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I was never in the mood for Finn Brannon.
arsehole. “You don’t shut your door to price up a daily catch. So stop being a gobshite and tell me what you’re offering for the job.” “Two thousand credits.” The blood pumped hard in my chest. That was two years’ worth of debt. Two years.
“But first,” he whispered roughly, his otherworldly eyes dropping to my lips a beat before flashing to mine. My pulse fluttered in an act of betrayal. Stupid pulse. “I need to catch something far prettier than your mouth.”
bit his arm. Hard. “Feck!” He hissed. “What the hell, Rynnie? Rule one!” “Rynnie?” I screeched in a war cry. We were beyond rule one at this point. “Hand over the ring, Finny, or I’ll do more than bite your arm.” “Oh, love,” he crooned, bringing the smug tilt of his lips close to mine. “The way you seduce me.” “Seduce—” Then he kissed me. He. Kissed. Me. Tongue and everything.
Those dark brown eyes of hers narrowed on me. They were a lovely shade, like the dirt of a freshly dug grave—mine, apparently.
“Fine.” My eyes snapped back to hers. “Eleven feet. Now get off!” I lowered my mouth closer to hers, delighted by the quick intake of her breath, and whispered, “Good girl.”
“By the come hither look in your eyes—” I scoffed. “Murder eyes, Finn.”
“His name, lass.” “I will give you his name when you earn it from me.” His eyes lit up. Faeries and their bargains. Gods . . . “Deal.”
I deflated because he was right. And I hated that he was right. “You still kissed me.” “Aye,” he said with a humored tilt to his lips. “And I’d do it again, Taryn Hunt.”
Taryn was now my property. I owned her mortal life. And, as such, I had effectively stolen property from Black Beak and would be fined—heavily. When we break the fifteen feet of freedom curse, Taryn would no longer be owned—by anyone. I will have paid for her freedom as her former master by taking on all her debt and punishments as a bride price to Black Beak. My stomach sickened.
Mate of convenience she may be, but she was still my mate. I vowed to put her above all others.
Thank you, beast. I know you’re good deep down inside, which I’ll find out in another bite. You’re just misunderstood. Feck. Me.
Except, I was growing rather fond of her bitey company. Not of her singing, though. Stars.
Friends, I’m not sure if I would survive only fifteen feet of separation without murdering that stars-cursed, mischief-bent faerie boy in his sleep.
For a moment, I wondered if half of the smiles and jokes he tossed about were also to cover a different pain he wanted to hide.
mind. I’m afraid of what will happen to you if a female doesn’t fall at your feet at least once a day.”
“The most important part of the legend, Taryn, wasn’t that she was a virgin. Any maid would do, if so.” He tilted my head, then lowered his mouth to almost brush against mine, whispering, “It was that she be beautiful. And, love,” he paused, his voice growing rough, “your beauty is now proven legendary.” Then he kissed me.
“Name. Only.” “That wasn’t a part of our sealed bargain, mate.” I clenched my jaw. “Mate of convenience.” “Aye.” He shrugged. “But still my mate.”
“Not here,” the raven said, her black eye firmly fastened to mine. I tipped my head at the spy bird and lowered my head back onto my bed of moss. Why was the raven protecting us?
They were mine. Even after our mate bond was dissolved, I would tear down mountains if another male kissed her.
“That’s your response? Not, ‘Oh, Finn, you’re the best mate a mortal girl could have. The most virile, handsome male in all Caledona Wood. Nay, the entire Kingdom of Carran. A strong, beautiful male who wants to sweep me off my feet, while bleeding out on the forest, and whisk me out of this. Gods. Damn. Rain. And put a roof over my head.’”
“One more question—” “Crone!” I shouted to the trees. “Take me! I’ll make a handsome little skunk ornament!”
Another shiver wracked her tiny frame and a growl settled low in my chest. A possessive sound that pounded beside my heart.
Oooooooooo
“Two days and already I’m going mad.” “Mad in love,” I shot back. “You are definitely touched in the head for me.”
“Lass, can you give the potatoes a quick turn?” She lowered her spoon and twisted toward our future breakfast. I quickly poured some of my soup in her bowl, hoping the crackling fire hid the sloshing sound, then lifted a spoon to my mouth with a loud slurp as she turned.
Omg im crying
Finn was naked. I was naked. We were naked. I started to move and Finn tightened his hold. “No,” he murmured into my hair.
“Finn—” “Taryn,” he mumbled in a half groan. A hand patted my face. “Shhh. You’re not done sleeping.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re an eejit.” “Mmm,” he answered.
“I’ll promise you, Finnan Ó Brannon, but only if you promise to claim something you want the moment you’re free too. It’s only fair.”
Its youuuuu
took a large bite. “No deal.” I narrowed my eyes. “Then what will you swear on?” A sensual smile settled on his lips. “I swear on a kiss that, as your thieving partner, I will not trick you into any deals.” “Or riddle me into insanity.” “Oh, love,” he crooned, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his mouth softly to my stomach, “that requires far more than a kiss.”
“Steal a thousand kisses from my lips, Finnan. Then steal a thousand more.” My fingers traced along the edge of his ear to the point and he shuddered. “Make my heart your next catch.”
Pain cracked across his fury-tightened features. Chills prickled down my spine. A second later, a smile fluttered on his lips, one I would believe was playful if not for the crushed look in his eyes. “Aye, love.” His voice was soft. “You were trying to riddle out my True Name.”
last. I was her stars damned fantasy. Of all the indulgences she could claim, she desired me. Not tables full of food. A warm roof over her head. Feck, even a new change of clothes. No, it was me.
“I wasn’t jealous.” “You had murder eyes.” Taryn pointed at her face. “I always have murder eyes when I look at you, Finn Brannon.”
When our mate bond dissolved, I wanted all other males compared to me and found lacking. I wanted to be the only magic she craved. Let it drive her to insanity like she was driving me by not recalling a single moon blasted word of her confession.
I was officially shoved from my mood and into an entirely different heated one. “How else can I change the dressing on your wound, Finny?” she added with a wink and sauntered off. And stars above, I followed her like a dog on a leash.
“I only want you, Taryn Hunt.” He bowed, kissing my hand and, while lowered, his gaze slammed into mine. “Only you, love.”
“What are you doing?” I asked in-between kisses. “Stealing my third of a thousand kisses from you,” he whispered back.
“And my wife, in the kitchen . . .” he whispered, his voice catching. “My wife . . .” he couldn’t finish his sentence, too overcome. This false freedom would end.
“Steal another kiss and don’t stop.” Dark green strands fell to his shoulders and tickled my cheek. “Even after our curse is broken, keep stealing kisses from my lips.” “Is this a bargain?” he asked me. “Yes, promise me, Finnan.”
“You are not a burden to me, lass. Caring for you is an honor I take seriously.”
“Fussing about not fussing . . .” She nuzzled into my arm more. “Finny the Fusser.”
“Everything I do for you is real. I listen to the magic because you are worth it.” Our mouths were nearly touching now. “I want to take care of you,” I whispered hoarsely. “I want to protect you. And I would even if I didn’t owe Corbie your bride price. I would even if we weren’t bound as mates. You owe me nothing, Taryn Hunt. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Not a mistake. Not a regret.” A furious tear crested her lashes and rolled down her cheek. “I can ignore my vows and fight our bond same as you. Damn the consequences.” I leaned my forehead against hers and furiously
...more
But when I kissed her and she kissed me back, I forgot that I had nothing, was nothing. That this was all temporary, a fantasy. The moment her lips touched mine, I owned the entire world.
lashes. I couldn’t stop hitting him. “Tell me his name.” “Because you moo’d at me?”
“Fionnán Ó Dair.” While this wasn’t his True Name, I didn’t expect him to actually tell me his family’s. “Finnan of the . . .” I started to translate. “Fair One of the Oak.” “You’re a tree spirit?” My lips parted. A corner of his mouth hooked up. “Something like that.”
Now I understood why he could more easily smile away his pain. Beneath it all, he was as strong and sturdy as an oak, with a nature made to better weather life’s storms.
“I have nine hundred and ninety-six more kisses to steal from you.” Finn pressed his lips to mine again, a soft, sweet kiss that ached down to the tip of my toes. “Nine hundred and ninety-five.”
“Aye, you are mine, Taryn Brannon Ó Dair,” Finn said, a crack in his voice. “Mine. There is no future where this will never not be true for me. Even though I want you to find love and happiness, open your shop, and have all the children you desire. Even though I may never see you again after our curse is broken. Even though our marks will disappear. You will always be my wife, my mate.”
when Taryn chose violence, I feared I couldn’t fall to my knees fast enough to receive my punishment. She really did make it difficult to want to be good.
A tiny smile fluttered across Finn’s lips. “Tell me she has murder eyes, mate.”
