Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae 1)

Charity shook her head into the silence that followed that question. She had no idea. The feelings she sometimes got about approaching danger were absent. Which made it that much more terrifying. She had no idea what would come next.It turned out Rod had a ton of somewhat fresh food in his kitchen—a dream of Charity’s before Devon had bought all that food. Unfortunately, Rod didn’t have enough of any one thing for their whole group. Charity settled for a tapas kind of dinner. Andy called it a buffet, which was also true. By the time they ate and cleaned up, it was nearing eleven o’clock.

“All right,” Rod said, dropping a pile of blankets on the couch as they all gathered in the living room. “I got a king-sized bed in my room. One bedroom has a queen, the office has room on the floor for an air mattress. One full-sized couch—”

“Does it pull out?” Andy asked, eyeing the piece of furniture as though it might have hidden delights.

“It’s leather…”

“Yes, Captain Obvious. It sure is. And your head? Is that made of cotton candy and gumballs? Roger bought your way into school. Didn’t he—”

“Leather doesn’t pull out, you jackass!” Rod punched Andy in the chest.

“I feel like this is a prime time for a dirty joke,” Macy intoned.

“You guys,” Devon said.

“Anyway, so if we double up, that’s six for the beds and one for the couch.” Rod glared at Andy.

Andy put up his hands in surrender. “I’m not going to comment on your ability to do simple math. Whoever said you were dense surely didn’t know you very well.”

Rod puffed up like he was about to lunge.

“Macy and I will take the air mattress. We don’t hang on pretension.” Dillon grabbed Macy’s hand and looked anywhere but at Yasmine.

Macy smiled and stepped closer.

“Charity and I will take the queen,” Devon said.

Yasmine’s mouth dropped open. She hadn’t seen that coming. Neither had Charity.

Into the shocked silence, Andy said, “So, Rod, you and me? I sleep naked and I like to spoon—is that okay?”

Yasmine pouted beautifully as Rod’s face turned an angry shade of red.

Andy laughed merrily. “Just kidding, Yasmine. You can have him. I like my men small and mousy.”

After a smirk at Andy, Devon took off toward the spare bedroom. Charity stared after him in trepidation before glancing at Andy with wide eyes.

Andy laughed again. “I think I got lucky with the couch, bro. Kind of ball shriveling when you make a woman look like she just swallowed a slug.”

“I hope you’re talking about Rod,” Devon yelled from down the hallway.

“I was talking about Dillon,” Andy yelled back.

Charity stared after Devon for a moment, not sure what to do. Although they’d slept in the same bed before, this was a public display. It whispered of a kind of closeness Devon wasn’t exactly known for, and screamed of a different kind of closeness he was entirely too known for.

But what choice did she have?

Not to mention that a part of her was glad he picked her. That he’d continue to extend the comfort he’d given her the last couple nights. That he’d opted to keep her wrapped up in his safety like a blanket.

Sighing and shoving a smirking Andy out of the way, she trudged to the bedroom. She paused at the threshold, her gaze glued to Devon as he stripped out of his shirt.

“I don’t want to…you know,” Charity said shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Last night I just needed some comfort. And, you know, those other nights, too.”

“And you don’t need that tonight?” Devon kept on his boxers as he climbed between the sheets.

“Um…well, tonight you aren’t in a self-induced coma.”

“I will be soon. Chastity, I won’t bite. Unless you ask very nicely.”

She shook her head, wondering why she suddenly felt like a virgin being asked to take off her clothes. She was excited and scared and wound up and eager…

Get a grip, Charity. You’re just sleeping in the same bed. It’s no different than those other times.

But oh God, something about this time felt different.

With a big sigh, she flicked off the lights but kept the door open. She wanted everyone to know there would be no shenanigans going on in here. She wanted no rumors, and definitely no temptation.

She shed her socks and stepped out of her jeans. After discarding her hoodie, she slipped her bra out from under her loose T-shirt. She climbed into the sheets and huddled in a ball on her side.

“C’mere,” he said into the darkness.

“We probably shouldn’t, Devon. That’s a bit…close.”

“Chastity, we did this last night. Nothing happened. I’ll keep my hands in safe areas, I promise.”

“Do you guys want this door open?” Rod asked from the doorway. Yasmine was behind him, looking into the gloom with squinted eyes. Charity hated that she was living up to what Yasmine suspected of her. She hated that it mattered.