Page 59 of Taken By the Fae

I flip the light off on my way out and peek down the dark hallway to find Tristan’s office light still on. I hesitate, stuck between talking myself out of and into going to him. I blow out a breath, shaking my head.This is ridiculous. I square my shoulders and walk to his office, knocking on the door before I slip inside and let the door close behind me. “Can I talk to you?”

He glances up from the paperwork on his desk, and those deep blue eyes slice right through me. His matching tie is pulled away from the collar of his white dress shirt and the sleeves are rolled up to his forearms.

Look away, Aurora. They’re just arms.

“Once you’ve finished eyeing me up, you are more than welcome to ask anything you like.” There’s a glint of amusement in his gaze.

I ignore that, shoving down the stupid fluttering in my stomach. “I had a conversation with Allison’s—uh, Evan the other day.”

Any humor in his eyes vanishes. “He approached you?” A muscle ticks along Tristan’s jaw. “What did he say?”

“He’d like a meeting with you. Something about wanting to prove he’s not a threat.”

He arches a brow. “He and Allison are still seeing each other.” It’s not a question, so I don’t offer an answer.

“My loyalty lies with my best friend, Tristan, so I have to ask. I understand there are rules, but will you at least hear him out?”

He regards me thoughtfully as he stands and walks around the desk, stopping a foot away from me. I watch him too closely, my breath hitching the closer he gets. “Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that.”

I press my lips together, hesitating a moment. Then I say, “From my minimal experience, there’s nothing about your world that isn’t complicated.” I force myself to hold his weighted gaze and add, “But that’s an awfully convenient excuse not to try.”

Tristan’s eyes flit between mine. “Did you come here to tell me how I should handle fae matters? I’ve been a knight to the king for twenty years, Aurora. I know what I’m doing.”

“But—”

“I’m handling it,” he cuts in. “Frankly, you should be grateful I’m not handing Allison over for a royal tribunal to cast out or decimate as they see fit.”

My stomach drops and a single word spills from my lips: “Why?”

“Why am I forsaking my responsibility for a fae I don’t know or care about?” A hint of a smile plays on his lips as he cocks his head to the side.

His words, paired with the way he’s watching me, fill my cheeks with warmth. “Tristan…”

He closes the distance between us, resting his hands on my hips and sending my pulse racing. “I made it very clear to Allison that she would face the consequences of engaging with a fae from the unseelie court if it continued.”

I lick the dryness from my lips. “But you weren’t surprised she was still seeing Evan, and you’ve done nothing about it.”

“Do you have a question you want to ask me?”

I open my mouth, eyes narrowing a fraction. Finally, I shake my head.

He lifts a hand and twirls a strand of my hair between his fingers. “You’d rather not talk?” he murmurs.

My heart lurches in my chest. This scenario could go a few different ways. It’s clear from the pulsating between my legs and the warmth swirling deep in my belly which way my body wants it to go, but there’s an annoying voice at the back of my head telling me to run. “What do you want me to say?”

He exhales a soft laugh, his eyes locked on mine. “What you’re thinking.”

Panic seizes me, and I’m not even entirely sure why. So what if I’m attracted to him? So what if his hand on my hip is searing my skin, making me tingle and struggle to fight the urge to lean in and—

“Go ahead,” he taunts in a low, gravelly voice that shoots heat straight to my core. “Tell me you don’t want me, Aurora. Say it, and I won’t bring it up again.” His eyes dance across my face as he waits for my response. He’s giving me an out. All I have to do is say I don’t want him.

I can’t fucking do it. I can’t make the words form on my lips.

“This is ridiculous,” I mutter instead, my heart pounding in my throat.

“I’m not asking for much,” he says, leaning in.

“You know what you’re doing. I’m not going to do this with you. It’s late, and I’m exhausted.” That’s not entirely true. My muscles are aching and tired, but standing this close to Tristan, it’s as if someone has shot liquid energy into my veins.

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