Two girls. Two secrets.
Only one can survive.
Years before Nelle Wychthorn plans her escape, Tabitha Catt may unearth something in a Horned God's lair that is the key to freedom.
Desperate to save her beloved aunt from a dark curse, Tabitha is out t...
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Slightly twisting around, I chanced a quick glance at Dolcie who, with Oswin, was busy leading the little girl back onto the soccer field. How long had this been going on with Dolcie, pretending to see secret boyfriends?
"I came to the Deniauds to confront her about it," Tomas said. "A week or so ago, you know, the night of your birthday party."
Oh...
Things were slowly beginning to take shape in my mind.
His brilliant blue eyes went slightly far away with recollection. "She looked ill and she'd obviously been crying."
"I'm guessing she'd just found out she was pregnant?"
His gaze sharpened on me. He nodded while blowing out a breath and bugging his eyes. "I've got five older sisters, and a whole heap of nieces and nephews, so I figured it out quick enough. That and the fact she threw up all over my sneakers."
He reached a hand upward to ruffle the hair on the back of his head then braced it on his hip. "I'm a pretty sensitive guy with feelings and all, Tabitha. I got hurt that she'd been seeing some other guy behind my back. I guess that's why, when I stumbled into your birthday party in the Servants' Hall, I drank a little too much and you know..." he said, dragging the last two words out pointedly.
I arched an eyebrow at him and said coolly, "Made a drunken pass at me."
He pulled an apologetic face. "I'm sorry."
I shrugged a shoulder, turning back to the mansion to watch the kitchen brigade carrying out more trays of deliciousness for morning tea. I was glad Tomas's drunken pass didn't qualify as my first kiss. My first kiss with Varen Crowther had been glorious and met all my first kiss expectations. Delicious pleasure heated my entire body at the sublime echo of Varen's lips on mine, and all the other kinds of kisses we'd shared since the first one.
My eyelids fluttered lower as desire pooled in my lower stomach. My entire body sparked with lust in reaction to the memory of his fingers biting into my waist when his marble-hard body pressed mine against the vanity with that last possessive kiss, a stamp of ownership.
So, so, so freaking good...
Tomas sighed, deep and heavy. "And now Dolcie's family thinks I'm the baby's father."
I mentally shook myself to the present, the burst of pleasure evoked by Varen cooling at Tomas's serious problem. My gaze slid sidelong. "Whose baby is it?"
"She wouldn't tell me."
"Who do you think the father could be?"
"It could be anyone."
Tomas was right, it really could be anyone.
I pushed into motion, heading toward the soccer match. Tomas quickly caught up and matched my pace. It had been an unusually cold night for autumn, and in the gloomy shadow cast by the Deniaud's mansion over the servants' lawn, the grass was carpeted in sparkling white.
