Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
This article, of course, even glowing, gave fodder for beings to like me, or dislike me more if that was their predilection.
And so it goes.
“I don’t care about that kind of thing,” I reminded her.
“Well, I do,” she replied.
I knew what was worrying her.
The beings of the Fall adored Laura. Her ratings started sky high and stayed that way. She was the most popular of all the royals, including Aleksei, who had been a favorite since he was born.
What was happening to me was new to Gayle.
Since she was loving and loyal, she didn’t like it.
“I love it that you worry about me,” I said. “But you know, even Laura is going to do something folks don’t like. Actually, she already has, and she survived it. We all have to get used to it.”
“And get used to ignoring it,” Cormac added.
Gayle turned on Cormac. “And you’re used to it? If so, how? Because Land’s Endians think you light the stars at night.”
“True,” he allowed (yes, still growling), “but I’ve lived under a microscope since I was born. Even if they didn’t think that way, I’ve learned not to pay too much mind to what they do think.”
I kept a keen eye on him after the “lived under a microscope” comment, because I wondered if that exposed something, even a little something, about Cormac.
That brood?
I speculated if it was a cloak, or a shield, hiding something he didn’t want anyone to see. Or he was using it just to hide himself, because he didn’t want anyone to know the real Cormac Claymore.
“Which is a good way to go,” Estra butted in, leaning forward to look at Gayle. “I mean, obviously, I have no clue and never will, except knowing and loving Tanyn, who’s been both celebrated and raked over the coals.”
Another reason I liked Estra?
It was obvious she knew Tanyn well and cared deeply for him.
“But you could even get hooked on the good posts,” she went on. “And that could be bad, because if everyone is convinced you can do no wrong, you might convince yourself you can do anything, and no one is free to do whatever they want whenever they want to do it.”
Very wise.
Gayle felt the same way, I knew, when she nodded to Estra, turned back to Cormac and lifted a hand with her palm up his way.
“I won’t scroll. I’ll play a game or something.”
Obviously, he found this acceptable, because he handed back her tablet and her Palm.
She set her Palm aside and bent her head to her tablet.
And Cormac kept eagle eyes on her while she did.
Okay.
I was totally seeing it.
He might be gruff and unapproachable, along with trying to hide the fact, but he was into her.
I looked to Tanyn.
He tipped his head to the side in a See? gesture.
I saw, so I wrinkled my nose again, but it was a happy wrinkle this time.
He repeated the bop.
By Beelzebub.
We’d skipped morning sex again that morning.
I needed to be under him.
Soon.
I looked at my Palm.
We were landing at Aleksei’s penthouse, all of us going our separate ways (except Nayden, who, as ever, would be heading up security on me and at the flat, because Tanyn might be with me, and his own detail would be there, but this was my turf and that was Nayden’s).
This meant we’d have to fly from there to my place, which would take another ten to fifteen minutes, depending on traffic.
So I had to wait about an hour to fuck my male.
I wasn’t sure I could make it.
But alas, I had no choice.
Hurley trotted in first, even before Nayden got the nod from the warrior who had been in my flat checking it was clear for Tanyn and I to enter.
Tanyn and I followed, Nayden said goodnight, and I wandered into my flat, feeling like I’d been away from it for a year.
I also wandered in loving the decision Tanyn and I made to keep it.
Doing so meant—yes, he’d been right—when I was home, I could be home.
But also, keeping it felt like I wasn’t giving up as much.
In fact, it turned my thoughts on their head regarding the whole matter.
Yes, there were things I would miss.
But I’d gained Berg Castle, which was gorgeous. I’d also gained the citadel, where I’d only been once, but it was still special to me. And I had not only Tanyn, but all the beings he brought with him.
So maybe…
No definitely…
I was coming out ahead.
“You want a glass of wine?” Tanyn asked.
I knew what he wanted, because he’d dropped his overnighter and garment bag on the sofa and was moving directly to the wine closet.
Oh.
And I loved it that Tanyn felt so at home in my space, he knew he could help himself to the wine closet.
Hurley was lapping up the water in the water bowl I asked Mom to come over and put out for him when she’d come over to make sure all was good for Tanyn and I to arrive. Hurley was slopping the water all over the mat Mom had set it on.