Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(36)

Suddenly, she couldn’t think of anything but his shirtless body next to hers the night before. Why had she just gone to sleep? There were so many better things she could have done.

But it wasn’t too late. There was still time before…

No. Yuck. Ew.

Kaelem howled in laughter.

“That’s not fair. I wasn’t ready.”

“Again with this business of fair.” He removed the button-up white top he wore and slipped it off his arms.

Scarlett breathed deeply and felt for the barrier in her mind. She lifted it, holding it tightly in place.

You are an ass.

He didn’t respond.

If only your pants were off, too.

Still, no reaction. Good. She hadn’t meant it. She’d only wanted to see if her shield was working. Pressure pushed against it, but she kept it in place.

Scarlett closed the distance between them. She pouted her bottom lip slightly and tilted her head. “I’m so sick of being alone.”

She double-checked the mental shield—still up.

“You aren’t alone.” His arms fell to his sides as he dropped the shirt to the ground.

Scarlett’s finger grazed his lip and trailed down to his chest and down further.

Kaelem’s mouth parted.

Then Scarlett slugged him in the stomach and quickly stepped away.

Kaelem grabbed his abs and gasped for air.

“Always be prepared. Right, teacher?” She couldn’t help but giggle.

As Kaelem lifted his head, she was prepared to fight off a sneak attack, but he was smirking.

“Clever, darling.”

In her celebration, Scarlett’s mental shields fell.

Kaelem approached her. His stare pierced her.

Those eyes, so gorgeous. Her stare dropped lower to the definition in his abs. He was close enough to touch.

And so she did.

Her fingers traced the lines of his muscle. So chiseled.

Something far, far away in the back of her mind yelled at her, but it was muffled and she couldn’t understand it. It must have not been that important.

Kaelem’s arm wrapped around her and pulled her body into his. His hand rested on her ass, holding her close.

She absorbed the lust in the air. So powerful. So potent.

He leaned his face toward her—so near, his hot breath warmed her mouth.

Scarlett shut out the voice in the back of her mind screaming something at her. His mouth looked so lovely. So kissable.

As she pursed her lips to meet his, he pulled away.

Her mind came back into focus.

She was about to kiss him. What in the hell was she doing?

“Always be prepared, darling,” Kaelem said. “And never forget how powerful I am. Teasing me may not be in your best interest. Then again, maybe it is.”

“I… you…” Scarlett shook away the lustful thoughts she’d been thinking. “I need to get ready for this stupid dinner.”

Her shield had been up. How had it dropped so quickly? And how had he been able to kick away any rational thought in her head? Nausea hit as she realized how out of control she’d been. If he hadn’t had pulled away…

She pushed the thoughts away. She’d have to be more careful. Kaelem was right. She didn’t know how powerful he was. If he’d had wanted all of her, she’d have been his.

Why had he stopped? She was grateful he had, but the action surprised her. There was no point in trying to guess. All part of the game he played, most likely.

Scarlett went into the closet to pick out a dress. It wasn't a closet by any standard Scarlett was used to. Nearly as large as the bedroom itself, clothes lined the outside walls. A large crystal chandelier hung down, lighting the room, with a round violet ottoman underneath big enough to seat ten.

Dresses in all the shades of the rainbow hung to Scarlett’s left. Some were long sleeved, others strapless. Some were floor length, others shorter than Scarlett would dream of wearing no matter how confident she was in her legs.

The dinner was formal enough to require a dress, but Kaelem had told her to also keep it fun. A black dress caught Scarlett’s attention. She tried it on and stepped in front of the wall mirror that hung on the far wall in between racks of clothes.

The dress had thin straps and a deep neckline that dropped in a V to her rib cage. It showed off her chest, but kept enough covered to leave room for the imagination. The skirt hugged her hips and stopped mid-thigh.

Scarlett found a pair of peep-toe heels to match. All set.

Kaelem’s mouth dropped when Scarlett exited the closet. He now wore light gray slacks, a white shirt, and a thin black tie.

Scarlett raised her mental shields. She couldn't deny he looked good, too, and she didn't want him knowing it.

“I'll have the hottest date here.” Kaelem held out his arm.

Scarlett linked hers with it. “Let’s get this over with.”





Chapter Seventeen





The line to enter the dining room curved down the hallway. Apparently, the castle had multiple dining halls depending on the size of the function—tonight’s was the biggest of them all.

Most of the fae in line were from the Winter Court. Scarlett had learned the slight difference in aura amongst the courts. When they entered the dining hall, they found their spots at a table in the front of the room.