sticks his bottom lip out at me in an exaggerated pout and gives me the most ridiculous puppy-dog eyes. I know he only wants to stay because he wants to hook up with Rian, but he could at least be a little more subtle.
“We can stay,” I finally say to our host. I should probably figure out a way to back off soon though so that Alistair can have him to himself. Then again, Rian is showing a suspicious amount of interest in both of us, so maybe I’ll stick around for a bit longer.
Rian’s entire face lights up. He looks so young and happy, but I know it’s entirely possible he’s centuries older than us. He grabs Alistair’s free hand and continues holding mine as he begins walking backwards, pulling us with him.
“Wonderful.” He practically growls, his eyes flitting back and forth between me and Alistair. For the first time since Rian approached us, I realize how many people are watching us. I feel my face warm up at all of the attention, and my heart beats just a little faster as Rian leads us to an armchair in the corner of the library.
He sits down gracefully, simultaneously pulling me and Alistair onto his lap. When a few other supernaturals step closer and surround us, Rian’s eyes turn feral and he shows his sharp, fae teeth as he growls at them. We’re given plenty of space after that, but there are still dozens of eyes watching us from afar.
I’m too slow to mask the shock on my face. The intimidating fae lord wraps his arm around my waist and leans forward to place a kiss on my shoulder. He grins up at me, his expression a weird mix between excitement and uncertainty.
“Don’t be afraid, little human. I can see you’re the cautious one in this relationship, but I promise there’s no need to worry while you’re here.” He glances away quickly to nod his head at a nearby server, and then turns back toward me with a wicked smile. “Have you tried the faery wine?”
“She doesn’t drink it,” Alistair answers for me, stealing Rian’s attention. “If you don’t mind my asking, why were you waiting for us to approach you? There are a lot of guests here tonight, and I’m sure plenty of people have been dying to meet you. You haven’t been in the city very long, if I remember correctly?”
Alistair has been staring at Rian with major freaking heart eyes for a solid five minutes, and I worry he’s already stuck in whatever spell or charm the fae Lord is trying to weave. I’m immensely relieved to hear that my best friend still has some sense about him, and that he’s at least slightly suspicious of Rian’s motives too.
Rian’s mouth curves into a roguish smirk, and he pulls Alistair closer to his chest while he slowly rubs his other hand over my hip. “Because the two of you are the prettiest things I’ve seen since I came to New York. I arrogantly assumed you’d introduce yourselves to me much earlier in the night like everyone else has. When that didn’t happen, I came to wait in the library since I noticed you perusing my collection of books a few times throughout the evening.”
Fae can’t lie, technically, though they usually try to get around that by speaking vaguely and prettily. Rian’s bluntness is seriously throwing me for a fucking loop, and I don’t know whether to be flattered or more worried than I was already.
It’s pretty obvious Alistair is thrilled. He wraps his arm around Rian’s neck and leans close so that their lips are almost touching. “Impossible. You must have looked in a mirror at some point, my Lord.”
I watch in amazement as Rian’s face reddens, all the way from his cheeks to the tips of his pointed ears. His lips part slightly, and his eyelids droop as he stares back at Alistair. I’ve never seen any supernatural look so flustered. Not even Al. I smile to myself and decide maybe this strange, fae Lord is being genuine after all. When a server walks over with a tray of normal champagne instead of faery wine, I happily accept a glass.
Rian clears his throat and grabs two more glasses, one for him and one for Al. With a smile that’s almost shy, he glances between us as he raises his glass to his lips. “So, how long have the two of you been together?”