Chapter Six
Balfour
Damn mistletoe!
I hated the stuff and it was literally everywhere in this infernal village.
Well, there was nothing to be done but kiss Kendrick. Everyone was watching, and I had a feeling Nik didn’t believe my dating story one bit.
This was his way of trying to prove I was lying, I just knew it. Just like I knew he had conjured that mistletoe.
Kendrick looked up at me with those big chocolate eyes of his, his cheeks flushed with color. Wrapping one arm around his waist, I pulled him flush against me. His heat burned everywhere he touched me, making me aware of every inch of him.
Bending my head, I gently brushed my lips over his. He hesitated, before opening his mouth, allowing me inside to taste him. My tongue tangled with his, my senses feeling alive for the first time. His hands tangled in my long hair, tugging me closer, and I gladly went.
My body was on fire, wanting more of him.
A throat clearing had us stepping away from one another, but I still kept one arm wrapped around his waist, not wanting to let him go yet.
No kiss had ever made me feel the way kissing Kendrick made me feel. Glancing at him, he looked as shocked as I felt. His eyes wide, the pupils blown, looking slightly dazed.
“Dinner is ready,” Keegan told everyone from the doorway, giving his brother a look that clearly said we’ll talk later.
Dinner. We just needed to get through dinner. And then dessert at my parents’. It was fine. Everything would be fine.
Kendrick touched his lips with his fingers, blinking owlishly at me.
“We should go in to dinner,” I told him quietly, keeping one hand on his lower back as we walked to the table.
I could care less about dinner.
I wanted to kiss Kendrick some more.
I wanted to keep kissing Kendrick and never stop.
This could be a problem.
“This is your parents’ house?” Kendrick asked, staring wide eyed at the overly large, opulent house that was my family home.
He had been quiet throughout dinner, but I hadn’t missed the daggers he had shot Ruby from across the table. Kendrick was a better actor than I imagined he would be, because it had seemed he was staking his claim on me, and not afraid for anyone to see.
Knocking briefly on the door, before I turned the handle, I nodded. “This is it. Prepare yourself.”
Stepping across the threshold, we were inundated with the sounds of yelling, screaming, crying, laughing, and was that someone playing the drums? Rather badly, at that.
Noise.
It’s what comes to mind when I think of my parents’ house. It was why I avoided it as much as possible.
“Balfour!” My name was shouted from all around us, as children rushed towards me. Kendrick wiggled nearer and I instinctively put my arm around him. Elves, even children, were tall. Some were taller than him, but he had spent enough time in the village to know that.
All kinds of questions were shouted at me, and I only caught about a third of them.
“Is this your boyfriend?”
“Is he human?”
“He has red hair like The Santa’s mate.”
“Why is he so tiny?”
“Is he full grown?”
“Stop!” I put up a hand, yelling in the sharpest tone I used when I needed to bring order to the workshop. “Everyone, step back! Let us breathe!”
“Honestly, Balfour,” my mother’s voice admonished, coming into the room. “There’s no need for all the yelling.”
Kendrick snorted beside me, turning his head into my chest, and I swore I felt him laughing.
“They started it, Mother. No one in this house knows how to speak in a normal voice.”
“Children,” Mom made a waving motion with her hands, “shoo! You can meet Balfour’s friend properly in a moment. We’re having dessert soon.”
“Now.” Mom turned her shrewd silver eyes onto Kendrick, looking him up and down. “Introduce us, Balfour.”
“Mom, this is Kendrick Mallory,” I said perfunctory. “Kendrick, my mom, Fallon. And this is my dad, Atlas.” Dad had come from the kitchen, tossing a towel over his shoulders.
“Good to meet you, Kendrick,” Dad held his hand out and they shook. Then he turned to me. “He’s human, Balfour.”
Kendrick gave me a what the actual fuck look, but he was biting his lip trying not to grin.
“I’m aware of that fact, Dad, thank you.”
“Mallory?” Mom said, “Isn’t that the name of Nik’s mate?”
“He’s my younger brother,” Kendrick finally spoke.
Mom nodded, though I couldn’t tell if it was a good nod or a bad one. Not that I cared either way. We weren’t staying long.
“Come along,” Mom started for the dining room, and just expected us to follow. “Birch is here. He came for the entire dinner. Such a good boy, he is.”
“Damn,” Kendrick whispered under his breath to me. “Shots fired. Who is Birch?”
“My asshole brother,” I whispered back.
“Do your parents have a thing against humans?”
“Eh,” I waved my hand in a back and forth motion. “It’s complicated. Goes back thousands of years and the human/elf wars.”
He crinkled his nose adorably. “That was a thing? That really happened?”
“I guess,” I shrugged. “Before my time. Mom also has this weird idea about inter-species breeding. She’s desperate for a grandchild.
” Glancing around at all my siblings, I added, “I have no clue why. She’s still got plenty of kids of her own living at home, and I’m almost positive one of my brothers sent me a birth announcement some time ago. ”
“Ahhh, but she wants her first born to have a baby,” Kendrick grinned, slipping his hand in mine. When I looked at our interlocked hands, he simply said, “We are dating, remember?”
“Yeah, she’s disappointed you’re a human, because deep down she doesn’t see there being any real chance of getting a grandchild from our relationship. But she would never openly say that.”
“Wow,” Kendrick muttered, as we entered the massive dining room, which was large enough to hold two long tables that seated twenty each.
“Sorry,” I told him sincerely, feeling the need to apologize for my parents. “I won’t let them be mean to you. We’ll just leave if we need to.”
Kendrick winked at me. “I can hold my own, don’t worry.”
“I have no doubt,” I assured him, holding out an empty chair for him, and sliding it forward when he sat. Taking the empty seat next to him, I nodded curtly at my brother. “Birch.”
“Balfour.” He turned and whispered something to the pretty elf next to him, who in turn peered around him to stare at me. I assumed this was the neighbor that my parents’ had wanted me to meet.
“Are you going to introduce me?” Kendrick asked, side-eyeing Birch.
“Not if I can help it,” I replied blandly, glancing around to see if there were any other siblings I recognized. There were a few, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names. “Would you like some dessert or are you still full from dinner at your brothers?”
“Well, it would be impolite to not eat, wouldn’t it?”
“Does my face look like I care about being impolite?”
To my surprise, Kendrick cupped my cheek with his hand, leaning in close to me. So close I could feel his breath on my lips, or at least I imagined I could. My dick definitely imagined it could, because it perked right up.
“Maybe try smiling,” Kendrick whispered to me, his free hand resting casually on my thigh. Fire burned where he touched me, and I shifted in my chair. “Act like you want to be here.”
“I don’t want to be here,” I told him honestly. “I hate coming here. It’s too noisy.”
Dad came in then, carrying a tray with different pie slices on it. He stopped at every one of my siblings, before making his way to Kendrick and me.
“Pumpkin, apple, cherry, pecan. Take your pick.” He named off the various assortment before us.
“Ohh, pecan, please,” Kendrick acted excited, but I shook my head.
“I’m still full from dinner, thanks though.”
“Humph,” Dad muttered, moving on to Birch and his date, who I strongly suspected was supposed to have been my date. What was her name? Adair? Adele? Something with an A I was fairly certain.
Kendrick slapped my thigh lightly. “Stop being rude.” He sank his fork into the pie, holding the bite out to me. “You know you want it.”
Rolling my eyes, I leaned forward and took the pie, my eyes never leaving his. Chewing, I watched as he reached over and brushed some crumbs off my lips.
“You two are just too cute for words,” the elf beside Birch exclaimed, and I reluctantly took my eyes off Kendrick to glance at her. “How long have you been together?”
“Four months,” Kendrick replied smoothly, taking his own bite of the pie.
“That long?” Birch asked, eyes narrowed on me. “That must be a record for you, Bal.”
“I’m too busy to date,” I growled and Kendrick squeezed my thigh.
“But not too busy for me.” He tilted his head up, pink lips put together in a cute pout, and I realized he was expecting me to kiss him. Since I very much wanted to kiss him again, I obliged, planting a quick hard kiss on his lips.
We stayed a few more hours–much longer than I wanted to–but somehow we got suckered into several card games with my younger siblings.
Then Kendrick was reading to a whole passel of the smaller ones, his voice animated as he spoke in different voices for all the characters.
He expertly flipped the colorful book to show the kids the pictures after he read each page.
It was the first time the kids were quiet since we had arrived, and even I was transfixed watching him.
“Thanks for doing this,” I told him quietly, as we walked back to the village, my parents’ house being at the very far end of the village.
He slipped his hand back in mine, and I was still surprised how easy it was to hold his hand. But we were starting to cross paths with people, and we needed to keep up the charade. “It really was no big deal. I liked meeting your family, though I will honestly never remember all their names.”
Snorting, I told him, “I don’t remember all their names and I’m related to them. I can’t even tell you how many there are now.”
“That was an alarming number of children,” Kendrick told me, as we walked by the skating rink. There were a few elves skating, as well as some penguins, and one lone polar bear. “Do all elves have that many children? Is that the norm?”
“Elves do tend to procreate at a rapid pace,” I told him, “but my parents went above and beyond.”
“I mean, hey, at least they are still…active.”
I shook my head as we approached the inn. “Please don’t remind me just how active my parents are. Gross.”
He laughed, and I realized what a truly nice laugh he had. “Well,” he shoved his hands into his pockets and I immediately missed the warmth of his fingers wrapped around mine. “This is where I get off. I guess I’ll see you on Saturday to take me home?”
I knew he was planning on going shopping tomorrow with Keegan and their mom, and he would go back to the human realm on Saturday.
“I should walk you to your room,” I held the inn door open for him. “Just, you know…”
“To make it look good,” he nodded in understanding. I followed him to the elevators, my hand covering his lower back as we waited for the doors to open. We were silent in the metal box, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
Standing outside his door, I wasn’t sure what to do. I wanted to kiss him once more, but would he object if no one was watching?
Leaning up on his tiptoes, he snaked an arm around my neck and pulled me down. His lips brushed mine in the barest whisper of a kiss that I felt clear down to my toes. “Good night, Bal.”
And then he slipped inside his room, the door closing firmly on me, and I stood there touching my lips, a stupid grin on my face.
Balfour
Past…
Nemesis: What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
Me: Who wants to know?
Nemesis: Just tell me.
Me: I don’t have one. I am surrounded by Christmas every day. I don’t need to watch it on TV.
Nemesis: Boring!
Me: What’s yours?
Nemesis: Die Hard, of course.
Me: Not a Christmas movie.
Nemesis: *gasp* How dare you, sir! It is so!
Me: Just because a movie takes place at Christmas, does not make it a Christmas movie.
Nemesis: Does so. Look at Gremlins.
Me: Not a Christmas movie either.
Nemesis: We can no longer be friends.
Me: When did we become friends? I never agreed to that.