I jumped, head still spinning. The roar of a motorcycle filled my ears, breaking the spell. I'd let Bastian...fuck! I groaned, banging my head against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut, then opening them and blinking, like it would change anything. I couldn't believe I'd allowed that—couldn't believe I wasn't more angry at myself for it. If anything, my frustration stemmed from Bastian running off.
It's better this way. Better that you don't have to face him. Better that you don't have to talk to him. Don't have to act like things have changed.
A goblin had just given me the best God damn orgasm of my life, and he hadn't even used his dick—or his freaking tongue, for that matter. Ugh. How was I supposed to put myself back together after something like that? How?!
The reverberations of his bike drifted through the walls from the garage, followed by the rumble of the house as the automatic garage door closed. I frowned, logic kicking in. Bastian's motorcycle? But—
I huffed. Why should it surprise me? Sure, we'd left it back at the club. Now it was here, in his garage. Freaking magic. I'd seen his garage earlier. He only had the one motorcycle—along with his truck and a sleek, black sports car—so, somehow, he'd moved it through space and time, right back home.
I snorted and rolled my eyes. Bed, that's what I needed. A quiet, dark room, and a bed, to process everything that had happened in the last several hours. I pushed off the wall and glanced at my phone, at his name in my contacts list. Bastian Croft. Posh as fuck. Yeah, he looked like a Bastian Croft. I shivered, walking to my room. Teddy was curled on my bed, a divot in the middle of the comforter surrounding him, right where he'd been all evening. He looked up and gave a quiet meow.
"Hey Teddy," I managed, walking straight for my bathroom. I turned on the faucet, dampened a cloth, used my makeup remover to clean my face, then set about the rest of my bedtime routine. A few minutes later, I was in my PJs, pulling Teddy to my chest like a stuffed animal. He gave a loud purr and cuddled in against me.
"You won't run off, will you?" I cooed, rubbing my face against his soft kitty fur. "No, of course you won't. You're a proper gentlemen. Not like some people. I'd rather cuddle with you, anyway." His purrs grew louder, then settled into silence.
In the dark of the room, I let my mind wander, listening to the sounds of the house, the creek of the wood as the temperatures outside cooled, as the house contracted. I tried not to flinch each time I heard a noise, letting my breaths deepen. I was safe in here, safe behind Bastian's magical security system, safe from people like...like Luke. No—I pushed him from my mind, forcing myself to think of Bastian, instead.
Bastian had handled me in a way Luke never had. Possessive, assertive, confident, and yet, he'd never once made me feel used. The opposite, actually. Aside from grinding against me, he'd taken off before I could return the favor. He'd made my pleasure his priority, then vanished.
"Just like sugar..." Those words echoed in my head, paired with the sinuous smile while he said it, the hungry gleam in his goblin eyes. He'd promised there would be more, but there couldn't be—shouldn't be. I needed this to be casual. A one-time thing, which I had no experience with. But I couldn't make the same mistake twice; I'd let someone else get close to me, and they'd used that against me, waited until I let my guard down to hurt me.
I brought my fingers to my lips. They were swollen, the skin around them mildly chafed from Bastian's stubble. I squeezed my thighs together, then smiled. The minor ache there reminded me of just how good it had been. All passion and heat, no room for thought or logic. Maybe I could do this, keep things casual, enjoy Bastian for the fuck-boy that he was, and move on once this case was solved.
A nagging feeling warned that once Bastian was done with me, I'd never be the same.
***
My phone beeped. I rolled over, groaning, then blinked. The room came in and out of focus. My phone beeped again, another text. I glanced at the bedside clock. It was nearly 10:00am. Teddy had left the confines of my arms at some point, getting comfortable on the other pillow, instead. He meowed when he saw me awake.
"Hello to you, too," I teased. Having him around meant I had someone to talk to, or rather, talk at.
I rolled over and snatched my phone, quickly scrolling through notifications. Nothing from Bastian, but a handful of texts from Vivi, two from Tara, one from Eaden, one from Kaylee, and another from my freaking mother—I ignored that one.
I focused on Vivi's first, which had come in a few hours after talked on the phone
Did you end up staying with the coffee shop guy?
I got the details from my sister. That asshole ended up dipping into their savings, making a shady investment, and losing all their money. He didn't tell her because he thought he could make it back before she found out.
Crazy, right?
You're not answering my texts. What's going on?
Are you okay?
Did that asshole kill you?!
Elle! Tell me you're okay, or I'm getting on a flight right now!
I sighed. The last four had been sent this morning. I'd slept through two of them. She was on the eastern side of the continent, so she was several hours ahead. Probably frantic.
I considered calling her, but I didn't feel like talking. Quickly punching out a series of responses, I sent them and moved on to Tara and then Kaylee.
Then finally, Eaden. He'd texted me two nights ago, but I was only opening it now. Candy, what the fuck is going on? Your shit's still in your locker. The back door is open. I sent Zach out to look for you. Looks like something happened in the alley. Call me when you get this.
Another had come in yesterday afternoon. What the fuck is going on, Candy? None of my calls are going through.
And then, later last night, after I'd fallen asleep. Someone said they saw you at The Vault. If I don't hear from you by tomorrow, I'm filing a police report for a missing person.
I wasn't going to call him. It would give him ample opportunity to ask too many questions, so I shot him a quick text telling him that something went down, and I was okay.
A few moments later, the beeping began. The screen began to flash with incoming messages. Vivi, Kaylee, Tara. One from Eaden. Then another from Vivi. I grumbled. I didn't have patience for this. I needed coffee, ASAP.
Tossing it over on the bed—they could all wait—I climbed to my feet and slipped into the bathroom. After that, I crept into the kitchen. I half expected to find Bastian standing there shirtless, cooking breakfast, but everything was quiet. The coffee maker hadn't been cleaned out from yesterday, so I went about rinsing it out, then making coffee.
"Woooowwww..." I whistled, finding the stash of expensive coffee in the cabinet. Small batch beans in bags labeled with different flavors. A smile pulled at the corner of my lips. How very Bastian Croft of him. I grabbed the one that labeled oatmeal cookies and poured some into the grinder. The smell that wafted through the air had me groaning in delight.
Once the coffee was brewing, I set about doing the dishes from last night's dinner. Bastian was neat, and there was only the small stack in the sink. He mostly cleaned up as he went.
My mind went to him. Had he gotten back late? Was he still sleeping? I wasn't exactly quiet while I loaded and began the dishwasher. Perhaps I should have been, postponing the inevitable confrontation that was coming. The thought of facing him after what had happened last night left my cheeks burning.
Perhaps the best thing to do was pretend it hadn't happened.
I crept upstairs, pausing to listen on the landing. At his door, I gave it a quiet tapping knock. "Bastian?" I called. No response. I tried again, but still nothing.
I tried the knob—unlocked. I opened the door, cautious. He'd told me to stay out of his room, so I wouldn't walk in, but I did peak my head in, bracing myself. My eyes feasted on the space that was so obviously him. The room was set up like a suite, with a small sofa arrangement near the window, and a bed framed by two nightstands. An acoustic guitar stood on a stand in the corner next to a small chair. He played? I pictured him sitting there, shirtless, tattoos and piercings on full display, strumming. He used those same expert fingers that had worked on me last night. The muscles low in my belly tightened, heat spreading to the apex of my thighs.
My eyes darted to the bed, still made. Bastian hadn't come home last night. That flaring heat turned ice cold. I closed the door and darted upstairs, just to be sure. The game room was empty. What about the gym downstairs? Perhaps he liked working out early? It was empty too.
"Fuck," I hissed, striding to my room. I grabbed my phone and opened the texting app, then stopped. It was only 10:30am. I didn't want to seem...what? Worried? Desperate? Clingy?
He was a grown man, after all.
A darker, nagging thought seeped into my mind. He had never told me what his plans were, just that he had something that required his attention. An appointment of some sort. What kind of an appointment? The date kind? What if he'd stayed out with another woman?
A sickening sensation burrowed into my stomach.
No, that was ridiculous. He might have been a fuck-boy, but he didn't strike me as the type to shove his fingers in me, then go find another woman afterward. That meant that something else had kept him away.
From the kitchen, the coffee maker binged. I decided to take a quick shower and let it rest for a few minutes. If I didn't hear from him soon, I'd go have my coffee and text him.
When I made my way back into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of leggings and drapey shirt that hung off my shoulder, I still hadn't heard anything.
Don't panic. It's too early to panic, I said, coaching myself through it. He's allowed to stay out all night and doesn't owe you answers or explanations.
Calmly, I poured myself a cup of coffee, added some sugar and cream, stirred, then sat down at the breakfast bar. I took a long sip, sighed, and smiled. It was so yummy. I took another sip, willing myself to be calm. But...I couldn't do it. I picked up my phone.
Where are you? I typed. Is everything okay?
I pressed send before I could cringe at how clingy it sounded. I hadn't heard his bike return last night, I realized. I would have heard it, or the garage, unless he teleported. It seemed unlikely, given how much energy it took, that he'd do it a second time.
I was halfway through my cup of coffee when my phone binged. I exhaled at the bubble notification with Bastian's name and opened the text.
I'm fine, Sugar. Seen the news yet?
I jumped to my feet. An ache formed in the back of my throat as I sprinted into the living room. I hesitated in the doorway, then walked in. Meow—
"Jesus, Teddy!" I cried, jumping backwards. I put a calming hand to my chest, then exhaled, looking down at him. "Did you have your breakfast?" I asked. He had a gum-ball machine type feeder that kept his food and water bowls full with a sensor. He'd never been an over-eater so Peter hadn't worried too much. Teddy meowed again, blue eyes tracking my movements.
I found the remote and turned on the television, searching through the channels until I landed on one of the news stations. "...authorities are still searching for the suspects, but several faces have been identified and rendered, believed to be responsible for the attacks." Beside the newscaster, sketches appeared on the screen. "This was an exclusive dinner, with strict rules and an even stricter invite list. No photos have surfaced, as cell phones were prohibited. Some speculate the culprits infiltrated the mayoral dinner under false identities. The guest list is under scrutiny. The mayor's security team is facing heat for the incident. We spoke with witnesses in attendance, including Marsh Thadur." An interview clip flashed onto the screen. The face was vaguely familiar, so was the name, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before.
"There is no excuse for what happened tonight," Thadur said, his tone grave. I blinked, my eyes focusing on the face. Even through the television screen I saw it: pointed ears appeared, and his face morphed into angular features. "It is imperative that we keep our city safe. The events of tonight are a prime example of the growing crime throughout Walton. We should be putting more money into the police force, greater scrutiny into those hired to serve. We lost some good people tonight. I, for one, question the mayor's security team. Those criminals shouldn't have gotten in here."
The clip vanished.
"Thadur has made clear his plans, including the changes he'll make, should he be elected next year," the newscaster said. I frowned. Thadur...wasn't that the name I'd heard last night? The footage jumped again, panning along the city hall building, taken from last night, crowds swarming in formal dinner wear, caution tape, Walton police in uniform. It shrank to a small square on the screen zooming back to the newsroom. "For those just joining in, twelve dead and four left in critical condition after a violent attack at the Mayor's annual dinner gala last night..."
I didn't hear the rest. Instead, I sank onto the couch, picking up Teddy and plopping him into my lap. My hand stroked him, absentmindedly, as I watched the footage, most of it replaying over and over again. I had a feeling if I changed to other local news stations, they'd be playing much the same thing.
My phone binged. I looked down at the screen. Bastian Croft. His name lit up in a bubble, showing a preview of his text. I sighed, turning off the television, removing Teddy from my lap, and padded back into the kitchen. I needed more coffee to process this.
Did you see? his text read.
I saw, I said, hitting send. Then added, Is that Marsh Thadur guy on the news the same one Aramis mentioned last night?
A dots bubble appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again. His text came in. Yes, there's only one Marsh Thadur. He's fae.
I noticed.
Did you also notice the sketches?
I frowned. Yes, the newscaster showed them for a hot sec.
All four of them were people Aramis mentioned last night.
The sleeping bodies?! I choked on a swallow of coffee, adding another response, my thumbs flying across the letters. How is that possible?
I'd like to know, too. Something's not right. Stay inside. Stay safe. I'll be home later.
Fine...
Dots appeared, then disappeared. They didn't reappear again.
I didn't want to admit how much I liked the sound of his words. Home. Safe.
I liked Bastian's house. I could get used to living in a place like this, slightly removed from the city. In fact, I had every intention of taking advantage of this place until we fixed my apartment.
I sighed, finished off my coffee, then raided the pantry. I didn't feel like cooking, and it was nearly lunchtime. A loud grumble had me putting an embarrassed hand over my tummy. Whatever I attempted wouldn't compare to Bastian's pancakes yesterday, so I settled on a banana. Then I went and changed in to a pair of shorts and headed downstairs to the gym. That was exactly where Bastian found me two hours later.