Page 42 of Winter Unleashed

Liam released her hands but kept his eyes on her. He’d been around the Fae way longer than me, so I was sure he’d heard about pixies. From the severity of his gaze, it would seem pixies weren’t as harmless as their name suggested.

“She’s only recently gotten closer to finding me.” She shrugged. “I’ve been complacent, lazy even. But don’t worry, I’ve tightened everything up. She won’t get near me. Nor will her damned flying insects.”

“You’re sure?” Liam asked.

“I am.” She sat at the dining table and gestured for us to join her. “Now, what is it you wanted to discuss.”

“We think we have a way of finding Celeste,” I said.

She lifted one eyebrow and pursed her lips. “Oh? Do tell.”

“Cybil.”

“What about her?” Astrid asked in a patronizing tone.

“Asti,” Liam said, “I’m aware you’ve been working day and night to find Celeste. I also know you’re not thrilled that we think we know better than you. We don’t. Please don’t be angry with Ember. All we’re asking is for you to hear us out. Tell us if it’s possible.”

Ah, so I’d upset the fairy. You know it’s going to be a good day when you irritate a being who can kill you with just a thought.

She sighed. A small smile played on her lips. Liam was her soft spot. “Okay. Speak.”

“We threaten to kill Cybil,” I blurted. “If she knows we don’t need her, maybe she’ll give us what we want as a bargaining chip.”

Astrid crossed one leg over the other and toyed with the flowers in the center of the table. Impatience had me shifting forward a little, and Liam placed a hand on my knee, silently telling me to keep my mouth shut. I covered his hand with mine and squeezed, letting him know how much the waiting was killing me.

He slid his hand, with mine still gripping it, to the apex of my thighs. Surprised he’d do something like that with Astrid in the room, my head snapped in his direction. He shot me one of his smirks and took my chin in his other hand. He turned my head so he could press his lips to my ear. “You’re not impatient anymore, are you, Red?” he whispered with a slight growl. “Behave yourself.”

“If you two are done flirting,” Astrid said. “It could work, but what will you do if she calls you on your bluff?”

Liam hadn’t taken his hand from between my legs, and I hissed when he pressed against my center. “What has gotten into you?” I muttered while trying to pull his hand away. When he simply grinned again, I gave up and turned back to Astrid. “It’s not a bluff. We will kill her either way, but we want to make her think we’ll let her live if she tells us.”

“And your friends?” Astrid spoke to me but was looking at Liam.

The reminder of Philip’s potential demise quickly sobered Liam’s playful mood. “You tell us,” he said. His hand was on my knee again.

She nodded. “I’ve already started researching it. I have some promising leads, but I need a little more time.”

Liam’s hand tightened on my leg. “How much time?”

“I can’t be sure, but it won’t be too long.” She rose from her seat to pull a book from the shelf behind her. She dropped it to the table then glanced up at us. “Off you go, I have work to do.”

Seconds later we stepped out of his gazebo.

“What was with you in there?” I asked as we crossed the yard.

He shrugged. “You were going to get yourself hurt or killed. I think you forget or don’t realize how fickle the Fae can be. Even if they like you. And getting you to back down once you’re focused on something is difficult. I had an idea, went with it, and it worked.”

“I wouldn’t say that. It just surprised me.”

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me against him. His hands slid down my back to my ass. “It worked. I felt how wet you were through your pants, so don’t deny it.”

A small moan escaped me when my center throbbed. “I’m not denying that, I’m just saying the shock of your actions distracted me more than my arousal. And by the way, since you started it, you’ll just have to finish it.”

“Not a problem,” he said in a husky tone that had me throbbing again.

“Do you think Astrid will find a way to save them?” I asked as we climbed the stairs to stop from throwing myself at him right there.

“Yes.”