Or did I just hear what I wanted to hear?
Seeing her lost in thought, Alain continued. “Calder warned me before we met that you were barely fit to visit this manor, much less live here. If I had taken his warning more seriously, perhaps my cousin wouldn’t have suffered her injury. The least I can do is warn others, so they won’t face the same fate.”
She wanted to grab Alain by the throat and shake him. Make him listen to reason. But it was no use. He believed he was doing the right thing, not just for his house, but also for all the fae-touched. She’d been mistaken to think there had ever been hope for reconciliation between them after Hanna’s accident.
At least she didn’t have to marry this ass.
Alain turned and left, the rest of the Hawthornes following close on his heels. Their next stop would be a ceremonial visit to Duchess Maura.
Quinn stepped close to her, offering his arm once again. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to punch him.”
Emotionally exhausted from the day, Becka barked out a humorless laugh. “I almost did! But now I’m going to nap. Hopefully, I can sleep straight through the bomb that’ll go off in this house when Alain talks to Maura.”
“Would you care for some earplugs?” Quinn offered.
Chapter 23
Soft, fluffy clouds ensconced Becka in a warm, safe haven. Her toes flexed, silken threads sliding against her skin. Lassitude weighed her limbs. Her body. The most comforting scent of musk and vanilla filled her senses. She curled against the warmth, feeling reciprocal movements pulling her closer.
Becka’s mind sharpened. A weight sat, settled over her calves. She opened one eye, peeking around. Quinn’s familiar form lay next to her, over the covers, propped up on a mass of pillows, his gaze focused on a tablet he held in his hands.
She didn’t even know he had a tablet; most fae preferred not to depend on human technology and it was custom to not display such devices in public. He had kept the human-sourced tech hidden while within fae territory.
Becka closed her eyes and breathed deeply, luxuriating in the feel of silken sheets against her skin with Quinn’s scent filling her lungs.
“How long are you gonna laze around, pretending to be asleep?” his voice rumbled at her, intruding into her peaceful bubble.
She opened her right eye, peeking again at his reclining form. He glanced at her and then looked back at his tablet.
“Is it safe out there yet?” she asked.
“Not even remotely.”
She closed her right eye and curled against him more tightly, pulling the sheets up over her nose. The weight on her legs hampered her motion. She wiggled her legs and was chastised with a sharp squawk.
Becka peeked down the bed to find Oriani glaring in her general direction.
“Does your cat know he doesn’t sound like a cat? It’s more like an owl. Or dog. Dog-owl?”
Becka chuckled, and then continued hiding under the covers, slowly undulating her legs in hopes Oriani would move off her.
Oriani, tired of her movements, stood and stretched as he yowled plaintively. After a lengthy lecture explaining his displeasure, he wandered off the bed, likely in search of treats.
Who’d been feeding him these past few days? Becka hadn’t been. One benefit of being a fae of standing, the day-to-day maintenance of things got almost magically handled.
“He rules his empire fairly, but mercilessly.”
“I’m impressed how you effortlessly overthrew his territorial claim.”
“It’s one of the few areas where I excel at finesse.”
Quinn chuckled. “That’s refreshing honesty.”
Becka pushed back the covers, scooted up the hill of pillows, and then leaned her head near to Quinn’s.
He set his tablet aside. “How are you feeling?”
“Oddly, fairly refreshed.” She stretched again, relieved the soreness from yesterday had faded.
“You slept long enough. Do you even remember Healer Illan coming by yesterday afternoon?”
“I remember him giving me something foul to drink.”
“Uh huh. He said it was for your own good.”
“I’m sure, but couldn’t he make it taste better?”
“The ways of healers are a mystery of foul potions. You’ll be happy to hear he’s coming back by this morning with another dose.”
A shiver wracked her body, twitching to her fingers and toes.
He chuckled, the rumbling coming from deep within his chest. “I see you do remember.”
Memories from yesterday came flooding back to her. The cruel expression on Hanna’s face might haunt her dreams for some time, which she’d fully earned. “Ugh,” she groaned. “The Alain situation went off the rails.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
A wave of anxiety washed over her. She didn’t look forward to her next discussion with her mother after the falling out with Hawthorne. “Maura hasn’t been by?”
“She stopped by last night. Said something like ‘It can wait, there’s no rush now. Let her sleep.’ And then left.”
“Thank goodness for small mercies. I needed the rest.”
“On the upside, you’re no longer engaged to marry that prick.”
Becka smiled, reveling in the win for a moment. She rolled over towards him, crawling on her hands and knees until her face hovered over his. “That’s the best news. Wait, why are we alone? Where are the shifter guards?”
“Right outside the door, I’d expect. I convinced them to back off a smidge.”
“How did you manage that?” Becka asked.
“It might have involved a bribe to Brent. But I doubt it would have worked if they didn’t already trust me.” He shot her one of his winning smiles, and her heart melted a little. At least she told herself it was her heart.
An electric tension hung in the space between them. His heated gaze lingered over her, sending a thrill down her spine to her toes. He ran a hand from her shoulder down her arm. “I have even better news for you.”
“Yeah?” She dipped her head down, brushing her cheek across his, the fine stubble on his chin tickling her skin.
“I have two enforcers arriving shortly. With them here, we can crank through the interviews and find the poisoner within a couple of days.”
“That is fantastic news.” She pulled back and shook her head. “Wait, how long was I asleep?”
“Not counting the few minutes where Illan poured gunk down your throat? We got back here early yesterday afternoon. You slept through the evening and night. You didn’t even wake up to eat.”
Becka’s gaze drifted between his eyes and his lips. “Can I kiss you?”
His lips hitched with a smile, answering with a low, subvocalized “uh huh.” And then he leaned forward into her and captured her lips with his own.
Becka pressed herself against him, reveling in the touch. The heat of his skin. The insistent hunger as his mouth danced against her own. The coarse feel of his shaved hair at the nape of his neck. The glide of his palms along the curve of her torso. The grip of his fingers on her hips.
Her world might be on the edge of chaos, but this moment was pure bliss.
A knock at the door brought them back down to earth with a hard stop.