Tammy Falkner - [Faerie 02] Read Online Free Page A

around instead. She ran her finger down a row of books on his bookshelf. Then she spun the globe on its stand beside his desk. She hitched her little bottom up to sit on the edge of his desk.
    “Have you lost your mind?” He shot to his feet.
    ***
    She would get to him. She was certain of it. But she wasn’t at all certain how. He thought she was inebriated. And she had drunk a little bit much, but not as much as she pretended.
    She forced herself to slur her words. “What? You told me to sit.”
    “I didn’t mean on my desk.”
    She lifted one side of her bottom and looked down. “I don’t think I’m hurting it.”
    He scrubbed at his forehead. Then he pointed toward the settee. “Go sit over there.”
    “Don’t want to.” She forced herself to hiccup. “I’m fine right here.”
    “You are going to regret this tomorrow.”
    “You’re probably regretting having brought me here already.”
    “I certainly am.” He glared at her a moment. Then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the settee. He tried to drop her onto the velvet surface, but she clung tightly to his neck when he would have dropped her. The result was that she tugged him down on top of her. He stilled. Completely.
    His breath blew across the shell of her ear as he held himself suspended above her, one hand on the back of the settee and one stiff beside her. “You’re playing with fire,” he growled. Then he unlaced her arms from around his neck, shoved himself back, and sat down on the opposite end of the settee. “You certainly know how to ruin a good meal.”
    She turned into the corner of the settee and nuzzled her body into the edge. She was more foxed than she’d planned. She should probably go to bed and try a different tack tomorrow. That would be the safest thing to do.
    “Such a spoilsport,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and nuzzled farther into the settee.
    He got up with a groan and went to pour himself another drink. She heard the clink of the glass against the edge of the decanter. Perhaps she would get her wish after all and would disarm him long enough to get her magic back.
    ***
    Finn set his glass to the side and glared across the room where she slept on the settee. He supposed he should do the gentlemanly thing and wake her so they could go to bed. He had no intention of sharing a bed with her. He planned to put her safely beneath the counterpane and settle himself in an oversized chair in front of the doorway. He could sleep that way. He’d spent many a night in that chair. One more wouldn’t hurt him.
    He walked across the room and looked down at her sleeping face. Damn, but she was pretty. Gorgeous, in fact. Her strawberry blond hair fell in loose ringlets around her neck. And her lightly colored lashes lay heavily against her cheeks. He was almost afraid to wake her. When he did, he would have to deal with that sharp tongue again. He sighed heavily and nudged her shoulder. “Claire,” he said softly. She didn’t budge. He held a finger beneath her nose, just to be certain she was still breathing. “Claire,” he said a little more loudly. She still didn’t move.
    He groaned as he lifted her in his arms. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice drowsy from sleep.
    “Taking you to bed,” he said softly. “Go back to sleep.”
    “All right,” she sighed. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and snuggled deeper into his chest. He resisted the thought that she felt good in his arms. She was trouble. Trouble. Problems. Neither of which he needed.
    Her breath blew across the sensitive skin of his neck and he held back an oath as he took the stairs carefully, turning sideways to avoid hitting her feet against the wall and into the doorway to the master chamber. A fire crackled in the hearth, but the room was dark. Soft shadows played across the walls from the flicker of the flames. Finn crossed to the side of the bed and was about to lower her to the feather ticking, but she