“She is. She’s also very fond of nicknames. When you next speak with her, please call her Squack.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’m being set up?” Mateo grinned.
“Because you are. But I do need to speak with your father soon about Macedon’s interests here …”
“Are you blackmailing me into baiting your sister?”
“Maybe.”
“Your Highness, I’m honored to be included in your schemes.”
“As you should be. Oh dear, my knight’s headed over. He’ll know by my smirk that I’m up to no good. Quick, pretend I’ve been boring.”
Mateo couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. I, however, managed to look perfectly innocent as Connor cut in on our dance.
“What did you tell him?” Connor growled.
“Nothing. We simply discussed Avia.”
“You didn’t go making promises to consider him as a suitor like you did with Lady Agatha’s son Willard, did you?”
“Of course not.”
Connor rolled his eyes, made our excuses, and led me to Avia’s room for the night. Once we were inside her chamber, he proceeded to ignore me. He went right to his pallet and right to sleep.
Whoever was spellbound to stay beside me was forced to sleep in my sister’s new room with me. Her servants had moved her to a temporary room while her chamber was repaired. As far as I could tell, only the trusted servants for the royal wing knew about the change. But I’d grumbled and insisted on sleeping in the room with her. My husbands had not been pleased. Neither had Avia.
But no one had known how to handle me when I’d started screaming at the top of my lungs when they’d tried to drag me off. Insanity ploys have their advantages.
Avia had thrown a pillow at me the first night she’d given in. “You’d better not snore. And no naughty stuff with your husbands either.”
She’d eyed Connor, the husband present that first night. Connor had turned his back on us, grabbed a stack of blankets, and made himself a pallet on the floor.
“My husbands would have to like me in order for there to be naughty stuff,” I’d sighed as I clambered onto her bed with her.
Avia had grinned, “Oh, they like you. Some of them might even love you. But I think they’re even madder than I am.”
I’d hardly heard her last sentence. My stomach had dropped at the word love. And anxiety, curiosity, and obsession had sprung up. “Who do you think loves me?” I’d whispered. “What have you heard?”
Her brown eyes had sparkled as she shook her head. “If they aren’t telling you, neither am I.”
A whole round of tickle torture later, it seemed like my shite sister meant what she’d said. She hadn’t squawked—first time in her life.
Connor hadn’t joined in our tickle fight. He hadn’t even looked up that first night. He’d read a book and then watched the flames in the fireplace before curling up to sleep.
He didn’t talk to me whenever it was his night to stay with me. But Ryan and Quinn were both cajoled into playing cards with Avia and I, particularly after I promised to show them all the tricks I’d learned from the dealers at Kylee’s gambling house. Those nights became far more pleasant.
I didn’t give up hope on Connor. I knew I’d hurt him deeply. And I knew that his magic made him prone to depression. He could read the emotions of others, but then lost sight of his own.
Sometimes, when he slept, I crept out of bed, and stood over him, sending tendrils of peace to caress him. It was something he’d let me do when we were younger, but I knew he’d never accept if he was awake now. After I pulsed him with peace magic and bandaged my wrists, I always climbed into bed and watched him. It made the night full of wistful longing for me, full of memories, of sneaking Connor into my bedroom. Of hide and seek games with Avia that had devolved into hide and kiss sessions for us.
My eyes misted a bit, but as a memory of one particularly handsy kiss came up, Connor morphed into Quinn. And Quinn suddenly shoved the memory of me up against a wall. He dragged my yellow skirts up and slid his hands onto my naked hips.
Naughty girl. Did you not wear any underthings that day?
I had worn underthings that day. I was confused for a moment. Then I realized what was happening. Get out of my head.
Why? You were making me wild.
That was private.
No, Dove, what I’m about to do is private. And then the Quinn in my mind slipped to his knees and buried his head under my skirt. He breathed against my mound, placing a hand on either thigh. His tongue darted out and he gave each thigh a long, slow lick.
That’s so real, I can almost feel it. I moaned.
Relax, Dove.
How is it so real?
Because half of lovemaking is in your mind anyway. Now, do you want to argue? Or do you want me to give you your first mental melt?
Yes. Please.
Quinn chuckled under my skirt but moved his face closer. I could feel his lips caress my slit. Back and forth, side to side, he barely touched me. But each touch sent a shiver of pleasure up my spine. Anticipation made me grow slick. And then he licked his lips and kissed my clit.
The torture was so good. But I couldn’t take it. My real body was throbbing. My real hand slid down under the covers and pulled up my chemise.
Now, now. No cheating. This is my melt. You’re giving yourself to me.
How did you know what I was doing?
You practically shout your thoughts, Dove. All the time. Now are you going to be a good girl and put your hand back up? Or should I stop?
No. No don’t stop.
Then put your hands up by your head. And leave them there.
In my imagination, my hands were on a brick wall and I struggled to maintain my balance as Quinn’s quick tongue went to work, lapping at my sex. In reality, my hands clutched the pillow and my feet curled. My hips lifted off the bed.
Quinn sucked my clit into his mouth and tugged on it, turning his head side to side gently. The suction made sparks shoot through me, and the extra tug turned those sparks into lightning.
“Ahh!” I screamed my release.
A hand touched my arm and shook me. “Bloss! Bloss! Are you okay?”
My eyes popped open. Connor’s dark curls loomed over me. His expression was terrified.
My jaw dropped. I’d screamed out loud. In real life. Sard.
“I—I was dreaming.”
Creaming.
“Dreaming.” I was scarlet. Maybe even purple. I could not make eye contact with Connor. Not at all. “Sorry I woke you.”
“It’s alright. You’re okay?” Concern colored his voice.
I nodded, biting my lip. Of all the times for Connor to worry about me. “I’m fine. Just a dream. Really.”
Connor drifted back to his pallet.
I turned onto my side and punched my pillow.
I will get you back. For this and that other morning when I looked like an idiot.
I would think that tonight completely makes up for the other day.
Connor caught me.
That’s not my fault.
I turned over on my side, grumbling internally. Quinn was right, of course. Connor catching me was entirely my fault. Didn’t matter. I was still going to get him back.
I started to think of ways to get revenge that wouldn’t give Quinn advance notice. I wasn’t sure there was one. I yawned and my scheming faded. Quinn’s magical mental prowess had done its job. I drifted to sleep in post-orgasmic bliss.
The next morning, Connor handed me off to Declan and almost immediately, I asked him if we could go find Ryan.
Declan looked a bit bewildered by my request, perhaps because I asked while he was still finishing his morning coffee in his room. I gave him a winning smile. I wasn’t sure that made any difference, but I knew I needed to start the day on a good note.
He made me sit and wait while he finished his drink, and combed his blond hair, and changed his vest.
While I waited, I told him all about Willard. And also about the spells. Declan was pleased to find out we now had a ten-foot radius. This made trips to the loo much less embarrassing for all of us. He was not as pleased to find out my mother had put a spell on him to make him inclined to forgive me.
I hoped my honesty counted for something. That I laid everything out on the table and said Wyle was unraveling the spells for us.
Finally, he was ready to take me to the practice yard. We found Ryan running drills with his men. They held staffs and swords and were running, thrusting, sweating, and overall looking very, very sexy. I had to peel my eyes away from the deliciousness. I think my orgasm last night had amped up my sexual awareness.
Ryan smirked at me. “Like what you see?”
“I’d like it better if you were out there shirtless.”
That made his grin wider.
I sighed. “But they’ll do. I’m with Declan this morning. I wanted to see if you wanted to help me out with that little project I mentioned to you.”
Declan looked alarmed. He held up his hands a took a step back “Project? What project? You didn’t say there was a project. I thought this was a handoff. I have work. If you want a solution for Willard—”
I clamped a hand over Declan’s mouth. “That’s confidential. And don’t worry. We’re just going to play with your powers.”
Once Declan was calm, Ryan nodded to me. “I can help. Just let me go tell my captain."