

My stomach clenched as he tensed, ready to take off, and it rushed into my throat as Cam took to the sky.

I clutched his feathers for dear life, squeezing my eyes shut as I fought off nausea. My own wings tilted naturally in response to the wind against them, but I didn’t pay them any attention.

Thankfully, I managed to keep from throwing up as Cameron leveled out in the sky. He flew much more smoothly than I expected, and after my nausea faded, I opened my eyes slowly.

We were gliding over the ocean, with tiny islands beneath us as we went. Though it scared me at first, I eventually calmed down enough to appreciate the view.

The wind rustled my hair and wings, feeling surprisingly nice against my feathers.

We didn’t have to fly for long. It must’ve only been twenty minutes later when we approached a beach I recognized too well, and saw a few familiar guys waving at us lazily.

Kyle’s shock of blonde hair caught my attention right away, and I found him grinning like usual.

And naked.

Cameron landed on the beach, but didn’t shift back. The guys there congratulated us, a few of them slapping him on the back and laughing about how he outplayed them.

I figured shifting back would be the beginning of the exhaustion he mentioned.

I noticed Rhett sitting on the edge of the sand, glassy wings sprawled behind him and a permanent scowl on his face.

Maybe Cam’s parents really had made him play. The new girl was nowhere in sight, so he couldn’t have been guarding her.

When the guys greeted me, they were nothing but polite. And the leggings and t-shirt I had on made me feel much more comfortable around them than the tiny bikini ever had.

Cam and I made our way over to Rhett after the greetings.

“So, who’s the new girl? And where is she?” I asked Rhett, scratching Cam’s feathers to say goodbye to him for a few minutes. We wouldn’t stay long, not wanting to mess with the game and risk pissing off anyone.

“Erin,” he said, giving exactly zero other information.

Hmm.

“I brought her a few things to make the island more comfortable,” I said. “I’ll go look for her.”

He nodded in the direction he thought she was, and I gave Cam one last pat before I headed off that way.

The soft sand between my toes felt much more homey than I expected.

I greeted the guys I knew in passing and waved at the one I didn’t recognize. They directed me down the beach as well, so I kept moving.

When I found Erin, she was already headed to me. Her skin was pale, her wavy, naturally red hair tied up in a ponytail on top of her head. She was built strong with killer curves, and dressed in nothing but a black sports bra and a pair of what looked like running shorts in the same color.

She raised her eyebrows when she saw me. “How the hell did they talk you into coming back here?”

I laughed. “They didn’t. I packed a few things to make your trip a little more comfortable. Any way to stick it to the Society for dropping us here.”

Her lips curved upward a little. “I can appreciate that. Thank you. Nice wings, by the way.” She gestured to the golden appendages I had a love-hate relationship with. “How is it, being a fae?”

I shrugged. “Could be worse.”

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