“Well, that’s gratitude for you. I’m surprised at you, Sarah.”
I crossed my arms and tried not to glare at a goblin king who was distinctly pleased with himself. “I specifically recall asking you not to help.”
“Do you?” Said goblin king crossed his own arms and leaned easily against the office wall, showing off a well-tailored line of lean torso. Zegna looked good on him and he knew it.
I pointedly ignored him and his Italian finery, whipped out my phone, and whirled through my texts. Aha. “In fact, my exact words were ‘Jareth, don’t help me’.”
“Were they?”
“Yes they were.” I held up my phone, showing the text to him from this morning. “Right here.”
His lips flicked up briefly in a devilish smirk. “Mmm. So they were.”
“Jareth!”
“Mmm?”
“Why did you do this?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You mean make sure that irritating son of a bitch, who for unfathomable reasons has power over your career, listened to what you had to say for once?”
I closed my eyes briefly and took a nice, slow breath. “I mean go against my express wishes about interfering with my work life.”
“Are you really angry at that? He wouldn’t have listened to you otherwise, and you know it.”
“And so I would have had to strategize about how to make him listen — without you popping him into a hell dimension.” I threw up my hands. “You can’t go solving all my problems by brute force!”
“Brute force, pah! That was a fine bit of illusionist finesse. A little force and a lot of skill.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not the point.”
“Tell me you didn’t enjoy seeing him so afraid after all the grief he’s given you.”
My own lips flicked up briefly. “Well, I can’t say that.”
“Tell me you didn’t like having his undivided attention and undying good will for ostensibly saving him.”
My smile flickered again in fond recollection. True, that had been briefly glorious.
“Mmhmm, that’s what I thought. Now tell me you don’t love your overbearing, protective husband, even when he helps you against your express wishes.”
I looked at him for a long moment, and then relented. “You know I’d never say that.”
“Mmhmm.” He moved close to me, his mouth suddenly a hard thought from mine. “And so here we are.”
His kiss seared through me, electric with promise.
I drew back just enough to form words, my lips brushing over his. “I love you, you overbearing, protective Faerie nut.”
“Good thing, too. No one else can put up with me for very long.”
“Tell me about it. Must be that you’re a demon in the sack.”
no subject
“Well, that’s gratitude for you. I’m surprised at you, Sarah.”
I crossed my arms and tried not to glare at a goblin king who was distinctly pleased with himself. “I specifically recall asking you not to help.”
“Do you?” Said goblin king crossed his own arms and leaned easily against the office wall, showing off a well-tailored line of lean torso. Zegna looked good on him and he knew it.
I pointedly ignored him and his Italian finery, whipped out my phone, and whirled through my texts. Aha. “In fact, my exact words were ‘Jareth, don’t help me’.”
“Were they?”
“Yes they were.” I held up my phone, showing the text to him from this morning. “Right here.”
His lips flicked up briefly in a devilish smirk. “Mmm. So they were.”
“Jareth!”
“Mmm?”
“Why did you do this?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You mean make sure that irritating son of a bitch, who for unfathomable reasons has power over your career, listened to what you had to say for once?”
I closed my eyes briefly and took a nice, slow breath. “I mean go against my express wishes about interfering with my work life.”
“Are you really angry at that? He wouldn’t have listened to you otherwise, and you know it.”
“And so I would have had to strategize about how to make him listen — without you popping him into a hell dimension.” I threw up my hands. “You can’t go solving all my problems by brute force!”
“Brute force, pah! That was a fine bit of illusionist finesse. A little force and a lot of skill.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not the point.”
“Tell me you didn’t enjoy seeing him so afraid after all the grief he’s given you.”
My own lips flicked up briefly. “Well, I can’t say that.”
“Tell me you didn’t like having his undivided attention and undying good will for ostensibly saving him.”
My smile flickered again in fond recollection. True, that had been briefly glorious.
“Mmhmm, that’s what I thought. Now tell me you don’t love your overbearing, protective husband, even when he helps you against your express wishes.”
I looked at him for a long moment, and then relented. “You know I’d never say that.”
“Mmhmm.” He moved close to me, his mouth suddenly a hard thought from mine. “And so here we are.”
His kiss seared through me, electric with promise.
I drew back just enough to form words, my lips brushing over his. “I love you, you overbearing, protective Faerie nut.”
“Good thing, too. No one else can put up with me for very long.”
“Tell me about it. Must be that you’re a demon in the sack.”
“Why don’t we verify that, just to make sure?”
“Mmhmm. Just to make sure.”