sort of family. Helena seemed happy, but I had no idea how her life was going. That part of her life wasn't my business. Why else should I think about it?
I felt a deep urge to get Jenny all to myself as soon as possible.
"Girl, you've got a rack under there!" Daisy proclaimed without even introducing herself. "I can't wait to let those horses out of the barn. Oh god, why did I use a farm metaphor? Orson is rubbing off on me..."
Jenny looked at me helplessly at Daisy started sizing her up.
"This is Daisy," I said. "She's a witch but now she's married to faeries, so she's part of their court."
"Oh--nice--nice to meet you," Jenny stammered, blushing deeply as Daisy tried to measure her.
"Oops," Daisy said. "I forgot that we hadn't actually met. Like, in my mind, you were conscious when you showed up. I have baby brain right now."
"You have a baby? Boy or girl?"
"Girl." Daisy looked very excited for fresh blood to brag about her baby to.
"Is she cute?"
"No baby in the history of the world will be cuter than Maybelle," Daisy said. "Until I have another baby. You can meet her later. Our court is about to explode with babies because we had so many marriages recently! Well, your measurements are...woo, I'm almost jealous. You could pull off a Nikki Minaj outfit better than I could."
"Daisy. Do not put my Jenny in a Nikki Minaj outfit," I said.
"I won't. I mean, for starters, this hair," Daisy said. "It's...it's a vibe."
"I don't know anything about hair!" Jenny said, trying to hide behind it now. "It's not like I was trying to be fashionable! I don’t even know half of what you’re talking about.”
"Oh, babe, I'm here to help."
"Daisy, get your busybody hands off of my girl," I said, slowly getting more angry at her than amused. "I like her hair, and everything else about her, and I'm starting to think you're dreaming of ruining her. She's not you. Find her a nice, warm, comfortable outfit for walking in the cold and nothing fucking else, okay?"
I took a deep breath. I really didn't usually curse casually. It was that old-fashioned way I grew up, maybe, but I realized I didn't feel quite like myself. As I watched Daisy laying a finger on Jenny, I started feeling almost uncontrollably possessive, and wished I hadn't even offered to take her out of the room.
You let too much demon in, part of me whispered.
But I'm stronger for her because of it. Why stop now? I need to protect her from the others.
"That's no fun," Daisy said. "But...I'll be good...today. When it comes to the ball, I can't just put her in a brown turtleneck, okay? Not that I'm putting her in a brown turtleneck today either. That would be an abomination. But she's gotta let the assets shine! A body like that isn't going to last once she has your baby, Bevan, so enjoy it now."
I glared her right out the door. "Sorry about that," I said to Jenny. "I guess she hasn't entirely changed. No filter on that one. I didn't bring her in because I thought you needed fixing."
"Is she right?" Jenny whispered.
"I'm sure your body will be perfect to me forever."
"I mean...well, I hope so. Toad shifters aren't usually known for their eternal hotness."
I laughed. "Don't start comparing yourself to others now that you're out of the house for the first time."
"Is it true that I have a good figure now?" she whispered.
I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I put a knee on the bed and crawled over her. "Your figure is driving me to absolute distraction," I said, kissing her cheek, and then her neck, and then tugging down the collar of her nightgown to drop a kiss on her breastbone. "And I can't stop thinking about everything I could do to it.”
“Mrs. Franch kept telling me I’d gotten chubby,” she said.
“Mrs. Franch can kiss my ass.”
Her eyes widened and then she started laughing in a bubbly, joyful way that made me want to kiss her absolutely everywhere. ”I want to wear a sexy dress to the ball," she said. "I've never felt sexy in my life. I've felt like a little girl and housemaid...ohh..."
I was letting my lips trail down her body and I started to stroke my hand up her thigh with teasing fingertips. “If you’ve never felt sexy, I must not be doing my job.”
"Mm...do we have time before Daisy comes back with the