Chapter 15 Andri #2
I’m hoping she doesn't know how much I liked it. I’m also hoping she’ll be compliant in somehow making a break for it out of the tavern without everyone seeing my stained crotch. It’s going to be dicey getting her to do anything right now, given the state the wine has left her in.
Damn fairies.
“Hey.” I let my voice be cheerful, despite the position I’m in. “I need your help with something.”
Daphne’s eyes light up, and she switches from handsy vixen to more of a helpful camp counselor.
“I can do it, whatever it is.” She’s locked in, as much as someone who is incredibly drunk can be.
“I left my jacket at home, and it’s awfully cold.” I do my best impression of a shiver, and I’m lucky she’s inebriated because I’m sure it’s not convincing. I’ve never shivered in my life.
“Oh!” She puts her arm on my bicep and says sympathetically, “It’s so cold out, I’m surprised you didn’t freeze on the way over.”
Yes, drunk enough not to realize how ridiculous it would be for me to be cold. This stupid plan might work.
“Do you want me to go get it?” she says as she starts to exit the booth. I yank her back before she’s able to stand completely. Daphne hits the booth with a dull thud, her head lolling back until she’s looking up at me, mouth slightly parted.
I wish she wasn’t drunk so I could kiss those lips.
“Maybe you could stand in front of me to block the wind?” It’s a very stupid request, but I bat my lashes for full effect.
She doesn’t blink, like her brain is buffering, before she gives me a lazy smile.
“Great idea!” She goes to stand again, and this time I let her, while I make it a point to follow closely behind my human shield.
She reaches back behind me and grabs my hand. “You ready to face the cold together?” she asks with all the gusto of an Everest mountain climber.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I whisper, loving the feeling of our fingers intertwined.
She sets her jaw and starts a strange stomp-like walk toward the tavern’s front door. Her movements are bizarre, like she’s walking uphill on a flat surface. Every step is a struggle for her wobbly ankles and knees.
The other townies are starting to notice that she’s plastered as I put my free hand on her shoulder to help steer her on the path. There’s a hush in the conversation that’s been drowning out most other sounds in the space.
We make it to the front door of the bar eventually, and just before I open the door, I yell over my shoulder.
“Fairy wine? Am I right? I’m gonna make sure she gets home safely.” There’s a lull, but eventually they continue with their conversations, and thankfully no one notices the load I’ve shot in my own pants.
As the cold air hits us, Daphne tenses. She makes herself as big as possible to break the wind for me, even though I can tell the air stings her face as she squints and bunches up her nose.
I say a silent thanks that my truck is only parked a few spaces down the street because she seems pretty miserable, despite her efforts to keep me warm.
She even goes as far as to walk to the driver’s side first and opens my door for me. I hate it, but I know that if I argue with her in this state that it’ll take more time, and the poor unfurry human is going to lose all the more heat.
She closes the door behind me, and I turn on the truck and heating quickly. She makes it around the front of the truck quickly, and jumps into the passenger side with a speed that lets me know she was really feeling the chill in the air.
I grab her hands, and put them up against a vent, trying to warm them through. She sighs and slumps back.
“We did it!”
“We did.” I chuckle and lean over to click her seatbelt.
“You’re always taking care of me, it’s nice to be able to take care of you,” she whispers, eyes closed.
“I like it, you know,” I mutter.
“You like what?”
“Taking care of you, I’d do it forever if you let me.”
And I would. I don’t know if snowmen have mates, and I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to ask another one of my kind. But I do know that I’m falling for Daphne, and I want nothing more than to keep her. I only hope that she’ll let me.
I take her to my cabin after grabbing a much too small coat from the lost and found of the front lobby.
I can’t bear to see her take the brunt of the weather.
When I relax my arms down to my sides in the too-small down jacket, the shoulder seams split open, releasing a puff of white goose feathers over my shoulders.
Daphne’s mouth drops open.
“You look like an angel,” she coos.
Sure, a big fur-covered angel with cum stains on his sweatpants. Checks out.
“Well, consider me your guardian angel and let’s get you somewhere warm.” She turns to the elevator, but I stop her. “If it’s alright with you, I think it might be a good idea if you crash at my cabin. I don’t feel good about leaving you alone after the wine.”
“I think I’m okay!” She swats a hand in front of her face, which causes her to lose balance and stumble backwards.
My hand darts out, catching the small of her back, and stops her head from smacking against the hard tile floor.
“Maybe you’re right,” she gulps, eyes wide.
I, of course, know I’m right, seeing as how I’m the only sober party here.
We exit out the back of the main building and take the path to my cabin.
But this time, I break the wind for her.
She grabs onto the back of my jacket, and braces her face against me, nuzzling her nose in.
I can’t tell if it’s for warmth, or if drunk Daphne just likes the sensitization of the slippery synthetic fabric against her skin.
We make it inside before too long, and I crank up the thermostat before setting her in my oversized leather easy chair next to the fireplace.
“Stay there,” I tell her as I run to the bathroom and quickly replace the pants with my usual uniform. When I come back, she is craning her neck behind her.
As Daphne looks around my one-room home, I’m suddenly aware of every pair of jorts on the floor, every cup in the sink, and how I really should have thought about picking up my pigsty before asking a woman over.
“It’s not normally this messy,” I explain as I grab a log and start a fire. “I’ve just been really busy this season, and—”
“Hey it’s okay, who am I to judge someone’s home when I don’t even have one?” she laughs.
“That room is yours as long as you need it.”
I look over at her after I finally get the wood going, and her eyes are wet and shining in the firelight.
“Why are you so nice to me?”
I lean back, palms flat against the cool wood floor, and for once, I don’t try to hide behind jokes or half-truths. I look into the fire, not brave enough to meet her eyes.
“I’m nice to you because I think you’re wonderful.” My voice warbles. “You’ve been through hell with Gerald, and I don’t ever want to see someone take advantage of you again. You’re too pure of heart.”
When I look back at her, I can tell she’s taken aback, despite still feeling the effects of the fairy wine. She looks like she’s about to thank me again, but I want the whole truth to come out first.
“But it’s not just that. I need you to know that I’m selfish too, I want you for myself. You’re in my head all the damn time, and I can’t shake the thought of you loose. I don’t know if you’re my mate, or if it’s not fate and I’m just old-fashioned falling in love with you.”
I brave a glance up, my throat tight.
“All I know is that I want you, however you’ll let me have you. Even if all you can offer me is friendship. But god, I hope it’s more than that.”
The truth is out there, and I’m just waiting to see if it’ll actually set me free or if I’ll regret opening my mouth.
Daphne’s mouth opens and closes a few times, like she can’t parse what to say.
God, I must have fucked this up royally if she can’t even bring herself to turn me down.
I turn back to the fire and throw on another log, trying to seem busy.
There’s no way to casually come back from admitting you’re in love with someone, but my heart would have exploded if I kept what I was feeling inside for any longer.
“It’s fine if you don’t feel the same,” I mumble to the embers. “I just—”
There’s a tap at my shoulder, and Daphne is right there with a bold look of determination.
“Shut up,” she commands before taking my face in her hands, leaning over, and kissing me hard.
A bomb could go off at this very second and I would be oblivious, because all I can feel is this perfect, crushing kiss. Her body is warm against mine, and that orange cinnamon scent fills my lungs. Her tongue probes against my lips, and I open to her as we taste each other.
I have no control over my body as my hands fly up to her hips, dragging her from standing to straddling my crotch in what feels like two seconds flat.
“Oh fuck,” she groans, grinding against my denim-covered cock. The shaft springs to life, throbbing and already leaking precum.
“You taste better than I ever imagined,” I growl against her, letting my lips trail down her neck. When I get to her collarbone, I lick the hollow spaces there.
“I want you,” she whimpers, reaching down to unfasten the waistband of my shorts.
Her hand grabs my cock and gives it a squeeze right around its base.
“God, your cock is so warm…I need you inside me,” she sighs, her breath fanning across my face.
That’s when I pick it up, the sickly floral smell of the damn fairy wine. It fucking kills me to do it, but I take her hand off my cock and press it against the center of her chest. She looks at me, face glazed with confusion.
“You’re drunk, this isn’t right.” I stuff myself back into my pants.
“No, I want this, I want you.” She leans in to kiss me again. I dodge her lips, shifting my head to the side so that she smooches nothing but empty air.
“If that’s true, you’ll want me tomorrow too, right?” I say quietly, lifting her up in my arms as I stand.
“It doesn’t matter, I know what I want—”
I put my finger to her lips.
“Let’s sleep on it?” I ask as I place her in my bed, thankful that I’ve changed the sheets this week. I pull the heavy comforter up from the bottom of the bed and tuck her in.
“Will you at least cuddle with me?” She pouts. “I promise to keep my hands above the belt.” She holds up two fingers in a “Scout’s honor” style.
I may have been able to fend off her sexual advances, but hell if I’ll be able to turn down her more chaste offer.
I jump into the other side of the bed, getting under the blanket I never use, and play the part of the big spoon. There’s an ache, but somehow this is just as good as what was happening before.
“I can’t tell you how big of a weight off my chest telling you was,” I whisper, nuzzling against her ear. “I don’t know what came over me to finally tell you, but I’m glad I did.”
I wait for her to react, but the only thing I hear in response is the soft gurgle of her snore.
I let out a sigh, pulling her back closer against me, and just soak up the way her hair smells.