Page 11 of Bound By Dance and Desire

“Oh, that just that meansgoodnight.” If goodnight meant go eff yourself.

He grabbed my upper arm. “Wait.”

“What are you doing?”

The high register of my voice screamed victim—but he'd startled me. First threats, now actual touches.

“I just want to talk, Han. Look, I know you don't have any friends or family in the city?—”

“I have friends. And a boyfriend.” Battery powered and definitely non lethal. “Who should be here any minute, so get your hand off me.”

Was I glad I was human. The Fae couldn't lie. Lies danced happily offmytongue.

“A boyfriend?” He peered at me with playground sand eyes. “I've never seen you with a man. And I know you're smart enough not to fuck around with a Fae.Areyou smart enough?”

If I kicked him, would that get me ejected from the program? Probably. I wasn't useful to anyone important, so they'd get rid of me to avoid the paperwork. Another little tidbit we'd been told during orientation. Don't draw attention—trouble being attention—and your best bet for staying in the city was to figure out how to make yourself useful to someone in power.

“But,”I'd asked.“Didn't you say not to draw the attention of any of the Lords?”

The Low Fae female lecturing us had stopped, pinned me with a look that said I was close to making a nuisance of myself, but answered,“There are only a few dozen Lords of either Court in the city. Avoid them. There are other Fae with influence and if you make yourself useful to one of them, or to a House, then your position in the city is assured. We always have room for. . .industrious mortals.”

“We recently met,” I told Larry finally.

The fear I'd felt as the Fae male stared at me was more visceral now. Larry knew where I lived. He had keys and I was alone in Casakraine. No one would protect me but me.

Larry's expression darkened with irritation. “You could be nicer. Smile a little more. I think maybe if I take you to my apartment, you'll learn how to loosen up a bit. I’m a nice guy when you get to know me. Not like those other lose?—”

“Hasannah? Sorry I'm late, darling.”

I turned, eyes widening at the soft, smooth, almost diffident voice. The Fae from downtown—the aristocratic man who'd tried to pretend he wasn't dangerous.

What was he doing here? Had hefollowedme?

I didn't believe in coincidences. Not in Casakraine.

Belatedly, I registered the bone he'd thrown me, and hoped I wasn't jumping out of a hot pan into a roaring fire.

But. . .as I met his gaze, my fear was instinctive and due to him being Fae, a warrior, and male. Not because I felt he was nice. Larry was nice enough to knock me out and chop me into pieces.

The Fae man’s eyes were gentle—at least when he looked atme. “Anah? Darling?”

He lowered his attention to where Larry held my arm and a visceral shudder ran through me. Larry released me like a hot coal.

I smiled shakily at the newcomer. “You’re not late. I just got home. It’s not a problem.”

I stressed the last sentence, because the death staring at Larry was obvious to me, even if the human man was too nice to understand that particular lack of expression. Witness to murder was the last kind of drama I needed right now.

The Fae held out a hand, fingers long and slender. I stepped forward, making my choice, and he slid an arm around me and tucked me against his side, clucking his tongue in a noise meant to be soothing.

I stiffened, then forced myself to relax, pressing a hand against my stomach. What could he possibly want with me? I was attractive in an average way, but not worth hunting down.

His hand rested in the curve of my waist, his touch light but proprietary.

“I'm called Andrei,” he told Larry. “Is there a problem?” His cool tone was a warning; there had betternotbe a problem. I looked between him and the human toad.

Larry's eyes narrowed. “You aren't on the approved visitors list.”

My estimation of Larry's intelligence plummeted, but it had been too high anyway.

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