Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Everett
They stopped packing up his grandfather’s office after a couple of days.
For one thing, Everett had decided to move into this house he did love.
But the other reason was that neither of them could keep their hands off each other.
And the best part was that Dax seemed to have lost all his hesitance over their size difference.
At least, Everett believed he had. He was certainly touching him a lot.
Everett still marveled over the fact Dax was a true ogre, and he was frankly dying to see what Dax looked like without the magical glamour.
Not that he wasn’t beautiful as he appeared to Everett, but his heart was now fully involved, and he wanted to know everything about Dax.
Wanted to truly see him for what he was.
So every time they started working on his grandfather’s office, they ended up kissing, then hands would wander. He’d never been stroked off so much in his entire life. He loved every second of it. He didn’t want to be apart from Dax at all.
It helped that Dax was too worried about possible warper wizards to leave his side. He even followed him into the shower—which had led to lots of soapy, slithery foreplay.
Tonight, they’d decided to spend the evening together watching a murder mystery.
Everett had just ordered food to be delivered.
Dax was relaxing in the corner of the sectional sofa, reading one of Everett’s books.
He looked up as Everett walked over and stretched out on the couch, then nudged the book aside and put his head in Dax’s lap.
Dax immediately dropped the book and ran his fingers through Everett’s hair.
“I ordered subs. Ordered a bunch of extras for your friends, too. And I got you three.” Everett grinned. “You’re going to need all those carbs for later.” He waggled his brows.
Dax grinned back at him. “I look forward to that.” He smoothed hair off Everett’s forehead. “I wanted to check in with my parents tomorrow. Would you be interested in going there with me? I can’t leave you alone. Though we could ask either Emory or Ivor to come inside.”
Everett sat up. “I’d love to go with you. You said you’re close with them. I’d love to meet them. Though…” He paused. “Meeting the folks is kind of a big deal, you know?”
Dax nodded. “It is. But I want you to. Meet them, that is. They’ll love you.”
“They won’t mind that I’m human?”
“Not in the least. They only want me to be happy, and you make me that way.” Dax stared at him quietly for a moment.
“You obviously still need a bodyguard until we figure out what spell was triggered in that stone, but even after I’m no longer working for you, I’d like us to keep seeing each other. ”
“I want that more than anything. Dax, I already care for you deeply.” He cleared his throat, ready to spill the absolute truth of his real feelings, but the doorbell rang.
“It’s too fast for that to be the food,” Everett muttered as he stood and started toward the front of the house.
He hurried through the hall into the foyer, Dax at his heels, and opened the door.
He blinked in surprise. His best friend, Trilla, stood on the threshold with her arms crossed across her chest and her high-heeled foot tapping.
She was wearing one of her power suits, her red hair pulled high in a tall bun.
“What the hell is going on, Everett?” she demanded. “You’ve been quiet, and I just got a call from the real estate agent I hooked you up with. She told me you’re no longer selling this mansion. Is that right? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Everett sighed and stepped back to wave her inside.
“A lot has happened. You might as well come in, and I’ll fill you in.
” He shut the door as she stalked past him, high heels clacking.
Trilla was the CEO of a local semiconductor manufacturer that designed and made computer chips and went up against long-term bigwigs like Intel and Nvidia.
He had met her in college, so they’d been friends more than fifteen years.
He loved her fierce personality and tendency to speak her mind.
“Which one called you? The one you suggested or the asshole that replaced her?”
“My friend did.” She swung around and lifted one red eyebrow. “Who replaced her?”
“Real piece of work named Allen. He went against my wishes, but it was more than that. He was truly sleazy—made my skin crawl.”
She scowled. “I’ll ask her about that. I don’t understand why she didn’t take care of this herself. Hell, the commission alone would have kept her interest outside of our friendship. Her, I trust. I don’t know any Allen.” She looked at Dax. “Who are you?”
Everett chuckled as he, too, looked at Dax. “Blunt as usual. Trilla, meet my bodyguard, Dax. Dax, this mouthy person is Trilla—my best friend for many years.”
“Bodyguard?” She nearly yelled the word. “What the hell is going on?”
“Come on, let’s have a drink and I’ll catch you up.”
Dax pulled him aside. “I know you two need time to talk, but I can’t leave you alone for long. I’ll be right outside the room.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Everett said, patting his arm before leading Trilla into the family room. He knew Dax’s colleagues were worried about these warper wizards, and he was, too, but he needed to talk to his friend alone.
He went to the bar and pulled down her favorite Russian Gold Vodka.
She was going to be happy to have the alcohol when he told her everything.
But should he tell her about the magic in the world?
Nobody had told him he couldn’t, and she was so level-headed, she probably wouldn’t believe him anyway.
He handed her the drink, and decided to go all in.
He sat on one side of the sectional, curled his legs underneath him, and cradled a glass of vodka for himself.
He started with the chimera, and by the time he got to the nephrite, he noticed something. She wasn’t meeting his eyes. He stopped talking and stared until she finally looked at him.
“Why do I get the feeling all this magic stuff isn’t surprising you?” he asked.
She briefly shut her eyes, then set down her glass and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her slacks-clad knees. She stared at him for a long time before sighing. “Don’t get mad.”
He narrowed his eyes.
She mimicked his expression. “You’re already mad, I can tell.”
“Yeah, because I’m getting the distinct feeling you already knew all about this secret world of what they call preternaturals.”
“I did…I do. I’ve always been able to see them, Everett.”
He felt a punch of shock in his chest. “Seriously? And you never thought to share that? I thought we knew everything about each other!”
“I told you not to get mad.” She rested her hands on her lap. “I keep this secret from everyone. People would think I was crazy and unable to do my job if I started talking about that part of our world. I actually employ a lot of preternaturals.”
“So they know you can see them?”
She nodded. “A few do, yes. But that’s only been a recent change.”
“So you could see past Dax’s glamour?”
She continued to nod. “He’s an ogre. Big one, too.”
A stab of jealousy went through him before curiosity chased it away. “What color are his horns?”
“They’re a gorgeous green, like marble. He’s beautiful. And don’t think I didn’t notice the sparks between you two.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “You’re sleeping with him.”
Heat crept up Everett’s neck, and he looked down at his glass. “I am.” He looked back up at his friend. “But Trilla, it feels like more than just sex.”
“Really? It’s about time.”
“You don’t think it’s weird that I’m falling for an ogre?”
She waved her hand. “No, not in the least. I’ve known about preternaturals my entire life, and outside of their magic, they’re just like us. They love and make families—live their lives. If he’s good to you, then what does it matter what he is?”
“He’s very good to me. Treats me like I’m something valuable.”
She smiled. “You are. And you deserve someone who feels that way about you. You’ve always dated people who are all wrong for you.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Pot, kettle, black.”
She chuckled and took a sip of her vodka. “Yeah, I know. But now that you know, I’ll share that Terry was a wizard.”
He sat up straight. “Really?” His eyebrows were halfway up his forehead. “Little Terry?”
Trilla frowned. “Hey now, who are you to be calling anyone little?”
“The woman wasn’t even five feet tall, and she had tiny hands.”
“I loved her hands,” Trilla mused, her expression softening in a way he more than recognized.
“Yeah, I can guess why.” He laughed. “But tell me more. Did she have powers?”
Trilla nodded. “She did. Her abilities were earth magic based, which was why she studied botany.”
“That explains why all your dying house plants suddenly looked healthy. I always wondered about that.” He paused, swirling his drink around in the glass. “You never did say why you guys broke up.”
“She said it was because I worked too much, but deep down, I always thought she wanted to be with someone of her own kind. That feeling turned out to be true. She married another wizard.”
That hadn’t even occurred to him. Here he was already making future plans in his head for him and Dax, when it was possible all this was for the ogre was a brief interlude. It didn’t feel that way, but maybe Dax would only want forever with someone of magic. His heart skipped a beat.
Trilla leaned forward, giving him a pointed look. “Oh, I can see your mind working a mile a minute. You need to stop that right now. Just because that was my experience, doesn’t mean it’s going to be yours. You said he treats you like you’re valuable. That means something.”
“I hope you’re right.” He lowered his voice even more. “I really like him, Trilla. More than like him.”
“Good. It’s about time you had some real romance in your life.”
The doorbell rang again. “That’ll be the subs. If you’re hungry, I ordered a bunch. There are also two other bodyguards patrolling outside.”
“Really? I didn’t see them. But sure, I’ll stay for some food. I’d like to get to know your Dax, too.”
Everett drained his vodka and stood. “Be nice. He’s a good one.”
She just gave him an evil laugh.