“You look beautiful,” he tells me, lips going to my neck. I fluff my curls once more and turn in his arms, laying my hands over his shoulders. It’s been a good day: I rode both horses and neither were bothered by the machinery that was delivered to start on the barn next week. Most of the lumber was delivered, and the space for the outdoor arena has been mapped out.
“I am not risking us being late.” Standing on my toes, I kiss him and then break away. “Besides, I like teasing you with dessert.”
“We’re back to food-references?” Ethan raises his eyebrows, lowering his gaze to between my legs. “God, nothing will satisfy me until we get back home.”
“It’ll be that much sweeter waiting all night.” I grab my shoes and walk out of the room, knowing Ethan is watching me leave. I flip the hem of my skirt up as I leave the room. I hear him swear under his breath.
Nik is in the living room, sitting on the couch with my laptop on the coffee table in front of him.
“I already have fifty friends,” he tells us, looking up from the glowing screen.
“Oh, you set up a social media account?” I pause in the doorway, putting my heels on. “Send me a follow request.”
“You’re okay with paying?”
“What?”
“It’s Only Fans,” he states. “You would not believe how many people are into the whole faery-thing. And I’m just wearing dollar-store wings. Just the wings!”
“On second thought, please don’t share that account with me. Ever.”
Ethan, having overheard, laughs. “We’re going to have to have an online safety talk with him, aren’t we?”
“Totally.” I shake my head. “I could make Harry do it when he comes home on the weekends.” As of right now, my brother is staying in a hotel Sunday through Thursday and is here Friday and Saturday. He got the promotion in Chicago and jump ed right into another big project. He hasn’t had time to explore the city and find a place he likes enough to purchase.
“Ready, babe?” Ethan asks, holding out a hand for me to take. I buckle the straps on my shoes and take his hand, letting me pull me up.
“Ready.” I give Hunter a hug goodbye and he lets me know that he’ll make sure the horses and donkeys are brought in and put away around sunset. I already put their hay and grain in their stalls. Nik is more than capable and willing, but I wanted to make it easy for him tonight.
Ethan opens the passenger side door of his Jeep for me, and we have a nice and easy drive into the city. We don’t find any parking near the restaurant we have reservations for and end up parking several blocks away.
“We’re not going to be late, are we?” I ask as I dig my phone from my purse to check the time.
“Actually, we’re early. I have a surprise for you.”
“Ohh, I love surprises.” Smiling, I take Ethan’s hand and start down the block. We’re in the downtown area, and the buildings start to become familiar. No, we’re not—no. Why would we? “Where are we going?”
“Do you not know what a surprise is?” Ethan teases, giving my hand a little tug. We pause on a busy corner, cross the street, and go down another block before stopping right outside the tall building that houses the headquarters of the Order of the Mystic Realm.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
“What the hell are we doing here?” I pull my hand out of Ethan’s, my blood running cold. I didn’t think just the sight of this building could make me almost panic, but it does. David hasn’t said anything more than he “handled it” when it came to the whole issue with Steph. I can’t ignore the terrible feeling I get when I let my mind drift to her.
She didn’t like me from the moment she met me, and she knows the truth about who I am. She knows far more than she should about the witches in Thorne Hill, and I know Ruby is right. If she does go public with what she knows, it’ll start a war between the Order and the Grand Coven. The all too real possibility of it hangs over my head like a coming storm building little by little as each day passes.
“I’m going up there and telling them to shove it up their ass.”
I blink, looking at Ethan with wide eyes. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’m done with them.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Positive.” He stops, moving to the back of the sidewalk and takes both my hands in his. “I love you, Anora, so fucking much. When I said I wasn’t going to let anything keep us apart, I meant it. I don’t want to be a part of anything that refuses to see you for the amazing woman you are.”