“I didn’t get a chance to give that to her last night.”
“Does she know what the prize inside is?”
“No, and I’m not planning on telling her either.” He grinned. “That’s half the fun, isn’t it?”
Robin laughed easily and tossed the puzzle box to him. Shane caught it easily. “She’s meeting Tristan Malmayne for dinner tonight.” He held up his hand at Shane’s rumble of discontent. “Let it go. Trust her, if not me. No harm shall come to your mate this eve.”
Shane ran his hands through his hair. It would be hard to stay away from her knowing she was with another man. A man who’d touched her skin, embraced her warm body. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Because this is part of who she is, and if you try to take that from her, your little bird will fly away.”
Leaving Shane to rot in the grief of mate sickness. “I understand.” He darted a glance at his silent father before turning his attention back to Robin. “Did you see it?”
That eerie flash of green erupted from Robin’s eyes. “Yes.”
“Did you understand it?”
Robin grinned, and Shane shivered. “Yes.”
The purring anticipation in Robin’s voice warned him to keep any misgivings to himself.
“You’ve had a vision?”
Shane turned to his father, nothing but acceptance on the other man’s face. “Aye.”
Sean nodded once and turned to the Hob. “You’ve helped our family after the debt was paid. If you need us, call.”
The Hob’s eyes went wide and dark, the awful, yawning emptiness Shane had seen in him lightening just a hair. “Thank you, Sean Dunne of Clan Blackthorn.”
Somehow, that thanks sounded more like a vow.
Shane had never been prouder of his father.
Robin’s attention turned once more to Shane, that wicked grin once more on his lips, the moment lost forever. “Well? What are you going to do about Akane? Hmm?”
Shane snatched Robin’s hat and plunked it on his own head. “Giddy-up.” He tossed the puzzle box back to Robin, winking at his father while Robin’s laughter filled the barn.
Chapter Four
Akane sat in the restaurant and waited for her date to show up. She’d texted Shane a message letting him know she’d be late getting home that evening and reminding him to stay close to the farm where Sean could protect him. His Yes, dear had not amused her.
Not much, anyway.
She wiped the silly smile off her face and glanced once more at the restaurant door, nodding when her date walked in. She’d used the excuse of wanting her own car and first-date jitters to get out of having him pick her up. If Tristan figured out she was staying with the Dunnes rather than Jaden no lie would save her. She’d be forced to take drastic measures.
“You look amazing.” Tristan brushed a kiss across the top of her head before sitting across from the table.
She couldn’t help the little zing of pleasure at the compliment even as her skin crawled at the caress. “Thank you.” She held up her glass. “I took the liberty of ordering our wine. I hope you don’t mind.”
There was the slightest tightening around his eyes. “Not at all.”
Liar. This was a man who enjoyed ordering for a female. If she’d known she would have held off on the wine. She decided to stroke his manly ego a touch. “I can’t believe you found a place like this out in the boonies.” She looked around, allowing her approval to shine through. She had to drag Shane here at some point whether he liked it or not.
Tristan leaned back in his chair with a smug expression. “It is a good find, isn’t it? A friend of mine suggested it might be a nice place to take a beautiful lady.”
Akane toyed with her fork and shot him a flirtatious look. “How many ladies have you brought then?”
“Several. But none as beautiful as you.” Tristan lifted his glass and toasted her silently.
Gag. Me. Akane toasted him back and sipped her Bordeaux, enjoying the full, bold flavor bursting across her tongue. She bet Jethro would hate it.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of blonde hair. She kept her gaze on Tristan, but allowed her inner sight to open.
Constance Malmayne was leaving the restaurant. Not surprising, since the food here was up to even the Malmayne’s exacting standards. What was surprising was the fierce expression on her face as she spoke into her cell phone. Akane couldn’t hear her words, but her tone came through loud and clear. Constance was pissed off at whoever was on the other end of the phone, and Akane had the urge to run across the room and “accidentally” bump into the woman to find out who she was speaking with.
“Akane?”
She turned her attention back to Tristan. Whatever Constance was up to would have to wait. Akane had a bigger fish to land.
They made small talk as they waited for their food, the soft sounds of cutlery on china the only music. After they’d eaten Akane suggested dessert. There was a hell of a lot of flirting she could do over chocolate mousse.
Tristan agreed, and Akane proceeded to seduce him into a stupor. She ran her tongue slowly across the back of the spoon to catch every last bit of deep, rich chocolate. She swirled her finger through the whipped cream, making sure to suck it off in a gesture just this shy of obscene. Licking chocolate off her lips earned her a soft groan, and when she “accidentally” ran her foot down his calf it was Tristan asking her back to his room.
Once there, she’d get what she needed and get out, leaving Tristan with a memory that would rock him for years to come. One of the perks of having a Sidhe for a partner was their ability to weave a believable fantasy for someone simply by dipping into their mind. The recipient of the fantasy would have all of their senses immersed in it, making it seem like reality. Most Sidhe used this ability to protect themselves from humans or weave romantic fantasies for lovers.
Sidhe Blades used it to mine information from unsuspecting targets. Etienne would ensure that Tristan fully believed Akane had pleasured him into a stupor before slipping away into the night.
She let him place his hand at the small of her back as they walked out of the restaurant. All of Akane’s appetites had been sated. Tristan’s were still on the edge. “So I’ll follow you back to your place?”
“No need. I think we can take one car, don’t you?”
Something about the way Tristan said it had her dragon senses tingling. The Sidhe was up to no good, and getting in his car would be a mistake. “Oh, but I wanted to make sure I still had my car, remember?”
Tristan tipped her face up. “Trust me. It won’t be necessary.”
That sounded strangely like a threat. Akane gripped his wrist and pushed his hand away, much to his shock. “Oh, I think it will.”
When he shoved her back she nearly fell. “That’s too bad. I was looking forward to tonight.”
For some reason she wasn’t surprised when the weapons came out, two silver blades finely honed to a wicked edge. “Nice.” She whipped out her own blade and kicked off her heels. “Bad spot for this, though. Wouldn’t do to let the local yokels get a look.”
“At these? Hell, around here they’re pocket knives.” He slashed out, humming happily when she dodged out of his way. “God, you are the hottest thing on two legs.”
“Should I try for four?”
“Even these people aren’t that blind, sweetheart.” He lunged, attempting to disarm her, his off-hand blade shielding him.
Akane blocked his blow and swiped at his face with her off hand, her black claws drawing blood. “Oopsie. Tristan gots a boo-boo.”
“So does Etienne.”
Their swords clashed together, the sound strangely muffled. Tristan had to be hiding them from the humans coming and going from the restaurant. It was the only explanation.