Fae High Summer Hunt by Renee Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

Baylor?” She had a feeling that Panos was the root of her memory lapses.
    “Presumptuous of him. I say we find Puck.”
    With a pop, a nude Valen manifested before them. “What—?” He spun around, nonplussed by his sudden relocation. “Couldn’t you have waited five minutes?”
    Unsympathetic to Valen’s disgruntlement Baylor returned his glare with one of cool indifference. “Is that all the time you need? Then I can send you back, I have a few moments to spare.”
    “The mood is lost. Why have you dragged me to this dreary place? Where are we anyway?” Like Naeme had earlier, Valen surveyed the room and by the disdain on his face, he found the décor not at all to his taste.
    “These are my private quarters.” Baylor’s terse reply didn’t deter Valen from looking his fill.
    Valen’s jaundiced glance skimmed over the room. “Do you ever try to futter a woman here? This place would banish any amorous thoughts.”
    “I never bring women here. There is no need for everyone to know where I lay my head at night.”
    “Don’t you now?” Valen shot Naeme a knowing smirk. “What have we done to earn this privilege?”
    “I have a need for secrecy and oddly I trust you both. Tomorrow I want to scout the forests but appear to obey the Queen’s edict. Since I’ve been ordered not to leave Havenglade, I need you to do something for me.”
    “How may I be of service?” Valen shot Baylor a sexy grin and flexed his pelvis, which made his cock bob in the air.
    Baylor fixed Valen with a hard glower. “Will you put that thing away?”
    “Killjoy, I thought you were finally going to give me a little nibble.” Valen sighed. “Is he as tasty as he looks, Naeme?” Valen was trying to needle Baylor, who was ignoring his overtures.
    “Oh, what little I did taste of him was good, but I am hoping to get a bigger bite later.” Her reply earned her a sharp look promising reprisals from Baylor. He was so easy to irk and temper gave rise to passion. She couldn’t wait to see how far she could drive him. She gave him a sunny smile, which seemed to rouse a wariness in him.
    “Ohh, so you haven’t done that thing I taught you, where you wrap your tongue around the head of his cock?” Valen asked, as always interested in the details of anything carnal. A shared interest, she admitted to herself.
    “Could we focus on the fact that the Queen is going to throw open our doors to every lordling to watch our ritual loving?” Snapped out like a lash, Baylor’s statement brought them back to reality. “Adding to the problems I anticipate is the fact that our guests may or may not be allowed to participate. It’ll breed envy, add fuel to the dissent that’s being cultivated amongst our neighbours.”
    The teasing gleam in Valen’s eyes died. He garbed himself in sky-blue velvet with silver piping, his demeanour serious. “Yes, we’ll be at a disadvantage since we’ll all have our pants down around our ankles. It’s hard to defend Queen, home and heart if you don’t have a weapon to hand. At least not one you can use to spar with. What do you need of me?”
    “I need you to find Puck.”
    “Done, but how will you cover my absence? Oberon is bound to notice.”
    Baylor shook his head in denial. “Oberon doesn’t like it when Titania is unhappy. The Queen’s furious. When that happens we all live on tenterhooks.” He bared his teeth, his expression flattened, turned icy. “I have my orders from both our sovereigns, spoken and unspoken. The King expects me to use any and every resource to remove any threats. You are one of those tools.”
    “Nice, like a hammer or shovel. And what will you be doing while I’m off to the hinterlands?”
    “I’ll be paying assiduous court to our Naeme here at the priming salons, readying ourselves for the gathering. At the same time, I’ll seek to find out if there’s any real plot to dethrone the Queen.”
    “Talented as you are, Baylor, not even you can fuck and hunt at