Missing the Night Read online

  The small parade entered a large office where two L-shaped desks sat against either wall with a walkway between them.

  Reese dropped the parcels off near the couch, gave her a smile and a nod, and left her alone with her fiancés.

  She went to Hector’s desk, sat in the chair, and spun gently. “So, do you just sit here and spin until you get dizzy? Or do you use the office chairs to race in the halls?”

  He grabbed the chair and held her still. She looked up at him. “Are you finished rifling through my phone, and if so, can I have it back?”

  He blinked, and the phone appeared in his hand. “Oh, look at what I found. How did that get here?”

  She snorted. “Lightfingered twit. How was your day?”

  “We met with the clients; they were happy with the design and will make their final decision this evening.”

  “They are going to be at the party?”

  He nodded and leaned in to kiss her. His eyes held fractured blue in them. She put a hand on his chest. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

  He grinned. “We are done for the day. The party is only a few blocks away, so there is no sense in going home and then coming back.”

  She glanced over at Tynan, and his eyes had fractured red. “So, you guys are each sharing space in the other? How does that work?”

  “Tynan will explain the spell later, but in the basic sense, he is bonded to me, and I am his familiar.”

  She blinked as he kissed her, absorbing that bit of information. It explained Stovos’s ambivalence to Tynan. They really were completely bound together, coming and going.

  She reached up to touch Hector’s cheek and deepened the kiss until the chair creaked ominously and tilted back dramatically.

  She clutched at his suit jacket, and he moved his head and dragged his tongue up her neck. Nessa closed her eyes and groaned as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

  He growled against her throat and picked her up, seating her on the edge of the polished wood. Hector moved aside, and Tynan stood between her legs. “I seem to recall that you were wearing something that felt interesting.”

  He slid his hands up her legs under her skirt.

  “That door had better be locked, or you are going to get a very spiked heel in some very soft skin.”

  He found the top of her stockings and groaned. “I really need to see this.”

  She yelped as he dropped to his knees and her skirt was shoved upward while his lips trailed along her inner thigh.

  Hector eased her back on the desk, and he unbuttoned her blouse slowly before lowering his lips to the lace that covered her breasts. Tynan’s tongue traced the edge of her stockings and drew closer and closer to her sex. She was gasping in anticipation when he paused and did the same to the other inner thigh.

  Hector coaxed her breasts out of the bra instead of removing it. Nessa reached behind her, but Hector caught her hands and pulled them up and over her head so that her breasts arched toward his mouth. Tynan pressed his mouth to cover her sex. She felt his tongue tapping through the lace. She shuddered, and her legs shifted, trying to get purchase without piercing Tynan with her heels.

  He chuckled against her, and she gasped again as he stroked his hands up to her knees and pushed her legs up and out as he used his tongue against her, flicking and tapping.

  Hector did the same on her nipples, and she arched violently as if a string connecting her breasts and clit was tugged. It took less than three minutes until she twisted and jerked, exhaling in surprise and very aware of the desks and offices that they had passed on the way in.

  She moaned softly as they ceased to torment her, and she sighed. “Please, tell me that this is all you have planned.”

  Tynan bit her inner thigh gently. “We have an hour before it is time to start getting ready.”

  Nessa ran her fingers through Hector’s hair. “Then, what are we waiting for. I have caught my breath.”

  Tynan pulled her toward him, and she slid astride his lap. He grinned. “You definitely are our match, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged. “Apparently.” She leaned in and kissed him, amused at the red gleam in his blue eyes. The kiss became intense, and she simply gave in to it. It wasn’t like she was going to lose her reputation. She was already greedy with two guys. Getting called out on it was probably going to happen.

  Hector eased her blouse off, removed her bra, and loosened her skirt.

  She ended up back across the desk, face down, while Tynan drove into her from behind. Her new nails scraped at the desk when his fingers managed to tease her clit into a joyful spasm. When he groaned and clutched at her waist, she relaxed before he eased out of her, and Hector pulled her toward his chair.

  “I am looking forward to a new memory of this chair.” He sat down, loosened his trousers, and pulled her onto his lap.

  She laughed as she settled over him, sliding down to take him into her while he thrust upward.

  The hour went by quickly.

  Chapter Twelve

  After a mage-fire shower, she had to lock them out of the private bathroom while she got dressed and used magic to fix her hair. She had never used magic this much in her life, but then, she had never had a surplus before.

  She opened the garment bag and snorted at the smaller pack with a matching slip and no panties. The nude lace that she had been wearing was set aside, and she pulled on the slip before stepping into the dress and sliding it up onto her shoulders. The zip was all of four inches long. The dress was folded and pleated silk, it had a band under her breasts that was heavily beaded and kept everything supported, and the rest of the dress wrapped and twisted around her faithfully to just above her knee.

  Her makeup went on in five minutes, and she tidied her hair again before she stepped into the four-inch heels. Small tendrils of her hair curled down and onto her shoulders, and she took her glamour down to a two.

  She grabbed her makeup maintenance set and walked out into the office, where they were dressed in freshly pressed suits. She put the stuff in her kitten purse and tossed her phone in along with her wallet.

  When that was done, she moved through the silent room and found the black onyx jewellery and put her earrings in first before putting on the hand flower. She couldn’t get the catch. Hector stepped up. “I can help.”

  He attached the bracelet and lifted the necklace up, walking behind her to attach the clasp. He sighed. “You are stunning. You have removed your glamour.”

  She smiled. “Mostly. I have taken it down to a two, as was recommended by Orvis.”

  Tynan walked over and lifted her right hand to kiss it. “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you. When we stand together, I hope we don’t drown in the drool of others.”

  Hector blinked and went around to his desk. “Of course. I nearly forgot. Nessa, will you marry us?”

  He knelt at her feet. Tynan followed suit.

  “Get up. You will wrinkle your trousers.”

  Tynan pulled a box out of his pocket, and Hector did the same.

  She blinked. “And, um, yes?”

  Hector took her left hand and slid a ring on it that only had a diamond surround on one-half. Tynan took her hand next, and his ring completed the design. He kissed the back of the ring. “We had those made ten years ago.”

  Her eyes widened. “Ten...”

  Hector got to his feet, and he kissed her softly so as not to mess up her makeup. “Ten years ago, we knew that you were our third. We just had to find you again. So, now we have.”

  She blinked and was glad that her mascara was moisture resistant. “So, you wanted me back then?”

  Tynan walked behind her and murmured in her ear, “Since the moment we saw you balancing that paper drink parasol on the tip of your finger and blowing it into the night sky. There was something so bright in your smile. You were completely content with yourself in that moment, and we knew that you matched us.”
r />   Hector stroked her cheek. “And we spent the night proving it, but apparently, being pinned between two men with minimal conversation can be a little disorienting, and you disappeared with astonishing thoroughness. We made a guess at your species, and you know what happened next.”

  She smiled. “Ten years passed.”

  Tynan put his hands on her hips. “Ten fucking years.”

  She shrugged. “Ten years I needed, and I am glad that I had. I spent the last ten years becoming me. The woman you first met is still in here, but she now has facets of all the experiences that I wouldn’t give up for anything.”

  Hector looked at her. “What about now?”

  “Well, despite your charms and the fact that you are both nicely entrenched in your careers, I am going to have to find my feet and choose a direction that I want to go. Don’t worry. It is more of an occupational direction rather than a physical one.”

  They stood in their little group until Tynan’s phone chirped. “The car is here.”

  They all let out a disappointed sigh, laughed, and Hector produced a shawl for her before offering his arm to her. Tynan smiled. “I am relegated to door holder for the next few days. Well, in public.”

  She smiled, and they headed to the executive elevator. When they stepped in, she asked, “Why the rush for the wedding? I can understand Stovos’s point of view. It is optics, but why did you go along with it, Hector?”

  Hector smiled. “We don’t want to let you get away. The tethers only go so far, and having you financially set up in this modern age is very important. The dark court might have members who would kill a fiancée but not a princess. That is an important distinction.”

  She blinked. “Right. I forgot the other courts did that sort of thing.”

  Tynan murmured, “That is why we needed the life bond. They had come for me twice.”

  “And damn near got you,” Hector muttered at the bad memory.

  Tynan squeezed his shoulder. “So, Nessa, how do you know Ms. Orvis?”

  “Uh, she is an old friend.”

  “She is a fairly substantial enigma around here. What do you know about her?”

  “Oh, more than you do. I acted as a catalyst for her sister and brother-in-law. She and I hung out while the other two were trying to connect the dots.”

  Hector shook his head and said, “I cannot imagine Ms. Orvis hanging out.”

  “Work is work, and fun is fun for her. She draws a very heavy line between the two. Stovos gave her the job, so she will do her best for him, and if that means being nothing but efficient and intuitive, that is what she will be.”

  They arrived at the main floor, and Stovos and Orvis were waiting for them. Orvis was wearing a black bolero jacket over a bronze dress. Her hair was still twisted up in its precise arrangement, but she had a discreet bit of makeup on.

  She nodded and smiled. “You look lovely, Nessa. We are in the second car, so I can give you a briefing.”

  Hector and Tynan tensed.

  Orvis smiled. “I will guard her with my life. It is only a few minutes, and you can help her leave the car. It will make for a lovely visual for the cameras.”

  Nessa blinked. “Cameras?”

  “I will explain in the car. Please. Come with me.”

  Nessa nodded and squeezed the guys’ hands before she nodded politely at the still-stunned Stovos and got in the limo with Orvis.

  The briefing took four minutes, the drive took six. Nessa had a chance to brace herself for what was coming.

  The bank of photographers was eerily silent as their limo stopped. Stovos waited until the driver came around to open the door, and he helped Orvis to her feet. They walked away, and polite pictures were taken as they passed the cameras.

  Hector and Tynan were there, and they helped her out of the car. She took Hector’s arm while Tynan flanked her other side. When they turned toward the cameras, they all went off.

  They walked past the first wave of photographers and up a set of stairs toward the museum entrance where the charity event was being held.

  She smiled slightly. “So, why all the cameras for a business event?”

  Tynan smiled slightly. “We do business internationally, and art is an international effort. Our corporation supports artists, programs, and music around the world. So, we go to about four of these events a month.”

  Hector smiled and murmured, “When we get to the red carpet, I am going to kiss you, lift your left hand so they can see it.”

  She sighed. “I feel so used.”

  Tynan chuckled. “Don’t peak too soon. I am sure you will feel very used before we let you sleep tonight.”

  She fought the little tingle of excitement that ran through her, but they reached the backdrop that they had to pass through, and she was spun into Hector’s arms and bent back. Putting her left hand with the stellar kitten clutch on his shoulder, there was a roar, and the world around her exploded in light.

  He smiled, rubbed his nose with hers, and kissed her again. She stroked his lip with her thumb to remove the residue of lipstick, and she smiled at him. He tucked her against him, and she reached back for Tynan’s hand, which got another flare of light explosions.

  Tynan muttered, “Oh, you did it now.”

  “Pretending is annoying. My personal perversions at seducing Hector away from you will look far worse for me than you. If I take your hand, it will confuse folks as they try to figure out who is doing what to whom.”

  He laughed and stepped forward. Hector murmured, “Let’s see what kind of hell we catch.”

  Hector provided the invitations, and they were allowed into the building, where things suddenly got less crowded.

  Stovos looked at them and her hand on Tynan’s, and he chuckled and shook his head. “You just couldn’t resist.”

  “Nope. Something about our union. No one will be left behind.” Nessa smiled at him.

  “This is going to cost us some business.”

  “Just refer to me as a trophy wife and gold digger. You can play the aggrieved father-in-law all you like.”

  Stovos looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You have something else in your head.”

  Nessa shrugged and looked around casually. “Just say that for whatever reason, your son’s previous relationship never produced an heir. You want to continue the Twilight family.”

  Hector coughed, and Tynan’s shoulders were shaking. He murmured, “And we were really trying.”

  Orvis looked like she was hatching an egg as she fought to keep her expression calm, but her eyes were bright with mirth.

  Stovos clapped a hand over his face as he fought laughter. “Well, my son’s efforts aside, this is going to cause a public outcry.”

  “Folks could also conclude that I was friends with Tynan before this, or even that I am a relative brought in to create a legal heir. Let’s see what the rumour mill grinds and spits out.” She smiled. “In the meantime, I think there are tiny snacks over there. Do excuse me.”

  She walked away from her group and let the curious gazes track her across the room. It felt weird to be in the public gaze after a lifetime of avoiding it, but she was made of sterner stuff now than she had been when young.

  “I had not thought to see you here, Nessa.” The deep voice was familiar.

  She turned and braced herself with a tight smile. “Uncle Right. So glad to see you again.”

  “How long are you going to be in town?” His words were casual, and she grabbed a tiny ball of what turned out to be mac and cheese.

  “My relocation is probably permanent with the exception of travel for vacations and such. Sorry.”

  He leaned in, “You should go. A girl like you... what you did to that nice boy. You know what you are.”

  She let some of the rage she was feeling seep into her eyes. “He was an adult male, and I was a child. A child. You were still tying Meredith’s hair in pigtails for her at night. That man was trying to break
into my room. He was jerking off against my windowsill, watching me brush my teeth in my teddy bear pyjamas. Imagine that happening to Meredith, and you tell me how nice a boy he was. My father wanted to kill him, my mother nearly did, and everyone said what a nice fucking boy he was.”

  He stepped back. “He didn’t do anything.”

  “He was coming through my window with duct tape and rope. It was all in the police report, all in the court records.” She kept a polite expression on her face as folk in the room looked at them. “My mother was not going to give him a chance to do anything once I screamed when he grabbed me.”

  She sighed and looked around. “Meredith got a copy of the entire file. It makes for chilling reading if you ever imagine her having a daughter of her own. Imagine your granddaughter brushing her teeth and a fine young man breaks the lock on the window and starts climbing through, telling her that she is so hot. I had never touched him. Never fed from him, he was just a pedophile, and I nearly became a victim. It does not matter what I am now. I. Was. A. Child.”

  “Nessa, is there something wrong?”

  Her eyes widened, and she turned to Stovos. “No. I am just chatting with my uncle. Thaddeus Right.”

  “Ah, Meredith’s father. Of course.” He nodded. “I would like to have a discussion later if you have time. There are a few finer points of our familial relationships that need to be settled.”

  “Familial?”

  Stovos smiled. “Nessa has done me the honour of taking Hector as her intended. They are being married in a small ceremony this Sunday so as not to detract from your daughter’s event. But, they must be made official sooner rather than later.”

  Her uncle looked at her, and she smiled brightly. Orvis arrived at her shoulder and said, “Miss Northern, there are some folk who would like to meet you.”

  She looked at Stovos, “Please, excuse me, Mr. Twilight.”

  “Call me Father Stovos.” His eyes were dancing.

  She winced. “I will work myself up to it.”

  Orvis tugged her away, and Nessa went to her first round as a corporate spouse. There were famous faces that she was introduced to—captains of industry, sculptors who wanted to capture her likeness, and a portrait artist who wanted to have her sit for him. She had seen his work and was not keen.