Page 33 of Eve of the Fae

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“You didn’t know.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

The wall I’d built up to resist her broke when her lips parted under mine. I knew I should push her away, but my body wouldn’t obey, and my arms tugged her closer. She had no idea that she’d just exposed herself and her family to danger by letting the worst kind of predator in the front door. I didn’t want to spook her, and she probably wouldn’t believe me anyway. But her invitation put a gaping hole in my protection spells and now he could come back at any time.

I pulled back from the kiss to catch my breath and listened with my enhanced hearing for any sound that might let me know that git had returned. Hearing nothing, I focused my attention back on Evelyn and slid my hand down her arm to her wrist. The gold band warmed under my touch.

“Oscar gave you this?” I asked.

“This afternoon,” she said. “He said it belonged to—”

“Godda,” I said.

“Yes. How’d you know? Uncle Oscar said that she was the wife of one of his ancestors, and William the Conqueror gave it to her as a wedding present.”

I nodded. “Godda and Edric. Their story is infamous around here.” I left off how they were the reason for my presence at Lydbury.

“He also said he’d found a room in the cellar that he’d forgotten to tell you about.”

“And did you tell any of this to that—” I wanted to say “creature,” but I stopped myself. She was in my arms, and calm. I didn’t want to see that anger return to her face. So I forced myself to remember his name. “Nigel?” I grimaced.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Good,” I said. So, other than the bracelet, he didn’t know what artifacts Oscar had here. But he could return now as he pleased because he’d been invited, and my protection spells would no longer keep him out. To be safe, I needed to take a large bag of salt and distribute it around the perimeter of the property, and the sooner the better. Then, if he returned, at least he wouldn’t be able to bring the army of spirits under Edric’s command with him. But first, I wanted a closer look at that bracelet.

“Can I look at it?”

She nodded. The carriage house was dark, but I held her wrist up until the bracelet caught some of the moonlight filtering through the windows. Carvings. I couldn’t read the inscription in the dim light. I let a little of my magic surface to my fingertips and placed them on the thick band. An echo of magic coursed back through me. I would need to read the carvings to better understand, but it didn’t feel like Edric. This wasn’t the artifact I needed. I’d never be that lucky, especially with a bracelet that had belonged to Godda. Edric wouldn’t have anchored himself to something of hers, and certainly not a gift from someone he saw as a rival.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, certain she had no idea what she wore on her wrist. “It suits you.” I cupped my hand around her cheek so my thumb was caressing her cheekbone.

“I’m so sorry about your mother, Liam,” she said. “Is there any chance she might get better? Is that why you returned?”

“She’s all right for now. But I’ll need to go back soon.” My promise to my family and the search for the artifact had to be my priority. Everything, including Evelyn’s safety, relied on my success. Still, I couldn’t very well continue my search tonight, and she was already in my arms. Against my better judgment, I slid one arm inside her open jacket and around her waist so I could pull her closer to me.

She placed both hands on my chest to hold us apart. “Tell me you didn’t chase him off just because you were jealous,” she said.

“I’m not going to tell you that I was happy to see you were going to dinner with some other bloke, but that wasn’t why I chased him off.” The pressure of her hands on my chest turned to something softer, more like a caress.

She tilted her head to one side. “Will you tell me why you chased him off, if that wasn’t the reason?”

I cringed. “I will, but first I’d rather do this…” I bent my head down until my lips were pressed lightly against her neck. I began kissing just below her earlobe. As my lips traveled across her skin, I slid my hand from her cheek until it was cupping her long neck. Her scarf was in my way, and I pulled at it until it came free and fluttered to the ground. My lips continued down, moving along her collarbone, then up the other side to the opposite earlobe.

She moaned and clutched folds of my leather jacket to pull me closer. Sliding my hands around her waist and up, under her sweater, I stretched my fingers across her lower back, savoring the soft skin that warmed to my touch. My lips found her mouth and our tongues entwined as I guided her backward until she was leaning against the Land Rover.

Pressed between me and the car, she reached up and unzipped my jacket, running her hands across my chest, then down around my waist. Her fingers pulled at my shirt until it came untucked, and she slid her hands up underneath, pressing her palms against my skin. I nibbled at her lip and slid my hands down until they were cupping her firm ass. Then I hiked her up until her legs lifted off the ground and she wrapped them around me. My hips ground into her, pressing her body against the metal of the Rover, as my lips traveled down her neck again.

This. This was what I’d been wanting to do since I first saw her.

“Liam.” She sighed.

I moaned against her neck and gripped her more firmly, my fingers digging into her jeans.

“Liam,” she said again, this time slightly less breathy.

I turned my head, letting my cheek fall against her collarbone, and waited for my breathing to slow. “Yes?”

She lifted her arm to run her hand through my hair. “We can’t do this here.”

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