Page 127 of The Satyr's Guilt
“Not so bad.”
Such a lie.
Her ex-Firebrand warlock father was a terrorwhen it came to Sabine and males. No one had ever been good enough.She had left home a century ago, but he still kept close tabs onher. She had to be the only nymph on Scath who was required tojustify her hook-ups to her father. At her age.Who did you seetonight? I’ve heard about him. No good. You need someone solid.Those were his usual responses. Of course, she didn’t pay attentionto him. If she had, she’d be cloistered in a nymph nunnery.
If she didn’t see him weekly, he phoned.Nothing slipped by him either. She suspected he used truth spellson her.
Once, he told her she would always be hisbaby, no matter how old, how strong, or how independent. He lovedher as much today as he had when she was young, when he hadbandaged every scrape, wiped away every tear, and taught her how tofight.
“Actually, he’s a lot like you.”
One of Nico’s hands popped into the air.“Holy shit. He’s gonna cut off my balls.”
Margo and the other descendants, in thethroes of remodeling the stronghold, had purchased an iron-basedlamp. It sat on a side table in the gathering room. Well, it had.Suddenly, it shot across the room, landing in Nico’s quick grasp.He returned it to its spot.
“I gotta work on this magnetism thing.” Whenhe resumed sitting beside Sabine, he lifted her chin with hisfinger and took her lips in a passionate, invasive, toe-curlingkiss.
Somebody yelled out, “Dinner” and feetthudded in from the game room and down the stairs. It was about toget crowded. Everyone was here for a meal before the big raid onthe lab early tomorrow morning.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Before sunrise, the armory buzzed withactivity. Firebrands Denim didn’t even recognize loaded up withweapons. A knife here. An axe there. A sheathed sword. A gunslipped into a holster. The warriors were prepping for the kill.She yanked out her Glock to re-check the magazine.
Yep. Full.
Over two hundred muscled pounds of gorgeoussatyr planted his chest directly in her line of sight, tucking hisfingers under the strap of her cross-chest blade holster. He tuggedon it. Then he jerked on the scabbard at her spine.
“Do I pass inspection, Ram? Again?”
“Is your Glock loaded?”
“No. I thought I’d try it without them. Ofcourse it is. Just like it was the last two times you kicked mytires.”
She must be a bullet shy of a full chamber.Ram’s over-protective behavior wasn’t irritating anymore. She lovedthat he cared. In fact, she loved…
Oh no. Don’t go there.
Did she use theLword? Even in herhead it was crazy.But yes.She was in love with thisgorgeous-but-dangerous satyr with his body of hard muscles. Thesexy caramel-streaked hair flowing down his back like a riverdidn’t hurt.
“Sorry, doll. I respect your skills. It’s myproblem. I own it.”
“I get it. I do, but knock it off,cher.” She stroked his arm, feeling all those corded knotsbunching under her fingers.
He nodded. “K. Good to go. Stay safe.”
She motioned for him to bend toward her.When he did, she touched her forehead to his. “You, too.”
“Always. Safe is my go-to space.” Hegrinned.
Her heart skipped a beat. “I…”
“What?”
“Nothing. It can wait.”
She couldn’t drop theLbomb on himhere. Now. Besides, how long had she known Ram? Not long. He’dfreak. After all, he’d warned her he wasn’t a keeper. Still, she’dfallen in head over ass for a man who was unavailable.
Can I say ‘broken heart’? Yeah. Shattered.Crushed. Stomped on. Cracked in two.
