Page 19 of Gemini Christmas
He’s totally rocking that wicked Krampus energy.
Vasili bends to share a tease of a kiss, tasting like cherry brandy and Dutch apple pie, and breathes into my mouth, “How am I changing the subject, darling?”
“You and Zephyr,” I remind him breathlessly, chasing the kiss. Our tongues slick together and his razor-sharp fangs prick the tender curve of my lower lip. “You’re what I want for Christmas.”
V gives me the kiss, but not the concession I’m jonesing for.
Vasili Romanov’s kisses are always electric. At least for me. A crackling current of energy dances along my skin and makes my ponytail float.
My eyes have drifted closed. But I can sense Neo climbing to his feet and tucking up trustingly against Vasili’s back. When our bookworm’s nice strong arms wrap around both of us, I sigh and open my eyes.
For a sec, I think the deft play of fingers freeing my hair from my ponytail is Neo.
Then, as my cloud of teal curls swirls around our joined bodies in a shower of violet static, the familiar heat of a slimtensile frame closes in behind me. The scorched scent of burnt amber and sun-baked dragonhide teases my senses. Possessive hands close around my hips with the commanding grip of a man who’s fully accustomed to bringing even a three-ton dragon to heel.
A frisson of awareness ripples through V’s tall body. His snatched breath, potent with cherry brandy, hisses against my lips.
“Although I’m no telepath, the Fae possess a wickedly keen sense of hearing.” Zephyr’s smooth tenor unspools like a silk ribbon in my ear. “Speaking for myself, I’m allow I am willing to indulge your… Krampus fantasy… for Christmas.”
Chapter Six
Zephyr
“Oh. Fuck. Me.”
My bride’s gasp of delight brings a smile to my typically grim lips and a glow to the blackened cinder of my dark Unseelie heart.
“Fuck my life.” My bride is a gloriously expressive creature, and it seems she has more to say. “Are youreallysuggesting you’re ready to go there, Zephyr? I mean, you and V? Like…finally?”
My single eye shifts from Zara’s wild head of mermaid curls, crackling with the violet static of her powerful lightning magic, to lock onto Vasili Romanov’s electric blue smolder.
He is, as always, my nemesis. Cold as an Avalon winter. Cruel and pitiless and deadly as a demon’s curse.
And yet.
By the moon.
I vow I’m so sick with love for this treacherous male, this complicated mate and ally who is my only real rival for the Throne of the First King—I, who was born and bred to rule—that I find I no longer wish to quarrel with him.
For some mysterious reason, my fierce determination to force him to accept my royal leadership in this harem has softened.
Perhaps this enchanted cottage is working its Christmas magic.
“I am Unseelie. You know I cannot lie.” I hold both their gazes with mine. “And it so happens, my bride, thatIam your Secret Santa—and in dire need of a gift. I have, most unfortunately, left the Yuletide gift I crafted for you behind in our vehicle.”
And what a Yuletide gift it is.
A powerful artifact, one that weaves together the strongest symbols of her arcane Gemini power and my wild Unseelie magic.
Forsooth, ‘tis a mark of how desperately distracted I’ve been this night over my bride’s safety, our sweet Neo’s welfare, and the health of our future offspring that I left such a thing lying in a ditch beside the road.
Zara twists around to blink at me, lips parted in surprise. “You’remy Secret Santa? Wow. I thought for sure it was Ash.”
Hearing his name, my consort pokes his spiky pewter-gray head from the kitchen, grins at the four of us entwined before the fire, and says cheerfully, “Nope. I drew someone else, princess.”
I carefully avoid looking at Neo.
I happen to know Ash has secretly exchanged the name he originally drew with Mordred, so that Ash can be Neo’s Secret Santa.
