Wicked Encounters (The Wicked Series: Season 1)

Fifteen

"The fairy I ditched you for last night, Jolene." She jerks her chin in the direction of the petite winged being who sat next to me the other morning when we discussed Felix's murder. She was horrified by the whole thing. I'm glad Lorelai will be around to protect her if need be; my best friend is definitely a formidable fighter when she has to be. Lorelai wiggles her fingers in her direction and the lavender-haired fairy flashes her a wink across the room.

Cordelia grins. "I'm glad that worked out for you." She leans into me and kisses my neck before saying, "It worked out well for me and Elias too, didn't it, verndari minn?"

I tilt my head to the side, repeating her words in my head. Italian, French, Romanian, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Mandarin, and Croatian—I can't find the meaning sorting through the languages I fluently speak. "Swedish?" I ask.

She smiles like she finally has one up on me and shakes her head. "Nope."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Do you speak it fluently?" I ask.

"I understand it better than I speak it, but I can get by pretty well," she answers before taking a sip of her orange juice.

I hum and file the saying away to decipher at another time. It's nice to know that I'm nowhere near figuring her out. This is a game I could spend a lifetime playing with her.

The second the thought enters my brain, I try to push it away, but it implants itself there. A little seed that I don't think I could dig up, even if I wanted to.

"I'll figure it out one way or another," I say, taking a sip of the blood in my coffee mug. I could act like I'm drinking wine for breakfast, but it just seems uncouth to me, as silly as that sounds.

"With no internet?" she says slyly.

"I have my ways."

"Sure. I know all about your ways," she murmurs, leaning back into me and nipping my earlobe.

Fuck, she's going to be the death of me.

"Cordelia..." I growl in warning.

"What?" she whispers, her voice an innocent rasp in my ear. "I'm just trying to make sure we're coming off believable. Is it working?"

If we're asking my cock, the answer is yes. Fuck yes, it is believable. Then again, it seems to be the only head I'm thinking with lately. Especially after last night.

I shift in my seat and struggle to find my voice, barely getting out the words. "It's working."

Thankfully, I don't have to say much more because Lorelai claps her hands together and stands. "I'm ready to get this rub down fest on."

We stand and follow her upstairs to change. Cordelia's and my hand end up laced together as we walk side by side. We are definitely a convincing couple. Maybe a little too convincing.

"Meet you downstairs," Lorelai calls as she ducks into her room, and as soon as Cordelia and I step into ours, I drop her hand, and I can't bear to look at her. I don't want to see it if I hurt her feelings.

I move to the wardrobe and pull out a pair of joggers and running shoes, keeping the black t-shirt I'm already wearing. I hear Cordelia rummaging in the hallway closet, and when she comes out of the bathroom, I fight to keep my eyes on her face.

She's wearing tight black leggings with triangular cutouts all the way up the outside of her thighs, a bright pink sports bra, and a black cropped hooded jacket. Her silver hair is thrown into a bun. She doesn't even seem to notice the effect she's having on me as she tosses her shoes to the ground and sits on one of the chairs to put them on.