Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One) (30 page)

Ending the awkwardness, I told him
to get dressed. He joked saying he was dressed and would stay just
like that all day. I gave my affected self away when my dropped
mouth and hungry eyes traced the lines across his shoulders. I
quickly looked away hearing him chuckle and fall face down on the
bed. He was enjoying this way too much. The daylight washed over
the edge of the bed where his feet hung half off, still hiding his
face and letting me make a getaway. We both successfully pretended
to “act” asleep the first half of the night, but the morning had
been another story. I jumped halfway across the carpet to exit,
locking myself in the bathroom.

It was some
weird connection that drew us together. I was heavily attracted to
him no doubt. It was unlike anything I
’
d ever felt before. Somehow
I just knew he was meant to be here at this moment. And so was
I.

Dressed and ready, I walked slowly
into the living room hearing all three male voices going ninety to
nothing and gaining momentum. It was a heated subject. I could
guess and might still be wrong, but I was betting it involved
me.

The second my
presence was known, all talking ceased. I didn
’
t mean to make it
obvious, but I sucked in a breath announcing my
discomfort.

Even more nervous now, I poured a
glass of water and gulped it down fast. Ames seemed to track me as
I moved making me hypersensitive to where I would choose to move
next. I begged myself not to trip over my feet.

“Are you ready to go?” Ames asked
now standing and holding onto his keys. His other hand was tucked
into his pants pocket. All he did was ask me if I was ready and
still I analyzed the raspy way his voice called out the words like
they were beckoning me to his love nest.

Caught staring, I pulled myself
together and made it first to the door without a word. Something
had shifted between us. A line in the sand was still there, but it
was like we both had one foot on it waiting for the other to make
the move.

The car ride
wasn
’
t any different.

The guards took
no time latching onto us as we neared the entrance giving us nods
of approval, but keeping their distance. Trigger and Wicker stayed
behind ready with the car in case it was needed, but contested the
plan as foolhardy. I didn
’
t know anything but step one.
Step two involved somehow taking Emma somewhere and releasing her
from her obligation. She wasn
’
t keen on the enslavement, but
she wasn
’
t down with staying in the cabin either. I
hadn
’
t really inquired what she wanted yet.

Step one first.

Inside the first set of doors, the
guards led us down the hallway straight to Joshlin. He was feeding
his face and covered in a swarm of girls. He was such a
swine.

He dismissed his female companions
and snapped his fingers at the guard posted to shut the door. I
stood where I was expected and waited. Emma looked nervous a minute
ago running her fingers through her long hair, but now she held her
head high and flattened out her hands on her thighs.

“You are here. I
assume he is not here to stand for you as I don
’
t intend to have him
in my bed.” His brow almost disappeared into his hairline with the
exaggeration.

Could he be more
revolting? I panicked with the thought of Joshlin winning. If I
died, he
’
d have her. I couldn
’
t let that happen which meant I
had to watch my tongue.

She grimaced, but held her grace.
“I want to renounce my title and let you have it all to yourself,”
she said timidly.

Joshlin
’
s gaze immediately went to me. He
gave a double nod to a guard near the door.

“Jem, would you step outside into
the courtyard for a few minutes. Someone will see that you are
accommodated.”

Joshlin
’
s death glare penetrated my own.
He knew very well who I was and what her renouncement would mean to
me as well as him. Happy that Emma didn
’
t bow to the jerk, I watched
her leave and listened for the door to shut.

“So now brother, am I to assume
you are the instigator here?” he said dryly.

“She came to her own decision,” I
held my ground knowing I would need the leverage.

The girl outside
the door said to take me to the waiting room. They led me around
the corner and into a small room by myself, not the courtyard. It
resembled a lavish waiting area that you
’
d expect within a fancy
bathroom plush with sofas and a sink area with mirrors. I took a
long audible breath knowing it was hidden from prying eyes. The
girl, who I remembered now as Katelyn, told me to be a better
listener. They she left.

What the heck?

At the stillness, I heard
voices.

I jumped in the air realizing one
of them belonged to Ames. His scent seemed to just stay with me
even far away. Or maybe I just like to imagine it. We were
strangely made and far from anything like humans.

“I have a proposition,” Ames said
loud enough it sounded like he was in an open doorway next to
me.

A clanging sound followed and
pouring next. “Your usual bourbon and coke?”

“Not today. Nothing.”

The other voice belonged to
Joshlin. “Is she aware of your lineage?”

“No.”

“When do you
intend to tell her, dear brother?” His voice was smooth, buttery,
and deadly poison. And did he just say
brother
? I was
right!

“I will when
I
’
m
good and ready.”

“She needs to
know you
’
re the king
’
s son. She has that right. Not
that I want her to know or wish for her to consider the
implications, but renouncing your own claim can
’
t be a secret to the
future queen. She has to know what it means. You are the best
example for the job. If she wishes to not stand with me, then she
is against me. I will have to make her a servant as I did you.
Otherwise, send her away. She can't go to her
own."

Servant? King
’
s son? What the
heck!

“You will not tell her anything. I
will make my true identity known when it is right. For now, she
needs someone to train her and make her aware of her own magic. And
do something about her realm following me around. I had to take out
two in broad daylight.”

“Done. You said
yourself her magic is weak. What
’
s the point?” Joshlin
didn
’
t care an ounce about me. And Ames had lied about my
abilities.

“Yes, but she
needs to know. I
’
d like to teach her. With
permission, I
’
d like to keep
her.”

A long silence followed. Keep me?
Like a dang pet! Ohhh! Anger ebbed in my veins and my top was about
to blow.

“You wish to take her as your
own?”

“Not exactly. I wish to make her
strong. Make her know her powers. Make her know she is—

“Whatever,
brother. Done. However, I want updates. And I want the treaty drawn
in measurable minutes till my next form of entertainment arrives.
I
’
d
like her gone before the hour.”

Ames
didn
’
t want me. I don
’
t get him. And he knows my powers
are strong, just not balanced or harmonic. He
’
d said before it was
best to hide that from others.

I
didn
’
t realize I
’
d pressed my ear to the wall when
I jumped and flipped across the sofa with my feet dangling off the
sides at the sound of doors slamming.

He was so...so
horrible. And Ames was keeping more than secrets. He was the
freaking prince/king or something, not Joshlin. When did he
renounce? And why did he want me to do as he did? Why
can
’
t Joshlin answer to me?

Cuz
’
I have no idea how to run a group of people, much
less a whole village. Who was I kidding? I needed to get out and I
didn
’
t need Ames to help me.

Mad as anything now that I knew
Ames was just like the dipstick Joshlin, I banged on the door for
them to let me out. Nothing.

And I
didn
’
t care one bit that Ames was a better man on the inside. He
lied.

Banging again I lost control when
no one came. I felt the surge a second too late. The door cracked
and crumpled before me. I stepped over the rubble and stormed the
corners to the room where I was shoved out minutes ago.

Unlocked, I pushed the hardwood
door hard enough I knew it would fly and slam the wall. They both
lifted off the chairs across from each other and half leapt across
the room to me. Ames in a protective mode, Joshlin in
attack.

That did
something to my insides. He wasn
’
t
bad
. Or evil. He was trying to help
me. The back and forth was killing me.

“I know...” I
couldn
’
t stand seeing him hurt. He would hate me if I told him I
heard a secret he wasn
’
t ready to tell. I would
be.

“I know you two are probably going
round and round. Is this over? Can we just sign the dotted line and
be done?”

A guard, the same who walked me to
my small short visit to the bathroom waiting room prison, smacked
against the back of me balancing me into Ames who gratefully caught
my shoulders.

“She escaped, sir. She blew the
doors apart.”

Moron.
“
She
is standing
right in front of you.”

I knew
I
’
d
lose control. Ames and I met each other
’
s silent gaze. I
couldn
’
t tell if he was begging me for silence, or wanting me to
make up a good excuse.

Option number two would be good
here.

“I was angry. I just twisted the
knob and the door lock jammed, so I pushed with everything I had
and used the trash can to punch the door open.” There! Not so
melodramatic.

Joshlin looked skeptical, but
accepted it. Oh, boy!

“Ames will have it drawn up that
you are leaving for good.”

Not that I ever came.

“He will see that you are
comfortable in the human world and trained in your magic so there
are no more door incidents.” Joshlin laughed too loud and
boisterous at my folly.

“And will I have to come back?” I
wavered, but not with my voice.

“Not if I can help it.” His tone
was lethal.

“Done. Where do I
sign?”

“In fifty-five minutes time.”
Joshlin checked his watch. “Till then.”

Ames and I really did go the
courtyard this time. We sat for a long two or three minutes just
watching others go by. He nodded to a few including a girl with
long dark hair and dare me eyes. I swear she smiled too brightly at
him. I glanced sideways at him seeing him smile back. That did
something worse inside me than anything else that had happened
between us.

I poked my face to the sky. When
did I claim the guy?

His face turned to mine and
immediately he looked over from one cheek to the next. Gawd! I was
freaking pink-cheeked and giving him the hint that I was
jealous.

I looked back to the sky. “Why do
you get what you want with Joshlin when no one else
does?”

That was fair to
ask considering I already knew the real answer and knew
he
’
d
give a fake one.

“I will tell you
soon. Let
’
s get today over and I promise to take you somewhere and tell
you everything.”

Her face lit up
making my eager ears want to hear her just talk. I wanted her more
than I wanted anything in my life. I would tell her the truth and
see what happens. I couldn
’
t hold her back if she changed
her mind about me. I could definitely tell she had some kind of
attraction to me. There were too many side glances when she thought
I wasn
’
t looking. And the jealous spike she just sent me was all too
nice.