mean?”
Of course, with him being Mr. Infuriating, he didn’t answer.
He pushed the door in and she followed him back to the common area.
“All right, girls,” he said, “Gilly wants to know what sort of little scheme we have going here, and since she can see you the way you naturally are, I figure we should let her in on the secret—especially since you’ll be cooped up here for a bit longer.”
The girls cheered.
“Huh?” Gillian grabbed the back of Nick’s belt and gave him a little pull. “Wait, wait—I didn’t—”
Nick clapped his hands once loudly and gently extricated her fingers from his pants. “Find something else to grab, pet.”
“Sounds like a challenge,” she muttered.
“Challenge me,” he whispered, “and you’ll find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.”
“I’m very good. I keep my teeth to myself unless told to do otherwise.”
He cocked up a dark blond eyebrow. “Unless you can dislocate your jaw on demand, a bit of scraping will be unavoidable.”
It took her a moment to catch the implication, and when she did, her damned legs nearly gave out beneath her. Fortunately, he had her arm and held her up.
He escorted her to the sectional sofa, settled himself into the bend of the U, and picked up his neglected pizza slice. “Let’s get started.”
Gillian stared unblinking at him, brain gone to mush.
By the time she’d fulfilled her contract, she’d probably be unable to formulate sensible sentences or do simple things like writing her name.
“You may have noticed we elves seem to come in a variety of sizes,” he said smoothly.
She nodded after a moment when it seemed he wasn’t going to continue without some feedback from her. “Um. I’ve made that observation, yes.”
“That’s because like humans, elves and fairies come in different races. We divided off from one race millennia ago, but are generally compatible as far as biology is concerned. The girls here are nymphs of elf descent. Secluding them like this was Mother’s idea. Mother is a nymph.”
Gillian furrowed her brow. “Nymphs? Aren’t nymphs, like, minor deities? Doesn’t that make you, like, a minor deity, too?”
“You’re so smart, Gillian, I love you.”
“If you love, you’ll set me free.”
“I may love you too much for that,” he said dryly.
“Sure you do.”
He set down his pizza and crossed his legs at the knees, giving her a chastising look.
She gave him one right back.
“Anyhow, only females take on nymph traits, which is why there are only girls here. I’m just an elf, as our children would be when we get around to making them.”
Gillian ignored that last bit, suspecting he was baiting her. “Why are you secluding them?”
“Because our fathers sometimes want to trade us away to bind their alliances and blah, blah, blah,” Kori said with an eye roll.
“Why?”
“Because we’re baby factories,” Kori said matter-of-factly.
Nick pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and ground his teeth.
Gillian worried that by the end of the night, he’d only have dust left in his mouth.
“Yes, as my niece so colorfully put it, nymphs are associated with fertility. Elves don’t typically have many children, so you can probably see why a man would want a nymph for a wife. My father’s marriage to Mother was arranged as part of a treaty. My mother had five children, which is nearly unheard of for elves.”
“ Five ?”
“Yes. Kori was my only brother’s daughter.”
“ Was ?”
“He’s dead,” Kori said with a shrug.
“Oh! I’m sorry.” Gillian rested a soothing hand on the girl’s shoulder. “My dad died when I was young, too. My mom not too long after him.” For all intents and purposes, Gillian didn’t have any family anymore. At least, not any she would claim. The family had more or less swirled down the drain after Granny Sue died. She’d been the dependable lynchpin. Gillian was on her own.
“It’s all
Of course, with him being Mr. Infuriating, he didn’t answer.
He pushed the door in and she followed him back to the common area.
“All right, girls,” he said, “Gilly wants to know what sort of little scheme we have going here, and since she can see you the way you naturally are, I figure we should let her in on the secret—especially since you’ll be cooped up here for a bit longer.”
The girls cheered.
“Huh?” Gillian grabbed the back of Nick’s belt and gave him a little pull. “Wait, wait—I didn’t—”
Nick clapped his hands once loudly and gently extricated her fingers from his pants. “Find something else to grab, pet.”
“Sounds like a challenge,” she muttered.
“Challenge me,” he whispered, “and you’ll find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.”
“I’m very good. I keep my teeth to myself unless told to do otherwise.”
He cocked up a dark blond eyebrow. “Unless you can dislocate your jaw on demand, a bit of scraping will be unavoidable.”
It took her a moment to catch the implication, and when she did, her damned legs nearly gave out beneath her. Fortunately, he had her arm and held her up.
He escorted her to the sectional sofa, settled himself into the bend of the U, and picked up his neglected pizza slice. “Let’s get started.”
Gillian stared unblinking at him, brain gone to mush.
By the time she’d fulfilled her contract, she’d probably be unable to formulate sensible sentences or do simple things like writing her name.
“You may have noticed we elves seem to come in a variety of sizes,” he said smoothly.
She nodded after a moment when it seemed he wasn’t going to continue without some feedback from her. “Um. I’ve made that observation, yes.”
“That’s because like humans, elves and fairies come in different races. We divided off from one race millennia ago, but are generally compatible as far as biology is concerned. The girls here are nymphs of elf descent. Secluding them like this was Mother’s idea. Mother is a nymph.”
Gillian furrowed her brow. “Nymphs? Aren’t nymphs, like, minor deities? Doesn’t that make you, like, a minor deity, too?”
“You’re so smart, Gillian, I love you.”
“If you love, you’ll set me free.”
“I may love you too much for that,” he said dryly.
“Sure you do.”
He set down his pizza and crossed his legs at the knees, giving her a chastising look.
She gave him one right back.
“Anyhow, only females take on nymph traits, which is why there are only girls here. I’m just an elf, as our children would be when we get around to making them.”
Gillian ignored that last bit, suspecting he was baiting her. “Why are you secluding them?”
“Because our fathers sometimes want to trade us away to bind their alliances and blah, blah, blah,” Kori said with an eye roll.
“Why?”
“Because we’re baby factories,” Kori said matter-of-factly.
Nick pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and ground his teeth.
Gillian worried that by the end of the night, he’d only have dust left in his mouth.
“Yes, as my niece so colorfully put it, nymphs are associated with fertility. Elves don’t typically have many children, so you can probably see why a man would want a nymph for a wife. My father’s marriage to Mother was arranged as part of a treaty. My mother had five children, which is nearly unheard of for elves.”
“ Five ?”
“Yes. Kori was my only brother’s daughter.”
“ Was ?”
“He’s dead,” Kori said with a shrug.
“Oh! I’m sorry.” Gillian rested a soothing hand on the girl’s shoulder. “My dad died when I was young, too. My mom not too long after him.” For all intents and purposes, Gillian didn’t have any family anymore. At least, not any she would claim. The family had more or less swirled down the drain after Granny Sue died. She’d been the dependable lynchpin. Gillian was on her own.
“It’s all
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