able to pull it off,” said goblin objects. “In any case, jest all you like, but we both know I have my ways of being very persuasive. It may not be unicorn magic—but I am not without my own skills. Goblins are just as handy at deflecting.”
“So are you telling us that you’re secretly a lady killer?” Steph asks, and her eyebrow rises questioningly.
Grimsal barks out a loud laugh and gives a hard shake of his head.
“Fuck no. I’m obvious as hell when I feel like turning on the charm when in the mood to get a leg up. I am certainly no virgin,” he adds quickly to clarify. “No. It’s just far less entertaining than watching them run for the hills.” He chuckles. “Or slither, as in the case of the naga.”
“And I thank you for that,” I mutter, watching the gleeful light sparking in his eyes. “Yes, I am aware that saying so makes me in your debt, but I would rather face that than a female. Especially that female.”
“Don’t get me wrong. A twisted bit of tail can be a lot of fun, but that attitude makes a male afraid to lose important parts should he happen to fall asleep,” the goblin adds with a lascivious grin.
Steph slaps a hand up, and I grin down at her as she shakes her head vigorously against my chest.
“Nope. I’m calling it quits right here. I do not want details on your kinky escapades. Just keep them to yourself because I don’t want those images in my head.”
“You wound me,” Grimsal sighs with disappointment. “The fun part about making new friends is swapping stories, and those are some of my best.”
“Sleep,” Steph retorts as she grabs a pillow from my side and flings it at the goblin’s head. “Sleep is a great thing, followed by its friend silence.”
Grimsal thins his lips at the pillow thoughtfully before giving my mate a mischievous look. “You do know in some cultures sleep and death are brothers. In my opinion, it is far overrated.”
My ahandral groans, the sound shooting straight down to my cock. I stiffen as my member twitches between my thighs but glare impatiently at the goblin in an effort to take my mind off my condition.
“Enough. She is right. We have a long way to go, and we all need rest. Cease pricking my mate with your endless chatter.”
The goblin snorts mirthfully. “Yes, we all know who wants to do the pricking around here when it comes to that female,” he retorts slyly.
My face heats with embarrassment. I want to lash out at him for turning my words against me, but a warm hand covers my mouth, silencing anything I might have to say.
“Don’t. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you. Now sleep,” Steph mumbles.
My mate’s advice is sensible. Curling my lip at the goblin, I haul Steph higher into my arms and turn as so that we can lie comfortably on the bed. Giving the male my back, I resolve to ignore him and sleep.
Surprisingly, he doesn’t plague us with any more observations. I don’t even know if he sleeps. I don’t dare look in his direction for fear that it might inspire him to start talking again. Instead, I just close my eyes and fall into an easy rhythm matching my mate’s breath and heartbeat.
Chapter 15
Steph
Our wake-up call, such as it is, comes with a cold breakfast provided at an obscenely early hour in the morning. Or at least that’s what is announced by whoever’s on the other side of the door banging on it like an impatient cop who desperately needs to find a hobby, her piercing voice getting louder and shriller with every slam of her fist.
This lady has got to be kidding me.
I grumble against Eliph’s chest, not wanting to so much as move—much less pry my eyes open—but I hear Grimsal stumble out of bed and head over to the door before our hostess knocks it clear off its hinges. How the hell the unicorn is sleeping through this is beyond me. His arms are locked contently around me, and his chest rises and falls peacefully. I am deliciously warm and the scent of him filling my nose stirs as bone deep longing within me with every breath.
Not a good idea, I reluctantly acknowledge as I draw my face back away from his chest, stifling a little sound of dismay as I do so.
Somehow, he is even more beautiful in his sleep.