Page 42 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

It had always been my choice. Honestly live as I now was or commit to the lie. I’d made my decision. For better or worse. I was an aqua-colored pixie, and I was going to stay that way. It was the way I’d been born. It was the way I was supposed to stay. If it hadn’t been for my own stupidity and Jed’s insatiable addiction, that’s the way I’d still be.

“It’s not a lie,” I said. “It’s not,” I tried to convince myself. “It’s who I truly am. It’s nothing more than makeup and really good lighting.”

Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I forced determination into every beat of my heart. Propping my foot onto the bed, I yanked off Lance’s charm. The relief was immediate. I hated that feeling, that when the charm came off, my body eased, as if a weight had been removed. I detested that brief physical reprieve, reminding me that what I was doing was so much more than a bit of sparkle and eyeshadow.

“My choice,” I repeated, those words a loop within my brain, pushing me forward.

I shook Vander’s charm into the palm of my hand, my breath catching again. It was so much more refined. Comparing Vander’s work to Lance’s was like comparing a toddler’s artwork to an expert craftsman.

“Beautiful.” It was more than pretty. It was stunning.

It seemed shameful to cover such a masterpiece, but that’s exactly what I did. I fastened the strap around my thigh, prepared for the zing of pain and immediate energy drain when the stone hit my bare skin.

But the discomfort I expected didn’t come. Instead, soothing warmth echoed from the stone, radiating out and down my leg. I sucked in a relieved breath, and this time, the tears that filled my eyes were anything but sad.

Lowering my pant leg, I rushed to the full-length mirror. My eyes shot wide. “I…I’m perfect.”

I twisted, turning and pulling my hair over my shoulder. I studied the ombre shades, blending perfectly and darkening just as they should. While sifting through my hair, my fingernails caught my attention. The shade differed slightly from my nail polish, and a happy squeal peeled through my lips.

“Even my nails!” That was something Lance had never been able to get right.

Leaping into the air, my wings beat wildly. The most perfect shade of aqua pixie dust filled the room, engulfing me in a beautiful sea. My colors were exquisite. They were everything I remembered and more. I was me. In every way, shape, form, and color—I was the me I was before Jed destroyed my life.

Flying from the room, I pulled on the bedroom door with enough force to slam it into the wall. I didn’t care. If something were dented, I’d pay for the damages. I was too happy, too full of incomprehensible joy to worry about anything else. I’d been so scared when Lance’s abilities were out of commission. But thank the goddess, it had been a blessing, not a further curse.

“It’s perfect!” I flew directly at Vander, smacking into his chest.

Those long arms wrapped around me, pulling me in tight. “I’m glad you like it.” Vander’s breath whispered along the edge of my neck, warm and then cool.

Goosebumps rose across my skin, and I shivered. My cock thickened to painful levels, and it took every ounce of self-control not to rub myself against Vander’s solid thigh.

“I love it.” Those words caught, and for some reason, I felt the ridiculous need to change the final word in that sentence. Goddess, I was becoming a mess for this warlock.

He doesn’t need to knowslipped into my brain.

Maybe I could have something with Vander. Maybe I could let my guard down a little. Not enough to show Vander what I really looked like. He wouldn’t want me if I did that. But why did he ever need to know? I made enough money to keep me in charms for the rest of my life—shortened though it would be. Vander knew I was hiding something. He knew my colors weren’tright. He knew those things and didn’t care.

Or maybe he did.

As close as we were, I could feel Vander’s groin—his distinctly soft groin. While my dick was rock hard, his was flaccid. Had I read him that wrong? How?

The realization threw frigid water across my flaming libido. Pulling back, I released Vander, and he reciprocated. Painful disappointment made me want to verbally lash out, but the words died on my lips.

“Vander, are you—”

“I’m fine, just a little tired, that’s all.” Vander chuckled, low and raspy. “I’ve been working nonstop, trying to get your charm done.” His rough, large hands engulfed me, gently cradling my face. “Looks like all that hard work paid off. I’m glad you’re happy, Parsnip. That’s all I wanted. It’s worth a little exhaustion.”

I blinked. It looked like more than alittle. My colors might be perfect, but Vander’s weren’t. Skin ashen, a fine sheen of cooling sweat dampened the edges of his hairline. Vander’s eyes didn’t shine as bright, and although it was slight, a tremor danced along his outstretched arms.

“Vander—”

“No worries,” he cut me off again. “The last couple of days caught up with me quicker than I would have liked.” Glancing down at his flaccid crotch, Vander offered a contrite grimace. “Looks like the rest of tonight’s not going to go as planned.” Dropping one of his hands from my face, Vander rubbed that big palm across my plump cock. I wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d been, but my eyes still fluttered, and I thickened at his warm touch.

“You didn’t read the room wrong, Parsnip.” Leaning in, Vander nipped my ear with his teeth. “I want you. Just maybe not tonight. Don’t worry, we’ll get there, and when we do, I promise to make the wait worth it.”

“That’s a bold statement,” I teased breathily. “You sure you can live up to it?”

“Positive.”

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