Chapter 16
Dean handed Fawn another dress, eyeing the heavy wool fabric, worried she’d collapse from heatstroke if she wore it again. Tomorrow, he’d take her shopping for clothes that wouldn’t suffocate her.
“Why are you glaring at my clothes as if they’ve personally offended you?” she snipped and yanked the dress out of his hands. “If they don’t live up to your royal standards, too bad. I like them.”
She’d been curt with him ever since the mess with Cali.
He thought they’d gotten past it after he explained everything, but he’d thought wrong.
“I don’t care what they look like.” Plucking another dress from her trunk, he unfolded it and held it out for her to hang up.
“They’re inappropriate for our weather. You’ll overheat. ”
His mate snatched the dress without meeting his gaze. “I have to wait until I can go into town and buy something cooler.”
“I’ll find you a dress to wear into town.” He reached inside and pulled out one of her enticing shift nightdresses and bit back a groan.
Fawn snatched the silk from him and shoved it into a drawer. “I can be hot for one day while I shop.”
“No you can’t,” he argued. “You’ll overheat.”
“This isn’t the Desert Kingdom,” she said over her shoulder. “It’s warm here but not sweltering. I’ll live.”
Dean closed the empty trunk and opened the next. “I’m not chancing it.”
She made an undistinguishable sound and picked a pair of shoes to stow on one of the shelves. “We’ll see.”
“You’re still mad,” he said, sitting on one of the benches in the middle of the room.
Fawn turned to him and pushed her hair behind her ear, revealing her heritage. She realized his attention caught on it and covered it again. He furrowed his brow. Why did she do that? He liked her ears. They were smoother than the sharp, pointed ears of the fae.
“Wouldn’t you be?” She sat beside him, shoulders slumped. “It took a lot for me to open up to you, but I did, only to find out you kept a huge secret from me.”
Cassandra was right; he was a fucking idiot. “If I could take it back, I would. I thought it’d be better to tell you I used to have a fiancé instead of I still had one.”
She fanned herself and he slitted his eyes at her long sleeves. “I understand your thought process, but I don’t agree with it. I forgive you, but I’m having trouble forgetting. Oh!” She jumped up. “I have something for you. I’ll be right back.”
Curiosity piqued, he waited with restless anticipation for her return. What could she possibly have gotten him? His face dropped. I didn’t get her anything.
She rushed back into the room with her hands behind her back. “Close your eyes.” He obeyed, and the swish of her skirts got closer. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”
His tongue flicked out, long and teasing, and Fawn’s lust-filled surprise hit him square in the chest. He grinned and pulled it back into his mouth. “You’ll reap the benefits of it later, darling. I promise.”
“Nevermind,” she mumbled. “Put your tongue back in your mouth but hold it open.”
He grinned but obliged and something solid hit his tongue. Fawn placed a hand on the top of his head and another on his jaw and pushed.
His teeth sank into the foreign object and the taste hit him. He tried to open his mouth but she pushed harder. “Lick it,” she commanded.
Dean jerked his head from her grip and spat out the bar of soap.
As if she’d anticipated it, she shoved a soap covered toothbrush in his mouth and scrubbed.
She jumped on his lap and straddled him to keep him in place, but he stood easily, placed her on the ground, and careened around the bench to put a barrier between them.
He gagged and tried to scrape the soap from his teeth and tongue. “What is wrong with you, woman?”
She pointed the toothbrush at him like a sword. “You called her sweetheart.”
“What?” His mind couldn’t catch up, too preoccupied by the film in his mouth.
“Cali,” she snapped. “You called her sweetheart, and I want that word washed out of your mouth.”
He stopped his futile efforts to remove the thick soap from his mouth and stared at her. “That’s what this is about? Darling, I call everyone sweetheart. It’s a habit.”
“Not anymore you don’t.” She rounded the bench and he darted to the other side. “How would you feel if you heard be call another man a pet name? Warren called me babe. Maybe I’ll try it out around the palace.”
She had a point; the thought of her using a term of endearment on anyone but him made him feral. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “You’re right. I didn’t think, and it won’t happen again.” He’d never admit it to her, but seeing her jealous made his cock hard.
“Good,” she said with a curt nod.
“I’m going to rinse out my mouth.” He pointed to the toothbrush. “Put that thing away.” The little minx tried to hide her smile but he saw it.
Right as he finished getting the disgusting mess out of his mouth, someone barged into the sitting room without knocking. Dean stalked out of the bathroom to see which idiot was bold enough to barge into his rooms uninvited.
Braddock filled the doorway, his mountain frame shadowing the room, with Monroe at his side. “We need to talk.”
Dean ignored his friend and addressed Monroe. “It’s good to see you. You look lovely today.”
Monroe twirled, his light-blue floor-length dress floating around him.
He was a short, plump man with blond hair shorter than Dean’s, suntanned beige skin, and an infectious smile.
“It’s new. Brad said it matches my eyes.
” Braddock glared at his husband, and Monroe instantly dropped his arms. “Don’t compliment me when I’m trying to be upset with you. ”
“And what great offense have I committed now?” Dean drawled, though he already knew.
“Cali didn’t deserve the way you treated her today,” Braddock stepped in. “You blindsided her and then punished her for reacting.”
“I sent you a letter ahead of our convoy explaining everything,” he replied as Fawn exited their dressing room to join them. “You were supposed to keep Cali away until I could speak with her. I did everything I could to prevent this.”
Braddock crossed his arms. “No one gave me a letter, otherwise I’d have kept Cali away, if for no other reason than to save her the humiliation.”
“It’s unfortunate what happened, and I’m sorry she found out the way she did, but she had no fucking right to slap Fawn’s hand away.” Dean stepped forward and Braddock stiffened. “I meant what I said. If she touches Fawn again, I will kill her.”
Monroe’s jaw hung open. Dean waited for the man to berate him for his treatment of Cali. The two were friends, and he’d been more excited for the wedding than she was, but he surprised them all when he turned to Braddock. “Would you kill someone for hitting me?”
Braddock frowned down at him. “That’s all you got from that?”
The shorter man lifted a sharp eyebrow. “Well? Would you?”
Fawn’s eyes widened and she sputtered out a laugh.
“I wouldn’t have to because no one is stupid enough to touch you,” Braddock stated with the same confidence he’d possessed since childhood. “They know I can beat anyone in a fight.”
Fawn snuck a glance at Dean, and he smirked. Monroe harrumphed and turned away. “You didn’t say yes. Dean would kill his own fiancé and you won’t even kill a hypothetical person.”
“Ex-fiancé,” Dean corrected him.
“You missed the part where I said no one would touch you to begin with,” Braddock grumbled, “but I’d kill anyone if they tried.”
“Then why are you mad at him?” He pointed at Dean and winked. The sly little fox backed his husband into a corner.
Fawn burst out laughing and Monroe beamed. “I’m Monroe,” he introduced himself. “This big oaf is my husband, Braddock.”
“I’m Fawn.” She hiked her thumb in Dean’s direction. “I’m his mate.”
“I’ve been dying to meet you,” Monroe told her. “The whole palace has been buzzing about you since the scene in the courtyard.” Braddock shot his husband a silent warning, and his husband mouthed back, “It slipped.”
All the blood drained from Fawn’s face, and Dean tucked her into his side. “Don’t worry, darling. It’s all good things.” It better be.
Monroe and Braddock exchanged a long look and Fawn pressed herself closer to Dean. “What are they saying?” she asked the couple.
Monroe smoothed his billowy dress, and Braddock sighed, shaking his head.
“Spit it out,” Dean barked. What the fuck could they possibly have to say about his mate?
“Most are excited you’ve found your gods-blessed mate,” Monroe said slowly, still fidgeting with his dress. “Others think you’re lying and pushing Cali aside for a human whore.”
Dean’s vision bled red.
No one moved or spoke for the longest time. “I’m going home,” Fawn announced, and Monroe placed a hand on his chest, his eyes full of remorse.
She felt Dean’s fury mix with ice cold fear. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I won’t stay here and be treated like shit.” She stormed to the dressing room to pack her things. “I lived my entire teenage years being treated less than for being weak. I’ll not subject myself to it as an adult.”
Her fingers brushed the hair over her ears. Still covered. So why did people think she was human? Dean followed her into the large dressing room. “If you put anything in those trunks, I will redden your ass.”
Fawn whirled around and narrowed her eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Me too!” Monroe called from the bedroom. Braddock said something too low for Fawn to hear, followed by Monroe’s giggles. “We’re going to give you two some privacy.” Seconds later a door shut.
“I mean it, Fawn,” Dean warned. “Don’t even think about leaving me.”
Without breaking eye contact, she grabbed a pair of boots and tossed them into a trunk.
Dean’s jaw clenched, and she opened a drawer, pulled out her undergarments, and threw them in next. “That’s two,” he stated, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.
Two what? She ignored him, yanked open her stocking drawer, and flung them in.
“Three.”