Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Irolled away from Cernunnos with a groan and quickly dressed.
“Want some coffee?” I asked.
“Always.”
I glanced up at him, and my mouth went dry. He lay golden and muscled and tangled in the sheets. His hair was mussed and his eyes were heavy and sated.
And he was looking at me like he couldn’t wait to do it all over again.
Goodness. We’d just entangled ourselves in a complicated web, and I thought maybe I should feel bad, but the guilt didn’t come.
Evie wouldn’t judge me.
Ethan had shown me he would never give me his heart.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
The incessant pounding came again.
“Coming!” I called, smoothing my hair down as I padded to the front door.
I opened it and froze.
Ethan stood outside, holding a bag of my favorite donuts. He opened his mouth, frowned, then snapped it shut.
“Well,” he said quietly. “It appears I’ve interrupted something.”
Magic boiled in the air behind me. I shut my eyes as warmth hit my back.
“Hello, Lord,” Cernunnos said. To his credit, he sounded a little subdued, not satisfied or gloating.
I craned my head up to glare at him, but Cernunnos wasn’t looking at me.
When I looked back at Ethan, his eyes had strayed to the two perfect puncture wounds on the side of the god’s throat.
“I see,” he said with a nod. A ring of gold encircled his iris. He held out the bag and took a step back.
I would not apologize. I’d all but thrown myself at Ethan only to get soundly rejected each time. “What did you need?”
His golden gaze met mine. A hundred emotions flashed through them, and none of them were anger.
That made me feel worst of all.
Ethan swallowed hard and spoke. “I came to warn you. Your mother has escaped her cell. Our trackers have been unable to locate her.”
With a final look at both of us, Ethan turned and walked away.
I closed the door and sagged against the frame. “Shit.”
“He would have known. Today, tomorrow, even a week from now. It would make no difference.”
“I know.”
He nodded and went to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. I took a beat to rearrange my thoughts and padded after him to make a cup of tea.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Cernunnos said as he measured out the grounds.
“I know.” Our eyes met. “I don’t feel guilty, and I wonder if I should. Mostly I just feel sad.”
“It’s natural to feel that way when we hurt someone we care about.”
“I don’t regret what we did.”
A smile tipped one side of his lips up. “Good. Neither do I.”
“I need to tell Evie.”
He flipped the machine on and leaned against the sink. “Would you like me to be there?”
I choked on a laugh. “Absolutely not!”
His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle. “Fair enough.”
I sank into one of the kitchen chairs and buried my head in my hands. “Gods. She’s going to be horrified.”
“You might be surprised. She’s been around the fae and shifters for a long time. Her sensibilities are not as tender as they once were.”
“I’m not talking about the sex part! I’m talking about you!”
He grinned shamelessly.
“You are the worst,” I grumbled.
His grin turned into a full-on belly laugh. “How I enjoy you, Moira. In so many ways.”
“Do not ever say that to Evie.”
He threw his head back and laughed so hard he started coughing.
“Ass.” I got up and poured my cup of tea. While I was at it, I poured him a cup of coffee and slid the mug over.
He snagged me around the waist and pressed a kiss to my hair. There was something so warm and comforting about him, edged with wild violence. It appealed to the predator inside me. I leaned against his chest and sighed. “This is weird.”
“Mmm. And good, I hope?”
My heart warmed. “And good.”
“And Ethan?”
“He made his choice long ago. I just took too long to listen.”
“Remember what I said. I will not stand in your way if you decide he is who you want.”
I turned in his arms and lifted my hands to his face. “I am a one-man woman. Regardless of where this goes, I’ll never allow anyone else’s hands on me.”
His eyes swirled. “Perhaps I can learn to be jealous,” he mused.
I stood on my tiptoes and dropped a soft kiss on his lips. He deepened it before I could pull away until my knees buckled. Cernunnos caught me and hauled me onto the counter where he kissed me senseless.
“You may not be jealous, but I am,” I growled.
He smiled against my lips. “No other will touch me. This I swear.”
“You speak like such an old man sometimes,” I teased.
There was another knock on the door. I groaned.
Cernunnos grinned. “I’m going to take a shower. You will enjoy this visitor.”
He winked and helped me off the counter.
“What does that mean?”
He didn’t answer on his way to the back, just flashed me another grin.
Gods, he was sexy.
I answered the door to see Rowan and Evie standing there. The Lord’s eyes widened within seconds, undoubtedly smelling Cernunnos and me all over the apartment.
Evie elbowed her way in and made her way into the living room. “You’ve been holed up here way longer than normal. Is everything okay?”
She stopped and turned, her eyes widening. “Oh. My. Gods.”
My cheeks went crimson.
Rowan let out a low laugh as Evie cursed and dug in her front pocket. She pulled out a wadded up bill and slapped it into Rowan’s outstretched palm.
“Told ya so,” he said with a shit-eating grin.
It took me a minute. “What the hell? You were betting on me?”
Evie flopped onto my couch. She had the grace to look sheepish. “I almost won,” she grumbled. “You couldn’t wait one more week?”
I let out a horrified laugh. “Et tu, Brute?”
Evie shrugged. “Sorry. Dad’s been watching you like a hawk for a while now, and you haven’t dated anyone in years. I’m his daughter, but I’m not blind.”
I sank onto the couch and glared at her. “How much did you bet?”
“I owe Rowan fifty bucks. That was just a down payment.”
Rowan tucked the money in his pocket. “I take other forms of payment.”
He winked at Evie.
“Gross.”
Rowan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “After what you two just got up to, you think I’m gross?” He rolled his eyes. “Hypocrite.”
Evie covered her mouth with her hand, but her eyes were sparkling.
“We need ground rules,” I grumbled.
“I agree.” Evie nodded. “We will never, ever discuss your sex life.”
“Done.” I mimed a zipping motion.
“Second, if you and Dad get married, I will never, ever call you Mom.”
Rowan choked.
I tapped my chin and pretended to think about it.
“Moira!”
“What about Stepmonster?”
Evie blew out a breath. “Don’t be an ass.”
“Relax. Your father and I have an understanding.”
She held up both hands and gagged. “Do not say another word.” Evie rose. “Is he here right now?”
“Shower’s on,” Rowan said helpfully.
Evie closed her eyes. “Gross. Alright. This is going to take some time to process.”
When she opened her eyes, they shimmered with tears. “On the other hand, I’m glad if you’re glad. I’m happy you found someone, even if it’s temporary. Or mutually beneficial.”
She grimaced, making me laugh. Evie reached for me and brought me in for a tight hug. Her floral scent washed over me. “We saw Ethan,” she whispered in my ear. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. “I gave him what he asked for.”
Evie sucked in a breath. “Maybe not in the way he wanted.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Regardless. It’s done.”
She squeezed me a little tighter. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m good with my decisions, Evie.”
And as I hugged my best friend, I realized for the first time in a long time, I was telling the truth.
“We need to talk later, when this stuff with Soren is over.” I pulled back, letting her see by my expression how serious I was.
She nodded slowly. “Alright. Wine and cheese night?”
“Definitely.”
Evie brushed a kiss over my cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Say the word, and I’ll be there.” She smiled. “You look better. Healthier.” Evie nodded decisively. “I like you this way.”
My cheeks heated. “Get out of here before things get weird.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Call me.”
She hurried out of the apartment just as Cernunnos came out of the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel.
Our eyes met. I wiggled my eyebrows and used every bit of my vampiric speed to tackle him.