Missing the Night Read online

  He kissed her temple and urged her head up to meet his gentle expression. “First time?”

  She nodded.

  “You haven’t ever done that yourself?”

  She shook her head. “It comes from our partners.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We don’t bother with arousal unless we allow a partner to trigger it. It comes from our partners.”

  He smiled slowly. “You allowed me to trigger it.”

  She rubbed the back of her neck. “It seems I did. It won’t happen again if you found it distressing.”

  He frowned. “I would find that situation distressing.” He eased her robe off one shoulder, and he lifted her up against him. “How do you hide this?”

  He nuzzled her breast before licking at her nipple until it tightened, and then, he sucked strongly at it, and she squirmed, her thighs slick and legs dangling.

  “Boss, I don’t think this is such a good idea. Boss!” She tugged on his white hair and then stroked his cheek and jaw. That light caress made him look up. He released her breast and rubbed his cheek against it. “I have to be up in a few hours to let the caterers in and set up for the last of the ceremony.”

  He sighed and nodded. “As soon as the triad has had their first dance, I will be looking to continue this.”

  She nodded. “For now, put me back where you found me.” She tugged her robe up and patted his bare chest.

  His hands tightened on her. “One more kiss?”

  There was a gleam in his eyes that made her wary. “Just one more?”

  “Just one more.”

  She was nervous, but she said, “Fine.”

  He grinned and set her on a nearby table. She wasn’t sure what was happening when he knelt, but as he pressed his lips against her sex, she gasped. “Treacherous bastard!”

  He chuckled and licked, sucked and swirled his way around her sex. He inserted one thick finger, sliding it in and out of her while he continued to swirl his tongue around. He lifted her legs to his shoulders, and he kept working at her until she felt that shaking tension again, and her wings flapped when she screamed. He continued to torment her until she flinched and whimpered. Stovos moved his head and calmly sucked his finger until it was no longer shining with her honey.

  She was panting, and he slowly eased her legs off his shoulders, standing upright, setting her robe to rights before carrying her through the shadows and setting her back on her bed. He stroked her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he left.

  Tolly was nearly asleep when she heard a soft, “Hah! Knew it!” from Nessa.

  Tolly calmly lifted her hand up, middle finger extended. It wasn’t the politest greeting given to a bride on her wedding day, but the nosy lady deserved it.

  Atolica listened to the echoes of pleasure in her body. She would forget them soon enough without constant reinforcement. That was what her ancestors had counted on. No matter what they bred with, they would be a series of efficient women who found men who were content to carry the romantic burden. She knew what an uphill battle it would be for Stovos, and she was going to do what she could to dissuade him. Her kind had evolved past the woman’s head and bird’s body, but the male still had to flex and flutter and bring them shiny things. The moment they stopped, there would be an opening for a new mate the following season. It was a dangerous line to walk, and many males were not up to the challenge. She didn’t want to challenge him; she just wanted him to find a nice lady to take as a lover. Someone appropriate. Someone who wasn’t her.

  She was still mulling it over in between dozing when her alarm woke her. The buzzing against her wrist was very discreet. She got up, sank herself back into her human-seeming, and went to get dressed in her tan business dress. She pinned up her hair in a no-nonsense bun and slipped on her heels. She was ready to run a wedding.

  Orvis slipped out of the room and headed for the kitchen to talk to Yusen. He would be assigned one of the security officers, and she held her clipboard with all the details and lists in front of her. She was ready to do what she always did. Make things run smoothly.

  * * * *

  Nessa spent her morning with her mother and Stinger, getting ready, primped, and dressed in a gown that was formfitting around the torso and upper hip, where it turned into waves of fluttering silk. Bands wrapped around her biceps in detached sleeves, and the same flowing silk moved when she did. She was wearing a lovely pewter that made the heavy collar of dark court jewels look brilliant.

  The weighty coronet squashed any thought Nessa might have had for bolting. She was wearing about ten extra pounds on her head, neck, wrists, and arms.

  Her father arrived to walk with her and her mother toward the altar. A wave of flower petals appeared at her feet and was crushed as she made her way to the area where the ceremony was being held. They arrived on the column of flowers, and she turned to watch for her groom to show up.

  She was waiting for twenty seconds. A portal opened, and Hector and Tynan stepped through. The legal portion of the wedding had been taken care of earlier. A few signatures and an officiant to witness, and it was done. This one was for them. It was a nice touch that Orvis had arranged.

  Nessa felt the rising hunger for her approaching mates. The pulse in her body sped up as she took in their dark court formality. Leather looked really good when it showed flashes of skin, and it looked even better on Hector and Tynan.

  She bit her lip as they held hands and said their vows. She remembered saying something that made their eyes glow but couldn’t for the life of her remember what those words were. They kissed, they shared power, and she knew that they felt her hunger. They had hours of celebration in front of them, and the hunger was only going to grow.

  * * * *

  Tolly sighed in relief as the wedding reception got into full swing. She watched the dancers and kept an eye out for the kind of trouble that only a wedding could bring on.

  “Did you always choose such boring clothing, or is it just me? Where did your breasts go? I distinctly recall that they filled my hands.”

  She looked up, and Stovos was leaning against a tent post next to her, smiling slightly. “I choose the boring clothing because people look past it. It helps me do my job. My breasts are still here but bound down.”

  Tolly smiled at the trio on the dance floor. “I believe their self-control is almost up, Boss.”

  Stovos chuckled. “They lasted longer than I thought. The mages were very hard on her last night. Hector and Tynan were twitching.”

  “Being a woman with magic in a world where we have to hide it is difficult. It is not for the faint of heart. You can’t bring children into the world if you can’t defend them against the world at large, and you must be able to subdue their talents until they can control them. If you are not up for it, you need to leave it to others.”

  “Is that what happened to you? I think you would have plenty of protection to offer.”

  She blinked. He was whispering in her ear. “I did. My sister couldn’t pass the trials. She would make a good mother, so I took the trials for her and gave her my eggs. Children that she raises will be my blood and bone. Nessa helped her start the first one.”

  “Is your sister up for it?”

  “If the children get too strong, she will send them to our elders for training. It was agreed to.”

  “You can’t raise them.”

  She chuckled. “No. I can start them but not finish them. That was the agreement.”

  “Why?” His breath was hot in her ear.

  “Because she will be a good mother, and she and her husband wanted this with everything in them. She has more of the characteristics of our father. He was a caring man who loved his family over everything. They will be cared for, and they will be guided. I have never wanted to raise another generation. It is simply not in me.”

  He wrapped an arm around her, splayed his fingers over her belly, and pulled her back against him
in full view of anyone who would look. “I can think of something that I would like to have in you.”

  His erection was pressing against her butt through the leather of his formal wear.

  “Boss, this is highly inappropriate.” She used her sternest tone, but her interest was fighting her logic.

  “I don’t give a fuck about what is appropriate. I have been holding myself back every time you were in the room for years, and now, I find out that it wasn’t necessary. I hate wasted effort.”

  She shivered as his other hand moved under the clipboard and cupped one of her breasts. “I still have things to do.” She stiffened her back and leaned away, but he pulled her back.

  “Find someone else to do it.”

  “I can’t. This is my job, and I always complete my job.”

  He growled. “Yusen!”

  The butler arrived, and he smiled. “Yes, Your Majesty?” He inclined his head toward her. “Ms. Orvis.”

  “Can you complete the tasks on the clipboard?”

  Yusen pulled the clipboard from her grasp, exposing Stovos’s grip. His lips quirked. “I can manage it all except for the last two, which are handwritten.”

  Stovos murmured in a soft and deadly voice, “What are the last two?”

  “Run like fuck. Find a new job.” Yusen smiled. “I am not up for those two.”

  She squeaked as she was lifted off her feet. She hissed at Yusen, “Squealer!”

  The unapologetic butler grinned. “You two have been dancing around each other for years. Let him get it out of his system... and into yours.”

  She growled and hissed, her voice rising to a shriek as she was carried across the lawn toward the house. He flipped her over his shoulder and kept one hand on her thighs as she cursed him out.

  * * * *

  Nessa looked at the broad shoulder that Tolly was draped over. “She looks really mad.”

  Hector had a bemused expression. “I have never seen my father like that. Not even with my mother. It seems that Tolly brings something out in him.”

  Tynan smiled. “He has excellent balance and is making good time. Is there actually steam coming out of her ears?”

  Nessa shook her head. “I think that is the air turning blue.”

  They laughed and held together as they swayed to the music. Nessa sighed. “Now, how long do we have to stay here?”

  Hector cocked his head. “Well, you don’t have a bouquet to throw, so I guess we can leave anytime. The party seems to be running itself right now.”

  Nessa looked at her mother and got a thumbs-up. She was clear to depart.

  She turned to hold Tynan. “How about you? You ready to leave your second wedding?”

  He grinned. “I was ready before we started, and that dress has kept it going. I am really involved in wondering what is under it.”

  She blinked. “Oh. No wonder. Absolutely nothing.”

  His eyes went black, and he picked her up. She laughed as he hauled her out of the tent, and Hector called out, “Good night, everyone.”

  She kicked her feet and howled with laughter when Hector caught her feet, and they carried her like a rolled rug back to the house.

  Let the honeymoon commence.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tolly ran out of fury somewhere around the middle of the path from the tent to the house. “Uh, Boss? You have made your point. You can put me down now.”

  “What is the first thing you will do if I put you down? Truth.” He patted her backside, and she felt a curl of magic wrapping around her throat.

  “Run.” She clapped her hand over her mouth.

  “Ah. Truth spells. They definitely have their purpose. It is hard for the faerie to learn mage spells. So, you would run? Why?”

  “Scared!” She mumbled it behind her hand and then thudded her forehead against his back when she couldn’t shut up.

  He sighed. “Orvis, do you want me?”

  “I think so. Pretty sure.” She covered her face as the words were forced out.

  He ran his hand over her backside.

  She mumbled. “Yes.”

  He entered the house and walked calmly as if she wasn’t a lot of dead weight on his shoulder.

  “So, why do you truly want to run?”

  “It will change things, and I like things the way they are. No surprises.” She watched the polished wood of the steps as he headed toward his own wing of the house.

  “I am not fond of surprises myself, and your exposure as a paranormal being is definitely a surprise—a very pleasant one. I was worried that if I seduced you, it would damage you emotionally. Now that I know you are just as steeped in enchantment as I am, that worry is gone.”

  “This doesn’t feel like a seduction. More abduction. Part lecture.”

  “I could have summoned a horse and snagged you out of the party to have my way with you. You know, the traditional way that dark elves gain brides.”

  “Hey, you know, I can order you an escort. There was that nice peahen shifter who had that fun laugh you enjoyed—”

  His hand smacked down on her butt. “Ow.”

  He opened the door to his bedroom and walked toward the bed, flipping her off his shoulder and onto the bedding. “You are really trying to offload me onto another woman?”

  She blushed. “I know the theory, but I am not exactly sure what to do, and I am pretty sure that you do, so I am at a distinct disadvantage.”

  He pinned her between his arms and took in her nervousness. “Shall I explain at every point in the procedure? I know how you like lists.”

  His serious expression made her smile. She reached up to touch his jaw. “Maybe when you are going to do something that would freak me out.”

  He smiled. “Everything in my mind would freak you out.”

  She ran her thumb along his cheek. “Then you had better be prepared to explain a lot.”

  He turned his head and swirled his tongue around her thumb before sucking it into his mouth. He released and smiled. “You ate cake with your fingers?”

  “We ran out of forks.”

  “Hm, bad planning on your part, but it does give me a delightful starting point.”

  He licked and sucked all of her fingers, and the hot tugging in her abdomen started again. She inhaled in a ragged pattern, and he smiled. “Now I continue.”

  He kissed her, sat her up, and pulled her jacket off. He unzipped her dress, and when the fabric loosened, he looked down and saw the binding on her breasts. “Oh, poor things.”

  She stared as he peeled her dress down her arms, pinning them, and he used his nail to slice through the fabric of her binding. “Hey, those are pricey!”

  He gave her a sarcastic look from beneath his white brows and lashes. “Bill me.”

  She blinked and swallowed. “I didn’t know that your nails could do that.”

  He chuckled. “My people were miners. Clawing through the stone to get at gems is a very handy situation when you want to acquire wealth. Human women loved shiny stones.”

  She blinked, and cool air rushed around her flushed and sweaty breasts. When he got the last bit of elastic-reinforced fabric, there was an audible snap as the fabric under tension released.

  He tossed the fabric aside and sighed. “That’s better. You poor things.”

  “My breasts are not independent beings.”

  He smiled. “But they are a neglected part of you and require attention.”

  She tried to get her arms loose.

  “Oh, and for your information, by pulling your dress down in that particular way, you are loosely restrained. No surprises.” He smiled and watched her as he tongued her nipple.

  She squeaked.

  “Now, what do I need to get you to show me your true face.”

  She blinked. “Um. You need to ask? Oh, and I can’t. My dress isn’t down far enough for my wings.”

  He lifted his head. “Well, we can’t have that.”
/>
  He stood her up and eased her dress off her arms and down to her ankles.

  He pressed his forehead against hers for a moment before asking, “Orvis, where is your underwear?”

  “You are not going to like the answer.”

  He looked at her. “Why am I not going to like the answer?”

  “You will figure it out.” She inhaled and exhaled. “I don’t wear any. Ever. Well, no panties. The compression band on my chest makes me hot, so I wear as little as possible.”

  His hands closed on her waist and the nude garter belt that held up her stockings. “So, you don’t like to wear panties because you get too hot?”

  She nodded and realized that his gaze was still directed below her navel. She touched his face and looked him in the eye. “Temperature control is tricky for me.”

  He kissed her and pressed her back on the bed, sliding his hands over her and rubbing gently between her thighs. “I don’t have enough hands.”

  She chuckled, bent her right leg, and ran it up the outside of his thigh and down again.

  He slid one finger into her and then two. She gasped, and her breathing was fast and shallow while she got used to the slow stroke of his fingers inside her.

  She muttered, “Why do you have such thick fingers?”

  He chuckled and licked her neck. “I think I should warn you about another item you may want to be aware of.”

  She shuddered. “Nope. Not thinking that far ahead yet. Nope, nope, nope.”

  He grinned against her skin and licked and sucked his way back to her breasts. He mouthed, sucked, and teased her neglected parts. She moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair as he moved from one to the other. Her voice got higher-pitched, and between her thighs, he thumbed her clit in time to the sucking. She shrieked as fire roared from between her thighs and throughout her body.

  She was gasping and covered with a fine sheen of sweat when she opened her eyes again. Watching Stovos strip to his black velvet skin with the glowing glyphs that showed his rank was hypnotizing. When his pants were removed and he came toward her, she backed up, her wings getting caught under her.