Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One) (35 page)

The drink he poured was red wine.
It had a nice fruity scent that wafted under my nose making me
crinkle it up giving him cause to comment.

“To your liking?”

Please! “I
wouldn
’
t know.” I liked it even as I sipped it, but I
wouldn
’
t tell him. “I haven
’
t tasted much
before.”

He chuckled making him come across
as desirous in appearance, but the mirth underneath seeped out too
easily. “That will change over time.”

We
’
ll see, buddy! I studied the table instead of him. “So will
the table have this much food all the time?”

“It was served in honor of your
return. We will overlook your last exit since you will be staying
permanently with us. Everyone is anxious to formally meet you.” He
took a slow drink and I knew his watchful eyes were tracking me
like a bounty hunter who found his million dollar prize.

Did he really
doubt that Ames would just sit this out and leave me here? Would
he...
leave
me
here
?

A surge of doubt
edged up into my heart instantly making Joshlin
’
s head jerk towards
me. Uh! Oh! He could read me too.

“There is no
need to be afraid. Not one in my realm is unhappy living here once
they find their proper place. You will be showered with gifts,
freedoms once you prove trustworthy, and you
’
ve already met your
personal servants Katelyn and Ellen.”

Ellen had
disappeared fast. Would he “
fire
” her when he learned of that?
I was suddenly scared for her.

“Thank you for
the attention and I do appreciate the private room,” I forged a
smile to slide open hoping my compliance would get what I needed
for Katelyn to get her foot in the next door. I wondered why
Joshlin didn
’t comment
on
the possible reason for my
fear.

I tried the
emotion connection thing again with thoughts of Ames and our moment
on the back porch. It was the only thing I could think of. I felt
my heart race at the thought of him ever kissing me. After letting
a minute pass, Joshlin seemed unaffected. With the pictures playing
in my mind, it would have sent him into a murderous rage. He
can
’
t read me. I needed to watch my facial
reactions.

“The room is
yours and only I and your servants can enter.” He carefully
narrowed his eyes at me in a singular direction that made me read
the double meaning in his words. Oh, no he
wouldn
’
t!

Unable to find a response to his
comment, I keep my eyes on the grapes centered on the table in a
giant earth worn pottery bowl. It was the same set up on the table
as last time and gave a welcome distraction for me to remain
passive.

I wanted to know
any of the times he might show up in my room since I wanted to be
gone by then, but how to ask a question
like that
. Well, he beat me too
it.

“I will let you have time to
yourself for now...let us get to know each other.”

My shoulders had
to have visibly dropped. I didn
’
t think he noticed until he
inched around the table, took my drink from my trembling hands, and
pinned me against the table with, “I feel you easing off from that
statement. I assure you, as your king, you will come to me on your
own. I can be very...convincing.”

I swallowed dry
air at the bizarre exchange of sentiment...or lack thereof. My
throat felt like a baseball was lodged in it. Again, I was at a
loss for words as he leaned in like he might kiss me.
This
is time to
myself?

“For now, I will
allow you to visit the courtyard with Katelyn or Ellen and remain
in your room with the exception of meal times. The wedding will be
a week from today as already decided so I suggest you warm up to me
sooner than later.” His mouth was so close. He
wasn
’
t exactly repulsive in the looks department so in my head it
felt like Satan leaning over trying to entice me with a trip to the
Underworld as a honeymoon.

Satan
can
’
t be ugly. He gets what he wants too much. And he must be
pretty persuasive in his methods since he wins more often than he
should be allowed. This dude was the wicked step-child or something
since he couldn
’
t seem to accomplish waving a
magic wand over me and have my every second of
time.

Yep! Son of Satan was a
fashionable nickname at best.

We ate in chairs
adjacent to each other as he made polite conversation that somehow
made him seem a bit more civilized. I couldn
’
t figure his aim on
being “nice” to me as it wouldn
’
t gain him anything, but maybe he
was warped enough to think it would. He did think he was oh.so.hot
enough that I would jump him like a monkey.

The farce called dinner ended and
he walked me to my room stating that Katelyn or Ellen would be
there shortly to escort me to the courtyard. I wanted to ask when I
would have to see him again but figured that might get construed as
eager and that was the last thing I wanted.

Besides, I
knew
now
what he
did in his disgusting free time and it only made his little act all
the more despicable.

The courtyard
was booming. The best part was no one cared about who I was, which
was odd to me. Katelyn explained how much they hated me for being
another thorn in the sidecar of Joshlin
’
s Harley. Well, she
didn
’
t quite say it that way.

After much discussion on what the
next day would probably look like we decided we needed a hand and
face gesture sign language.

And we needed a signal for his
prompt appearances. Hey! I know. “S.O.S.”

Her puzzled look was fixed across
her mouth.

“Son of Satan is a sort of
nickname I gave him since he told me I would have no choice but to
marry the dude, live in his prison, and make gorgeous little jaded
goblin babies and live very hauntingly ever after.”

Katelyn laughed out loud for the
first time ever. “I am going to like you, Jem. You are the
brightest star in this gloomy sky since my mother died.”

I froze. “Your mother
died.”

She straightened
her back from the laughter and turned serious. “She died in
childbirth. Joshlin moved me into his quarters at ten and
I
’
ve
been there ever since. He saw it as kind, I saw it as punishment.
My father is a guard. He stays on the outside mostly, so I only see
him three or four times in a year.” She said his home is within the
haze, but remains outside the immediate boundary. That could be
worthy to ponder. She bent closer like she had a secret, “I see him
more though, just no one knows.”

“When do you expect to see him
next?”

Her face fell pretending to keep
cool by keeping her lips pressed out instead of her usual habit to
draw it in. “I just did. He came in the day you came, but when you
left so...well badly, he was sent to stay in the trees. He will
most likely not be back for a while.”

I was sad for her, but my own
heart leapt at the possibilities. I needed to know something else.
“Is he a Joshlin fan or just a worker bee?”

Her brow rose telling me my
analogy was lost on her.

“Does he side with Joshlin or
us?”

Katelyn
’
s face beamed like a light bulb.
“Us! He just doesn
’
t see another way. I told you,
you
’
re the first I
’
ve seen that has ever presented a
possible way out. Many of us had our hope in Ames when he came of
age, but he renounced his claim.”

I
wasn
’
t supposed to know, but should I lie to her? She was trying
to trust me and had already entrusted me with too much. “Joshlin
made me overhear a conversation between him and Ames allowing me to
know what Ames is and what he could be.”

She saw right through my words.
“Does Ames know about this?”

I wide-eyed her,
“No way. I want that to be a private conversation where he tells me
himself. I won
’
t let Joshlin interfere with our
relationship.”

Trying to get information from
Ames was like trying to get oil from a water hose.

It was her turn
for the shock reaction. “Relationship? You and Ames. I
couldn
’
t see that coming.” She dipped her head and stifled a giggle.
“Ah, it
’
s great really. We both know you and Cahn have a thing...for
strange. You two are definitely perfect together.” Her words
indicated more than one simple statement. She was hinting that Cahn
and I were together. Were we?

I blushed ten shades summer.
“Um...yes. Kind of!”

“Kind of?”

“Well, it seems to stay at the
below first base stage of attraction, but we kind of bound
ourselves to each other or something.”

Her coughing
sputter alerted others in the garden area around us that we were
not just seat ornaments. Several looked our way as if we were being
distasteful. Didn
’
t anyone laugh around here? The
more I thought about it, they didn
’
t because of whom kept them on
his unbreakable chain of command. I
’
m hoping to change
that.

Not that I really know
how.

Wicker came back to me with a
flicker of excitement in his face which could be called strange for
him. I was instantly ready for his report.

“There is a
house just around the corner that we missed. It was all lights, but
no one inside. Hot coffee brews, but no one near. However, the
guard in the tree hovers only twenty feet from it. It is the young
blonde
’
s father from Joshlin
’
s up and coming crew who used to
sneak me food.”

This was the
most energy ever exerted from Wicker that wasn
’
t aimed at battle
ready formation or video games.

“Katelyn?”

“Did something
happen to her?”
Wicker
’
s face alarmed.

“No, man. She
helped me more than once get word to Brooks when I needed it.
That
’
s her father in the tree?"

Wicker knew this, he was just
testing me.

He blushed, but relaxed. “Too
young, but she is beautiful.”

“Year or two she will be of age,”
I offered him hope. It was nice to see him want
something.

“Yeah, I tell
myself that too every time she smiles at me like
I
’
m
the only male in existence.”

My man had it bad. “Well, hold on
to that. She may even be the very one to put up with the likes of
you.”

“Not if that jerkface gets to her
first. She will be in his grabbing distance soon and I only hoped
by coming with you that I could get her out in time.”

Well, well, well! The motive
rises. “I will see to it personally that she does.”

“In second to a
certain princess I know, but thank you. That is, if she will have
me,” Wicker rubbed his hand over his chin. I
’
ve never known this
side of the guy. His face looked happy. I knew he always held in
the back of his mind the slow undeniable torture he had planned for
Joshlin. Not only for his fear of what could happen to Katelyn, I
know now, but the past. The haunting past that never left his mind
when Joshlin was around.

His family was broken from his
less than kingly actions. Joshlin would rue the day he ever hurt
them.

For once, I would do the right
thing the very first time before any hesitation came over me and
stopped me with cowardice. I couldn’t have her to myself, but I
could make her have the life she deserved.

The conversation
turned dark. Wicker and Trigger both didn
’
t waste any time. “I vow to
you both that this will end. I will not let him
win.”

Trigger finally
offered his flavoring opinion. “I believe you believe that, but I
don
’
t believe you can do this without us. Whatever you do,
don
’
t go all commando and expect to make it happen. You will need
inside allies and I can make it happen with you. Two of my buddies
will be with us once they know I
’
m there and that you don't intend
to take no for an answer this time.”