Page 122 of Sweetling
She especially loved helping him try new things and discover his favorites. It was a good thing she was headed to Mullon soon for more supplies—he’d nearly eaten her out of house and home. He seemed determined to make up for a lifetime—afaelifetime—of deprivation within a fortnight.
Molly wasn’t complaining. She got to try out new recipes and ideas, and better, watch his reaction to them. And it wasn’t just food he was hungry for.
A blush touched her cheeks, and it wasn’t just from her many, many layers. Fates, she’d fucked him twice that morning and only been away from him less than an hour and she already missed him. If she wasn’t so besotted with him, she might’ve found it pitiable.
Yes, it was best for the girls to stay near what family and friends they had—and away from the antics of their cousin and her fae lover. It wasn’t that Molly necessarily meant to seduce or be seduced by Allarion in every room on every surface of the house, it just happened. And she didn’t need to scandalize the girls.
Stowing the letters safely between her layers before they could get damper, Molly looked up. The caravan had left her behind, though it wouldn’t take long to catch up, lumbering as it was.
Before she could start off again, something caught her eye.
Turning toward the trees, Molly squinted into the murkiness between their trunks.
Near where she thought the border was, a pair of red eyes, glowing like coals, peered out at her. They disappeared in a slow blink, but otherwise lingered in the gloom, unmoving.
Huffing, Molly planted her hands on her hips. “Well?” she called to the lurking unicorn. “Are you going to help?”
Another blink, those coals winking in and out.
When Bellarand didn’t answer, she called with her mind,What, you’re going to make me walk back?
It was a long moment before he replied,No?You walked yourself out there, you can walk yourself back.
Grumping, Molly rolled her eyes and turned back up the drive to follow the caravan.
Typical.
By the time she returned to the house, she’d far outpaced the caravan, wanting to get in out of the misting drizzle. Molly hurried into the kitchen, shaking condensation off her shoulders.
She looked up to find her handsome fae sharing a carrot with his overgrown pony. Literally, he took a bite and made sounds of rapture before holding the carrot out for Bellarand to take a hearty chomp from. Then took another bitefrom the same carrot.
Molly choked on her giggle before bending in half laughing. They stared at her, Bellarand reaching for the remaining nub with his horsey lips and Allarion looking charmingly confused. He was even more confused when Molly ducked out from his reach when he went to give her a kiss in greeting.
It was a long time before Molly caught her breath—so long she didn’t even bother berating Bellarand for not only not bringing her back but also getting home before her.
Molly woke the following morning to the sound of rain pattering against the windowpanes. After stretching her limbs and popping her fingers and toes, she rolled over to admire her handsome, sleeping fae.
He looked utterly serene in his long sleep, as always.
Since taking her blood and rediscovering his heartbeat, Allarion had begun to keep slightly more human hours. He dozed in the night as he lay beside her—especially when she did her best to exert him with their bed play. He still needed his long sleeps, though, even if they weren’t as long as before. A night and a morning usually.
At first, Allarion had moved back into his bedchamber to take his long sleep, not wanting to disturb her own rest. However, Molly had rolled around under the blankets, uncomfortable and unhappy. Taking her pillow with her, she’d climbed into bed beside him and settled to sleep.
Now, he tucked himself in for a long sleep in her bedchamber—or, what had becometheirbedchamber. He kept most of his attire in the other room, for he had more clothes than she did, but each night, it was in their room, in their bed that he lay.
Still sleeping soundly, Molly didn’t worry about disturbing him as she curled up against his side. His chest rose and fell steadily, and she liked pressing her cheek to it to listen to the heartbeat there, the one that was just for her.
She smiled to herself, only a little smugly. It was the best, handsomest heartbeat there ever was, if she did say so herself.
Molly listened for a long while, lazing in bed. Heavy rain meant another day without going into Mullon, but she didn’t worry so much, even with more mouths to feed. She had plenty for a hearty stew that would get them through the day—so long as Bellarand hadn’t raided the pantry in the night.
He hadn’t managed it yet, but that also hadn’t stopped him from trying.
Grumbling to herself about big black horned house pests, Molly finally pulled herself out of bed. Slipping into one of her wool dresses for a little more warmth, she wrapped a soft shawl he’d bought her in Dundúran around her shoulders and middle before tying it at her back.
Before leaving him to his slumber, Molly leaned down to kiss his smooth cheek.
“Dream of me,” she whispered, “and then come find me when you wake.”
