Missing the Night Read online

  Nessa dropped onto Hector, and Tynan was draped over her back. She took his hands and held them with her own. He licked sweat from her shoulders, and she could feel the smile on his lips.

  “You two are wiped out. Go to bed.” She mumbled it against Hector’s chest.

  Tynan sighed and withdrew; Hector helped her off him. Mage fire tickled a lot of places, but she was squeaky clean when it was through with her.

  They crawled into the huge bed, and though she tried to sleep on the edge, she ended up in the middle. They were both asleep in seconds.

  It was weird to be taking a nap in the afternoon, but she looked around the room, taking in the grey, silver, and ebony along with the natural oak and sapphire blue cushions.

  Hector reached out and pulled her against him. “You aren’t tired?”

  “No, I haven’t been spending my nights at a faerie brothel. You do realize that some of those ladies are octopus and swamp frog fae, right?”

  “The enchantment didn’t leave a lot of room for us to be picky. We went, we were drained, we headed home.”

  “But, you have more than enough to drain and still stay on your feet. Tynan, too. What was the deal?”

  “We had the project completed, but we had to keep it quiet so that the other companies wouldn’t bring their A-game. So that they thought we were down.”

  “And you let the other guys get molested? Do you have an HR form for that?”

  He nipped her ear and moved her hair away. “Hah. Pointy. I never would have guessed.”

  She started moaning and clapped her hand over her mouth. She saw Tynan’s lid twitch and noticed the bright blue glowing out at her. “He’s not asleep either.”

  Tynan muttered, “Yes, he is.”

  She chuckled and slid her thigh to the outside of his. He gripped her hips and settled his cock against her. She rocked against his grip, and he slid in. “Gods, you are wet and tight. It is like fucking a fist.”

  She would have responded, but Hector had slid lower and was sucking and flicking her nipples with his tongue. When he flicked and prodded just so, Tynan grunted. “Heck, do that again.”

  Hector moved his tongue against her, and when he hit the right spot, she felt the hard clench of her body around Tynan’s.

  “Remember that. It’s fucking amazing.” He continued to undulate into her, and as Hector teased her, triggering that same response, again and again, she came, holding Tynan’s shoulder and Hector’s hand. Tynan drove deep and jerked into her.

  It was at that moment that the traditional outcome of a lot of sex came to her, and panic ran through her. Her hunger was happy, but her mother’s situation roared through her mind. “Oh, hell.”

  Tynan was still recovering, but Hector rubbed his cheek against hers. “Ah, I see that you have finally figured out our dastardly plan.”

  Tynan kissed her. “Your father gave us the idea, and I had the spell ready as a backup. It was tailor-made for this, but we didn’t know you could port. It was supposed to be a gentle drain that would keep you with us. You would power up when we touched.”

  Hector murmured, “So, now, we are courting you.”

  “Courting?”

  Tynan withdrew, and Hector slid inside. He went deeper than Tynan, which made the slow drag and surge last forever.

  Tynan muttered, “Now, let’s see if I can figure that out.” He nuzzled at her breast and sucked each one in turn before he tried to set her off the same way Hector had.

  She was sweating and rocking with Hector when the motion of his tongue caused the response that made Hector groan. Tynan chuckled. “Amazing, isn’t it.”

  “Make her do that again.” Hector was sweaty and panting.

  Tynan got to work, and he figured out the motion that set her off. He made Hector groan twice more before thrusting deep and pumping into her. She panted, and her body started spiralling to calm.

  Hector slid a hand down, and he started to circle her clit. “We can’t leave you out of the equation, now can we?”

  She gasped as he thickened inside her again. “It’s all fair. I came, Tynan came, you came. Everybody had a turn.”

  Hector kissed her temple. “You are doing twice the work; you get twice the pleasure.”

  He slid into her, and his slick fingers moved around and around while Tynan continued at her breasts, working with her until she was arching and squirming between them. She gasped when Tynan started to use magic against her skin, but it was what she had been missing. She moaned and leaned her head back, Tynan bit gently at her neck, and her body bucked as her senses flew apart and her sex clenched around Hector’s cock.

  He groaned and thrust into her before shaking at her back.

  When she stopped gasping, she said, “Great, now I owe Tynan one.”

  He looked up at her from his position between her breasts. “I will draw up an IOU.”

  Hector chuckled and ran his hand over her hip. “How do you feel?”

  “You asked me that once before.” She turned to nearly face him.

  “You are out of practice, but the sentiment still stands. How are you doing that?”

  “Hyper-flexible spine. It comes with the love-talker label. It also freaks out paramedics in car accidents.” She looked back at the amazed Tynan. “You look appalled and intrigued.”

  Hector stroked her cheek. “You didn’t show us that before.”

  “It is kind of a giveaway. Faeries know what I am the moment that they see it. Like your hair or eyes, it gives you away.” She smiled. “I also don’t do this in front of strangers.”

  She kissed him and then turned back to Tynan. The kiss was hot and getting hotter when a door opened, and she yelped, hiding. She managed to disappear, which meant that Hector’s cock was gleaming in the middle of nothing.

  “Mr. Hector, I have brought your refreshments.” The butler arrived and set up a table for them. “Your father wants a word.”

  She was clamped by their arms as she tried to wiggle away.

  Hector exhaled and said, “Fine. I will be with him in half an hour.”

  Another voice came from the doorway. “You are not allowed to bring whores home, Hector. We have had this discussion.”

  Nessa felt fat tears running down her face. She had forgotten. For this one moment and several preceding it, she had forgotten that the men she was with had screwed their way through centuries together. She was a small distraction.

  “Get her out of here.” The dark elf in the immaculately tailored suit stepped into the room. “You should know better than to... what is... where is she?”

  Hector stroked her hair and kissed her head. “She is here. You embarrassed and insulted her. She’s not a whore. She’s our mate.”

  “You have chosen a mate without my consent?” He stepped near the bed. “Young woman. Show yourself.”

  “Fuck off.”

  He backed up and frowned. “I will force you to reveal yourself, and you will not like the result.”

  “Knock yourself out. I don’t like you, and I am not going to give you a peep show just because you feel bossy.”

  He held his hand out, and a tremendous weight pressed on her magic and tried to peel off her invisibility.

  “What the hell?”

  She mumbled, “Hector, can you pull out? This is getting weird that you are getting hard again because I am giving your dad a hard time.”

  Tynan laughed.

  “Tynan, you seem to have a rapport with her. Reason with her.”

  The faerie crossed his arms. “Miss, what will it take to get you to reveal yourself?”

  “A sheet. Not a fucking faerie magic sheet either. A boring physical one.”

  “How about a blanket?” He flexed his fingers, and a throw from the chair in the corner came toward her. She caught it and sat up.

  She removed her invisibility and looked at the man that she now recognized. She had just told the king of the dark court to fuck o
ff. Her father would be so proud.

  He frowned as he tried to take in what she was, and she continued to let her body slowly resume its full and natural appearance that even the field at the doorway had not managed to coax from her. His mouth dropped open.

  “You... you are...”

  “Cian’s daughter. The whore in your son’s bed.” She held the throw to her chest. Hector and Tynan sat up on either side.

  He winced. “Mistress... I... apologize. I was told that he had brought a beautiful and non-human woman home. That was all.”

  “So, you went to insulting. Charming, but I have heard that all dark court were assholes. Thank you for confirming the rumour.” She looked at Hector. “Sorry, but I have been ordered off of dark court grounds by the king. I have to go. Thanks for the top-up. See you in another decade.” She looked at her hands and smiled at the lack of markings. “It has been educational.”

  She nodded. “Your Majesty. Good evening.”

  She leaned back into the bed and fell through it, into the shadow realm and back to her parents’ house.

  She didn’t have time for a shower and grabbed her clothes, sprinting along. Her parents stared as she ran through the living room with a handful of clothing and headed out the door. Kallie followed her. “Honey, what is going on?”

  With her trunk open, she sat and pulled on some sandals. And yanked on a sundress. “So, the guys from earlier. Nice guys, right?

  “We thought so.”

  “Well, they put a magical drain into me, repowered me, and then, I find out that Hector’s dad is the king of the dark court. So, I am getting the hell out of here.” She hugged her mother, and her father was scowling.

  “Baby, we can take care of this.” Her father looked concerned.

  “Do you want to tie our families together forever?”

  Her father winced. “It isn’t ideal, but...”

  She was about to speak, but one of the shadows came to life and grabbed her, pulling her through a portal. She screamed in frustration and kicked back at the man who had her. It was not one of her lovers.

  She was released in an office with walls made of moving shadow. The king was standing near her, and he inhaled slowly. “You are fast and powerful. I will give you that.”

  “I am not asking for you to give me anything. This is an excellent opportunity for you to be rid of me. I will disappear, and you won’t have to worry about me being around. I know how deeply unsuitable I am for Hector and Tynan.”

  He blinked. “That wasn’t what I was going to say. I was going to offer you the share package for rescuing the team. It was never an actual issue, but we had to explain their fatigue.”

  She opened and closed her mouth. “You abducted me from my parents’ home to give me a reward that I didn’t ask for? Really?”

  “Of course. And along with the ten thousand shares, you also get my son.”

  Her mouth opened and closed with a snap. “Um. What?”

  “Ten thousand shares and my son. Of course, with him comes Tynan, but that doesn’t seem to faze you.”

  She held up her hands in defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Is every faerie parent interested in pimping out their children? Is there a strange matchmaking gene I don’t know about?”

  He looked at her and smiled. “Cian has authorized your union with my son?”

  “And Tynan. Yeah. They came to the house this morning after Tynan planted a tether the night before. My mom helped me break that, and then, they came over and planted a draining spell that let them track me. A few more games of tag and I ended up where you saw me.”

  There was a flare of light, and her father stepped into the room with her mother at his side.

  “Stovos, good afternoon. Is there a reason you have abducted my daughter off my property?”

  The king rubbed the back of his neck. “I do seem to be stepping on my own impulses today.”

  He bowed to her mother. “Lady Kallie, good afternoon. I apologize for my intrusion into your territory.”

  “King Stovos, it is strange to see you again. I thought you wanted nothing more to do with the raging sluts in my family.” Kallie’s voice was sweet.

  Nessa was shocked. “You said what to my mother?”

  Stovos ran a hand over his head. “My hair grew back eventually.”

  Nessa laughed. “Oh. Shit. You are that guy. Mom always told me that when the disrespect got too much to handle, I was allowed to let it out.”

  Cian smiled. “You are part of our family legend, Stovos.”

  “More of a boogey man.” Nessa smiled. “Right, so he was sacrificing Hector to my substandard bloodlines.”

  Kallie manifested a fireball. “Substandard?”

  Stovos backed up. “I never said that. I just called her a... casual acquaintance of my son’s before I knew who she was.”

  Nessa muttered, “A casual acquaintance who charges by the hour.”

  Cian kept Kallie from torching the king in what was apparently a reoccurrence. “Enough. Nessa, stop goading your mother.”

  “Dad, what would happen if she managed to find out in an anecdote in my baby shower.”

  He grinned. “Your mother and I would make very good grandparents on our own, and his family would mourn him.”

  “Right. So best to lance that nastiness now, and yes, Mom, he addressed me as a whore, but to be honest, he couldn’t see me.”

  Stovos grumbled. “I thought that it was just that Hector and Tynan were covering her, not that she was invisible.”

  Kallie refocused. “You went invisible in his territory? That’s my girl.”

  Nessa hugged her. “Trained by the best.”

  Stovos looked at her. “You don’t use your full seeming, even with your parents.”

  “They know what I look like. They were there when I was born.” She smiled.

  Stovos cleared his throat. “Well, since we are all together, I would like to offer my son to your daughter, but she keeps talking too fast.”

  Cian nodded and pulled out a chair. “Have a seat and tell us what you are offering. She may be carrying as we speak, so let’s not let another ten years go by before they connect again.”

  Stovos looked at her. “That was you? He looked for you for the last ten years. I told him he was an idiot.”

  “Have a seat, Stovos. I get the feeling you are about to pay.” She crossed her arms and removed her layers of concealment. The negotiations commenced.

  Chapter Seven

  The negotiations got detailed, and her wardrobe was included in the discussions.

  Stovos said, “No offense is meant, but she requires an extensive wardrobe. Hector and Tynan attend many business dinners and charity events.”

  Nessa scowled. “I will pay for it. I might even be able to get a discount if I ask politely.”

  Stovos frowned. “We are negotiating an exclusive contract for your favours.”

  She snorted. “I know. My friend Sallen is married to a trio, and one of them is a dressmaker. He will be able to help me find something. Maybe.” She turned to one of the walls of shadow. “Hector, do you still have my phone?”

  A hand reached through the shadows with her phone in it. She exhaled across it, and the lights went on. She quickly sent a text to Sallen asking her for Cale’s assistance.

  He’d be delighted. Name the date and time. He will be there.

  “Okay. Appropriate wardrobe sorted. Any other demands?”

  Stovos asked, “Where are you getting the clothing?”

  “Sallen’s husband Cale.”

  He blinked. “Of course, you would know the Kayett heir. Sure. That is just the kind of day I have been having.”

  “It isn’t about you, King Stovos.” She smiled. “And yes, Sallen and I met when she was across the country and working as a courier. It was before her mother passed. We have kept in touch since. She’s been with her guys for two years now, and she is looking forward to my being lo
cal.” Nessa grinned. “She knows all the best restaurants.”

  “I see. Well, to counter that, I would have to contribute some of the royal jewels.”

  Nessa frowned. “You have to counteroffer for my friends?”

  “That kind of friend? Yes.”

  She blinked, and her parents resumed their trotting out of her worthy skills, dancing, music, singing, her accounting degree, and her magically related work across the country.

  Stovos frowned. “Her magical work?”

  Kallie smiled. “Nessa is a fertility specialist. She moves in with a couple, and they are pregnant in six weeks or less.”

  Stovos scowled and yelled out. “Hector, I can’t afford her.”

  Nessa smiled. “A place to live, food to eat, and comp my wardrobe. Oh, and a vehicle of my choosing.” She thought. “Alteration for my physical situation as required. And if I get a call to help a couple, I go.”

  “Unacceptable. They can come to you.”

  “It is impossible to set the right situation in a hotel. Fine. Something else. I want a bed and breakfast with soundproofed walls.”

  Stovos leaned forward with narrowed eyes. “I am listening.”

  “Not huge. Just enough to host three or four couples with private balconies and a common area and—”

  “I will have an architect draw something up. You will require staff?”

  “Five in rotation so that someone is always available.”

  He leaned back. “Is there money in this?”

  “Twenty thousand dollars per couple.”

  “What is your failure rate?”

  “Zero. Not everyone believes that it can be cured by a simple handshake, so I have only had nineteen couples. I have a direct cascade method, so my last client has to offer me to the next one. I could expand that to two, but that would be it.”