I clutched the sides of my shirt together as we jogged across a trimmed bit of grass to a stone walkway that ended at a tower. More of the same stone chilled the bottoms of my feet as I stepped onto a narrow set of stairs lit by wall torches. Real ones, with open flames. We circled for three floors until we came to a landing. Like the two before, this had one door. Tanner pushed it open, hauled me inside, and dropped the latch.
Walls of the same stone circled the main room. Tanner strode to an inner door and pointed. “That’s the bathroom. Cold water only.” He swiveled and pointed to the single mattress on a metal frame. “That’s my bed. It’s very warm. Or it will be.”
I slid the strap of my bag over my head, dropped my jacket and blouse, and unbuttoned my pants. The look in Tanner’s eyes said he appreciated I’d neglected to put on a bra. He looked lower. “Take those off.”
I slid my hands between my cotton underwear and pebbled flesh and did an approximation of something just this side of sexy until I’d stepped out of pants and undies both.
“Get in bed.”
I did, slipping between two sheets, crisp with cold. Tanner took his time with his zipper and his shirt and whatever else he was wearing. I stopped paying attention to what he was shedding and focused on what he was revealing.
As soon as he was fully naked, he dashed to the bed. I wiggled closer to his heat and claimed his leg with mine. Tanner rolled on top of me, rocking himself between my inner thighs until I spread my knees.
“You make me hungry.” He kissed his way down the front of my torso. I took one of his wrists and brought his thumb to my mouth to suck. He returned the favor, only lower.
“I didn’t come here to make you give me more orgasms,” I said. “I was just curious. I wanted to have an adventure.”
“I’ll be your tour guide,” he said. He lifted his head and nestled my knee over his shoulder.
“I think you should give me the tour in French. It’s the only way I’m going to learn.”
“I will teach you. And then I will test you.”
I groaned and gave the language my best effort.
Chapter 11
Tanner escorted me to Paris on Monday morning and put himself squarely between me and the portal guide. “Calliope is my friend, Gilles.”
The faun smiled at Tanner, winked at me, and said, “Bid her adieu, druid.”
I was whisked away after a quick kiss and a burning gaze that never left mine. At home, nine hours behind Chamonix, I was greeted by two bats playing a looping game of chase across the starlit sky. I gave in to the heaviness of sated limbs and rested the back of my head against the Old One’s rough trunk. Tanner had mismatched my blouse’s buttons and buttonholes when he dressed me. No wonder the faun gave us both The Look. I undid the buttons and passed my hand over my breasts, my skin well-nibbled and tender.
I had done it, made a solo journey using magical portals—with assistance on both ends, yes—but no one was hurt, and nothing blew up. I wasn’t naive enough to think this harkened the arrival of my new normal, but I would take the accomplishment.
House exuded quiet contentment and nudged me back to bed.
I was at my bedside desk, researching European-based Fae clans, when Christoph barreled in. The screen door slammed against the door frame, Jasper screeched, and my grandfather swore.
“Need a hand?” I asked, calling through my bedroom doorway.
“Good morning, Calli-lass, and no, nothing to see here. Just an old man and an ornery cat.”
Jasper tore into my room, leaped on the bed, and stuck one leg in the air. He scratchily licked at himself, cleaning off an invisible layer and settling scattered tufts of fur. I stood and went to check on Christoph. “What happened? Jasper seems riled.”
“I ran into an old friend at the portal station in Vancouver and we lost track of time. The cat is objecting to being left in his carryall too long. That’s all,” he said, waving me off. “Nothing more.”
“Where are the kids?”
“They’re not here yet?” he asked.
I shook my head and shot out of my chair. “Could they have gotten—” a loud pop sounded from the backyard, followed by laughter and a few whoops “—lost?” I asked, finishing my question as I hurried to the front door.
Behind me, I heard Christoph slide the largest frying pan we had onto the stove and light the burner. “I gave them explicit instructions, Calliope. And Wes promised he would stay with them until they were at the proper portal and had departed.”
I exhaled my relief.
“Mom!” Harper, Leilani, Thatcher, Sallie, and Azura crowded through the doorway and spilled into the kitchen like a litter of mammoth puppies. “That was so awesome!”
I patted the air with my palms, and said, “Who needs to get to school and who needs breakfast?”
“We’re all starving,” Leilani answered, sliding between Harp and Thatch to join Christoph by the stove, “and it’s me and the guys going to school. Zura’s going to help Sallie at Brooks Farm. The new aquaculture ponds are getting filled soon and they need extra hands for planting the retaining walls.”
“Then let’s get your bellies filled and you can tell me everything tonight. How does that sound?”
“Good,” was the unanimous answer, followed by, “Shower,” “Scrambled eggs,” and, “Just toast, please.”
A few of Christoph’s feathers stood out at odd angles. I reached across the kitchen island and ran my fingers between them, sliding them back into place. “You manage to keep your wings incredibly clean,” I said, “even in the midst of meal prep.”
“I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”
“Ooh,” said Leilani, nudging him with her elbow. “Are you going to tell Calli about
