Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Her poignant look and small smile stopped his flow of words. She reached out to take his hand. This moment reminded her of that hotel room, what felt like so long ago, when he had shown he understood her.
Now, it was she who showed she understood him. More than understood, maybe. Was the same. Had to live the same way. They were alike in ways few other people could be.
“I’ve built quite a fortune myself,” she said, her smile growing. “Most of it stolen one way or the other. I get it, Tarian. Trust me. Been there, always do that. I could give you some pointers.” His smile matched hers. “Okay, give me a moment and I’ll put something together.”
It was a little more than a moment, but she was still on time, so she called that a win. The fit of the dress was a clusterfuck, but she’d altered it so her bra peeked out, gathered it in some places, let it flow in others, and found a pair of slippers that nearly fit and set it off perfectly. She’d stitched jewels into the tops of those slippers, had jewels cascading down her chest, bangles on her arms, and looked a little ridiculous, but she absolutely stood out. That was the goal. She was the frail, gaudy, misplaced human. The fae of this court would think they were the predators. They wouldn’t know they were being hunted.
Her hair was next, and she was mindful of the diamond dust that sparkled and glimmered on the back of her neck just as much as it always had. She hoped it stayed forever. Or for the couple weeks or whatever she had left in this miserable realm. Her hair parted way to the side, swished over her head and dropped down, often covering one of her eyes.
Her makeup was a bit harder. This place had a bunch of powders and dyes. Thank god her skin was still doing well, because no foundation existed. She’d made the best of it with a smoky (kinda blotchy) eye and a nude lip. She didn’t bother with blush.
“Okay.” She stepped out to the waiting Fallen. Only a couple of them were allowed to go, but they all wore the plain servant’s outfit in case they were needed.
They looked up as she stopped in the sitting room where they waited.
“Okay is right.” Revana stood from the couch, looking Daisy over. “If I had known this was how to wear the clothes, I would’ve used them instead of smooshing them into a nearly forgotten trunk.”
Daisy barely glanced down at herself. “This? No, this isn’t how you wear these clothes. I don’t have near enough curves for this outfit. Tarian was right to get it for you. You’d rock this thing. But the furs and things you wear outside of here are hot, too, so I’m not sure you could go wrong.”
“I’m inclined to look and see if I do have any of those clothes he brought back,” Kayla murmured. “I wondered why he had bothered, but…”
She nodded appreciatively as Tarian stepped out of his bedchambers. He stopped just outside of the doorway, noticing her and freezing. His whole body tensed.
She held up a hand. “I know it’s gaudy. But it—”
“It’s like the stars shone down and deposited a miracle just for me,” he said in a release of breath, coming forward again. His beautiful green eyes swam with gold, sparkling like the stars he’d just mentioned. “You are absolutely beautiful, little dove. You are perfection. I see now what you were saying.”
“Yeah, she nailed it,” one of the females murmured.
Tarian’s eyes connected with Daisy’s, and he lightly kissed the back of her hand. She melted right there in front of everyone, fluttering her lashes and offering him a simpering smile she couldn’t quite help. His other hand slipped around her waist, drawing her closer. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
“I wish we could just stay here tonight,” he murmured, moving side to side in a silent dance. “I wish we could’ve found each other under different circumstances. A different life.”
“We’re fae and human.” She closed her eyes, her heart aching. “Despite our feelings to the contrary, we never would’ve worked.”
“We could’ve figured out a way. To feel like this, to have you, I would’ve figured out a way.”
“Maybe you can put your attractive heads together and still figure out a way,” Niall said. His brother, Darryn, nodded silently.
Tarian stepped back, his eyes full of regret. “Maybe so.”
(And maybe not, because she wouldn’t save herself and sacrifice her family. That wasn’t how family worked.)
His brow pinched in that way it did when he realized she was keeping something from him, but he stepped away without asking. The hard mask of court settled over his features. His posture changed to venerable playboy mass murderer, sexy and vicious and violent. It made her a questionable person, but fuck she found that so hot.