Page 16 of His Lucky Moon Mate

Binder traced the patterns on her wings, lightly skating over the veins as he touched each scale with a tenderness she could hardly conceive. His growl was constant, but she felt no threat from either his Wolf or from him. The sound softened to a satisfied hum as he moved from one to the other, then to her antennae, tracing them gently with just a whisper of a touch. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning.

Shannon never thought this sort of intimacy was possible. But there, with Binder petting her like she was something precious, she felt a connection. Like he could see her, really see her, and he liked what he saw. He made her feel special, admired, and who didn’t crave that?

She’d allowed her father to control so much of her life, Shannon hardly had one of her own. She was always running around, fixing his messes. Even now, she was only there with Binder because of her da. But before her thoughts could even go there, she shook them away.

Da shouldn’t be allowed to taint this moment.

Determined to simply be in the present, she shut everything out except for the ridiculously sexy Wolf. Not when Binder was so lovely and attentive. His long fingers touched her head, moving to her temples as he lightly smoothed down her hair, tracing it down her back until she felt them stop just below her waist.

“So fucking soft. Butterfly, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he murmured.

“Me?”

“Of course, you,” he said, chest rumbling.

The sound of his voice, slightly accented, deep, and delicious was doing the strangest things to her.

“It’s getting dark. Are we going to stay here tonight?”

“I think we should. It’s safest,” she murmured. “I-I’ll put the cauldron back. Da wasn’t here, so he might still show up.”

“I’ll hear him if he does,” Binder said, and to his credit he was looking at her eyes and not her nudity. “I know you said Fairy would change things, but my hearing is almost as good in human skin as it is when I’m shifted.”

“Really? That is strange, but good I suppose.” Shannon nodded and turned to focus on tucking the cauldron back into its magical safe.

She was aware of Binder in the periphery. He sat still, observing, but not in a leery way. She almost wished he would touch her again, but with intent. But perhaps he was right to be standoffish. She wouldn’t want him regretting any choices he made with her. Shannon wasn’t exactly blustering with confidence, and the last thing she needed was a mate who didn’t really want her. Besides, it was different for Fae. Her kind was known for playing games and tricks, and that involved devious love affairs.

Not that she was that way. But the males of her kind were not to be trusted. Not even Da. After all, she had something like ninety-eight siblings last she counted. But Shannon was the only one who gave their father the time of day. And look where that got her. She took a moment to count the hours since she’d set the spell on the casino, freezing the inhabitants in that cloaked space for a limited amount of time, typically seventy two hours.

There was plenty of food and drink to last weeks. And, feck, it was a casino, so there was plenty of entertainment, too. The employees would be fine. Sadly, this was not the first time that spell had been activated.

Ugh, Da. You’re really a bastard, aren’t ya?

“Are you okay?” Binder’s voice shook her back to the present, and Shannon shivered again.

“Um, yeah, yeah, I’m fine. All done. I’ll just, um, get dressed if you wouldn’t mind turning around,” she said, cheeks warming.

It was one thing to sit there in her true form with her hair spilling down, covering her breasts and buttocks, and quite another to struggle into her jeans with him watching. Shannon had been sitting with her legs crossed so her girly bits were hidden from view, and her long, dark tresses conveniently spilled onto the apex of her thighs, covering her nether curls.

“Sure, Butterfly. Um, I’ll use the restroom while you dress,” Binder said, unfolding gracefully from his position on the floor.

When he stood, Shannon was face level with the rather impressive bulge inside his pants, and she found it quite difficult to look away. Gulp. Holy. Feck. He was huge. Like everywhere.

“Shannon,” he said her name.

Her attention flashed back to his eyes, down to his dick, and back again when she realized he now knew where she’d been looking. Shite. Was it possible for the floor to just open and swallow her up?

“I asked if there was anything I could get you,” he repeated.

“Nope. Nuh uh. Everything is grand. I am totally okey dokey here.”

“Okayyy,” he replied, one eyebrow raised before turning around.

Ugh. Shannon bit her lip to stop her groan. Could she be any weirder?

“I’ll be right back, Beautiful.”

“Right. Okay,” she murmured, trying not to freak out.

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