Page 34 of The Unseelie Wish

And whether it’d be worth it if she did.

Well, damn.

Izael lifted Alex up in his arms and slithered over to his hot spring. She’d wake up in a few moments, he was certain. He’d squeezed just a little too hard when she had already been a little too thin on oxygen.

Silly songbird. He’d told her to breathe.

Setting her down in the water, leaning her against the shore, he gathered his soaps and a cloth and began to bathe her. She was so beautiful, seemingly sleeping in the moonlight, a maiden of some human tale of old.

And he, the evil fae who had come to claim her.

For once, the stories would have been accurate.

“I am going to spoil you rotten, my sweet songbird.” He sat next to her, holding her close to his chest. Couldn’t let her drown, after all.

He would remember the sensation of her around him for the rest of his years. It had been sublime. Her fear. Her eagerness. Her ecstasy. It had mingled together into such an intoxicating drug, he hadn’t lasted nearly as long as he would have liked.

His kind could go for days, if the mood struck them.

Not with a fragile mortal, you fool. You’d shatter her pelvic bone and likely puncture an internal organ. He chuckled. Death by sex would not be the worst way to die, I suppose.

Resting his head against hers, he hummed her a quiet tune. He loved her. More than he thought was possible.

And she would love him sooner rather than later.

There was no way he could survive otherwise. Stroking her damp hair, he kissed her temple. "You aremine,little songbird. I don't care how many worlds will have to die to convince you."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Alex woke up feeling like she had been run over by a train. She was sore in places she didn’t know she owned. She was buried in a cozy collection of pillows of every type, size, and material, and underneath a thick fluffy fur blanket.

She didn’t want to move.

But something smelled fantastic, and her stomach grumbled loudly.

Sighing, she rolled onto her side and winced. She was bruised everywhere. But weirdly, she felt a lot less ripped up than she would have expected, considering what had just happened. Her hair was damp, and she smelled like soap.

He’d cleaned her up.

How thoughtful. Nobody wants to wake up…y’know. Sticky.

She was up in his boat-bed and was a little surprised to find herself alone. Sitting up, she grunted.

“Have a nice nap?” Izael cheerfully piped through a laugh. “Let me know when you want to come down.”

“Fuck you.” She leaned against the side of the boat to see what he was doing. He was setting a table with an elaborate dinner for two—lighting candles, setting out fine china and silverware. She arched an eyebrow. “Did you cook?”

“Ab-so-lutely not.” He barked another laugh. “I am trying to woo you, not make you sick.”

There wasn’t any point in arguing with him about how stupid it was going to be to try to woo her, given everything they’d been through. Not to mention everything they’d just done.

She kind of wanted to talk about it. But what was there to say? She’d just fucked an enormous, two-dicked, snake fae monster. And liked it. Really, she had more comments about her own sanity and dubious life choices than she had anything to say to him about it. He couldn’t help it. That was what he was.

Insane. Fae. A snake. And horny.

Although that kind of went with the whole “fae” part. She sighed and draped her arms over the side of the boat, watching him set the table. He was dressed in his finest. And with legs, no less. “I’m naked.”

“I’m aware.” He smiled up at her. “Would you like something to wear for dinner? Or would you prefer to let the breeze in?”