Exton

My heart is pounding when I break the kiss; K'thyri's eyes are still veiled, and her breathing is soft and heavy. Goddess, she's gorgeous, ears and all! I lean in for another kiss, just touching my lips to hers - and then I take a step backward.

Her eyes snap open wide. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." My voice is a hoarse rasp. "Nothing whatever. It's just that I'm afraid I want you too much."

"You can have me."

"No, not casually. You deserve better than that. I want you, Ky - gods, how I want you! But you need to know, to feel that it means something more than just the pleasure of the moment."

"Really? Or am I just getting the brushoff? You can just tell me if that's what this is.…"

"That is most emphatically not what this is." I step forward again and grip her arms tightly. "Ky, I want you. I want to take you upstairs and do all kinds of bad naughty things with you, and to you. But I don't want to be just another guy who's out for a one-night stand, that won't know your name in the morning. When you wake up with me in the morning, I want you to feel something more than an ache between your legs."

She looks downcast. "All right," and she turns to walk away, but I reach for her hand and spin her back to me, smiling. "Oh, no, you don't get away from me that easily." Still holding her hand, I fall to one knee. "Milady K'thyri, have I your permission to pay court to you?"

At first she looks thunderstruck, then she laughs, loud and long; but when I remain kneeling, still holding her hand, her expression changes to one of wonder. "Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

"But you have lovers… partners… whatever they are. What are they going to say about this?"

"Because my happiness is important to them, and because being with you will make me happy, I can't think they would do anything but give me their blessing." I wink. "And in Raina's case, that's literal."

"What if they don't like me? It doesn't seen that many Wyldfae come here... everyone is staring at me like I just crawled out from under a rock."

"I believe you're the very first Wyldfae to show her face here, so it's natural people would stare. Also, you're gorgeous, so that many more people would stare. As to the rest - " I rise from my knee - "let's find out."

K'thyri is too astonished to put up resistance, and in the space of a breath, we're standing in front of my lovers.

"Nick - Raina - this is K'thyri of the Wyldfae. K'thyri, this is Nick and Raina. Nick's the tall one with the fangs, Raina's the pretty one with the tats."

Nick brings out his Southern-aristocrat manner, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "Very pleased to meet you, K'thyri." Ky looks suddenly breathless, and I wonder if Nick hasn't used some of his mesmeric powers on her. But no - it's just Southern charm, plus the fact that Nick is a damned handsome man.

Raina's eyes are alight with warmth and something else as she takes Ky in her arms for a hug. K'thyri hugs back with enthusiasm and Raina's smile broadens.

"K'thyri wants to be sure that it won't cause trouble between us if I pay court to her. If you have a problem with that, now's the time to say so. Nick?"

"So long as she doesn't mind being ogled when she stops by," - he arches his eyebrows like Groucho Marx - "I have no objection."

"How about you, Raina?"

"I agree with Nick. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone I can talk about you behind your back with." She grins lecherously. "Maybe she can give me some tips."

Ky grins right back. "Well, if he'll let me take him to bed, we'll see."

At that point, Monty shows up with refills, and the party really gets into full swing....