Page 15 of Crowned By the Fae King

Cass was perfect. I didn't think there was any other way to describe him. He looked like someone had been told to sculpt the ideal man, then dedicated their entire lifetime to the task.

Broad shoulders. The sort of powerful chest that belonged to a man who could bench press twice his bodyweight. Thighs that demanded standing in a power stance.

Jaw-droppingly sexy didn't even begin to cover it.

I stared. He stared back.

Since neither of us were speaking, I didn't fight the urge to take him in. I dropped my eyes to his feet and slowly dragged them back up, appreciating every inch of the King of Mercy.

Someone brilliant had put him in the fae version of black leather cavalry boots and an outfit that looked like military regalia. Black pants emphasized his powerful legs, pulling against his calves and thighs when he shifted his weight. A heavy belt of silver ornamentation drew attention to his toned core, resting in the groove of his hips.

I tried not to linger, failed, and decided I'd experienced enough of his orgasms to indulge my curiosity regarding the bulge under his pants. He could handle a little ogling.

It was visible, but tastefully so. I cursed the tailors I'd just been blessing. It was very rude of them not to show off what I knew he was packing.

I made my eyes travel further north. His formal jacket had three rows of buttons up the front, dividing it into quarters, with silver braid in a willow-leaf pattern connecting the outer rows to the central one. The sword hanging at his waist looked like it had never been used, with a polished onyx cabochon for a pommel. His broad shoulders pulled the jacket tight across his chest, and the deep slit collar revealed only a high-collared gray shirt instead of skin.

His body promised brute strength. He could probably have carried me with one arm. Hell, he could probably have carried two of me with one arm, and not broken a sweat. Big hands, currently fisted. I liked the shade of his skin, a warm brown that showed the kiss of the sun.

The wings half-mantled behind him were like angel wings, if angel wings were made of blackened bronze gleaming with the same menace as a sword. The edges looked wickedly sharp, and not one of them showed any wear, not even a single scratch. They were as much a weapon as a tool for flight.

I liked that, too, probably more than I should have.

When I finally met his gaze, he was as stiff as a statue, the tension transferring to my own shoulders and spine. I took a deep breath, feeling the muscles of my chest pull, and didn't stop examining him.

That face was stern, with a square jaw and low, heavy brows. A straight nose cut vertically down his face, never broken—or, at least, showing no evidence of the breaks. His black, wavy hair was braided and pinned back in intricate whorls, but he must have been flying, because some loose strands dangled down, framing his strong face.

The eyes were the ones I'd imagined in those first terrifying moments of being bound to the Court: black-irised with dense lashes, the corners angled slightly up, set deep beneath his black brows. Flecks of gold gleamed like sparks, clustered around his pupils. I didn't remember those. They were pretty.

I wet my lips. "I have no idea what to say."

The corner of his mouth twitched back. "Nor do I," he admitted.

He had a voice as perfect as his sculpted body, deep and rumbling and a little rough. It was the sort of voice you could listen to late into the night, no matter what it was saying, just because the sound soothed the soul.

Cass took a deep breath. My shoulders relaxed alongside his, following the choices he made for his body. He gave me a half smile. "That outfit suits you," he offered, glancing sideways, "though I'm surprised Vaduin was willing to lend you his gems. I haven't known him to share his hoard with anyone but Dani."

Vaduin – who I hadn't even noticed was also present in the room until Cass' eyes flicked in his direction – grinned like a shark. "They're Dani's gems, too," he said in a wicked purr. His tail flirted through the room. "She's allowed to share them if she likes."

"And doesn't she look just lovely?" Danica said, sounding delighted about it.

Cass swallowed, throat bobbing. "Very," he said, meeting my gaze with his brows slanted and pointed ears held low.

I bit my lip. I had no idea what to do in a room like this, wearing a dress like this, while the hottest man in the world stared at me and his two best friends watched us with wolfish grins.

"Come on, princess, let's give them some space," Vaduin said. He held out his arm, looking extremely pleased with himself. "We only have a few minutes until we need to be in the sky."

She sauntered over and hooked her arm through her soulmate's. "Have fuuun," she said, putting a lilt on the word.

Vaduin laughed and swept her out of the room.

Cass and I kept staring at each other.

After a moment, Cass said, "This surely must all be bewildering."

"Honestly?" I said. "It was bewildering for about the first week or so. At this point, it's mostly a pain in the ass."

He flinched. "Ah," he said again. He worried his lower lip between his teeth. "Is there anything I can do? To make it less… unpleasant?"

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