Page 69 of White Little Lies

But that wasn’t really in my wheelhouse. I would have to leave the mind reading to devils, and the forging of new paths to me.

Gods help us all.

Epilogue

I stoodin the kitchen with Sebastian, drinking a cup of coffee with delicious, delicious cream. The cream had been my addition, and was currently the only thing in the fancy refrigerator. He set his cup on the counter, sliding it across the white marble away from the edge. Today he wore a black shirt rolled up to his elbows. When he wore darker colors, it was apparent that his hair was actually perfectly black, no hint of any brown or highlights.

He watched me with his usual calm expression. “Don’t forget your promise.”

I lowered my coffee cup. “Yeah, yeah.” I had agreed to stay in the apartment for the day. Just a promise, no contract. I had been shocked he actually believed me, but maybe he knew that him believing me would make me actually do it. “But you better come back and tell me the second you learn anything from the fae.”

He couldn’t actually go into the Crystal Vale, but there were other parts of the city frequented by the fae. Our next order of business was to find out who had cast the glamour to hide me from my mother. To aim a glamour at a certain person, they would need to actually know that person, which meant they knew my mom. It was as good a lead as any, beyond hopping around to every near realm in search of her.

That would be our next task, once I figured out how to travel somewhere without one of the guys being on the other end.

He continued watching me.

“Crispin will be here,” I huffed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The elf in question had gone out for food. We would be spending the day practicing magic, and maybe watching a few movies.

Hey, it was going to be a long day being stuck inside. Might as well make the most of it.

“We should talk about the connection binding us.”

My eyebrows lifted at his words, because he had been avoiding all discussion of it since we got to the apartment. I had a sneaking suspicion being magically connected to someone made him uncomfortable.

And now it was makingmeuncomfortable, what with him watching me so intensely. “I don’t know what it is. Just that it’s getting stronger.” I forced myself to meet his eyes.

He had moved closer, and now took the coffee cup from my hands to set on the smooth marble counter.

“What are you—”

His hands went to my waist, pulling me forcefully against him. I gasped, my spine betraying me as it arched for him. The magic was already kicking up between us, casting a red and purple glow on the white marble countertop.

His lips pressed against mine, assertive and hungry. I groaned against his mouth, and I could feel my veins turning molten with inner light as he gripped my hips and hoisted me onto the countertop.

And then he was back against me, my jeans-clad legs open around him. He fed at my mouth, one hand sliding up my thigh until he hit the middle seam of my jeans. His thumb slid lower, applying pressure and almost making me orgasm right then and there.

Some small little voice in the back of my head told me I was being an absolute idiot, but the golden cord between us seemed to pulse. I knew if I opened my eyes I would just see the purple and red lights, but with them closed, I felt like I could see the cord too, binding us together.

His thumb rubbed against me as he slowly leaned me back across the counter. He abruptly moved his opposite hand gripping my hip to pull me firmly against him. Feeling him hard through our pants, a trickle of reality settled in. This was going to happen, right now, on Sebastian’s kitchen counter.

He leaned over me, sliding one hand behind my neck to pull me up for another kiss. His lips were scalding against mine, claiming me in every way.

He pulled away enough to meet my eyes. “Do you want this?”

The question was so unlike him, I didn’t know what to say.

But my stunned silence seemed to be enough for him. His dark magic pulsed over my skin, lifting my shirt lightly enough for the fabric to tickle. I squirmed as I lifted my arms, the motion pressing him more firmly between my legs, making my breath hitch.

Once my shirt was gone, he looked down at me like I was a delectable feast before him, just as his magic found the clasp on my bra. It came loose and slipped from my chest, prompting Sebastian to use his hands to remove the straps from my arms.

He tossed the bra away with one hand, stroking his other on the inside of my wrist before lacing his long fingers with mine.

He pinned my hand to the counter, pressing himself over me as the other smoothed across my breast. His lips hovered just over mine. “Do you want this?”

My body was on fire with his touch, that golden cord pulsing, tugging things lower. It was all I could do to nod my head.

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