Giving her a long considering look, he finally said.“I don’t suppose I could talk you into simply going home.”
“Not a chance.The worst part was getting here.Now that I’m here, I might as well be useful.”
“Oh, Arantxa.”He shook his head again.“That wasnotthe worst part.”
She grinned.“See how much I don’t know?This is why you need to explain everything to me.”
He sighed, rather dramatically.“Do all humans want to have long conversations like this?”
“Tell you what, sport,” she answered, “you explain everything that’s going on and I’ll suck your cock as long as you’re talking.”
His violet eyes gleamed with interest.“You are very good at that.”
“Thank you.I know.Thus the compelling offer.”
“It’s an interesting bargain you’re offering me,” he said thoughtfully.
Oh shit.Her and her big mouth.“I wasn’t offering an actual bargain,” she explained hurriedly.
His elegant purple-black brows arched.“You’re reneging?”
Gah.The only thing worse than bargaining with the fae was violating the rules of the deal.“No.”She sighed internally.“I’ll make good on it.”
“The prospect is quite appealing,” he mused, then took pity on her.“I’m not sure I’d last long enough under your expert ministrations to explaineverything.And there’s still a great deal I cannot say,” he added.
He was referring to the geas that bound his tongue regarding whatever was going on with Lenorae and that cursed wedding.“You’re not married now, are you?”she asked again, watching his body language for clues.
“Would I have just fucked your brains out on that sofa if I were?”he countered.
“I don’t know.I’ve heard that fae are all kinds of polyamorous and so forth.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”he asked, setting his teeth so that his jaw flexed.“You with a lover in every town.”
She’d once thought so.Now… Well, no way was she telling Azul she couldn’t seem to summon the pussy sparkle for anyone but him anymore.“That’s me,” she answered cheerfully.
“Indeed.Can we proceed now?”
It was only later that she realized he’d neatly deflected her question, never answering at all.
~21~
All Dressed Up
“First,” Azul declared,taking her hand again and pulling her along, “we must dress you properly.You can’t walk into the Citrine court looking like that.”
She looked down at her usual and very sexy black leather garb.People imitated her fashion as well as her famous bob,The Bandit.“There is nothing wrong with the way I’m dressed,” she said firmly.“I look hot.”
He glanced at her, reluctant smile warming his lips.“I noticed.But you can’t wear this into the court of the King and Queen of Citrine.”
Well, fuck her life.“Where are we going shopping then?”Maybe she could just get him out of the palace now on that pretext and… keep going.
“My apartments in the palace.I’ve arranged for Goldilocks—and Katu—to meet us there after the cargo transfer was complete.You can all get cleaned up and changed into appropriate clothing for the audience.”
She didn’t bother to ask when and how he’d arranged for all of that when she’d been with him the whole time.He pulled her steadily along through expansive halls, the fae passing them sliding sideways glances their way, but otherwise seeming unconcerned with her presence.“Why can’t you just magic me some clothes like you magicked me out of them?”
“Magic doesn’t work that way.”
Of course it didn’t.That would be convenient.“If you have this great set of apartments, why did we have to, ah, reunite on the sofa in that salon?”