Never More by Dana Marie Bell Page B

boy. This was a warrior, a man with scars on his arms from fighting.
    He really was a dark knight, wasn’t he? If he’d told her the truth, not all of those scars had come from doing good deeds. She’d have to decide how she felt about that, but not now.
    Now, all she wanted to feel was his lips on hers, their mouths dancing together, learning the taste of one another.
    The scariest thing of all that she’d learned that night?
    Raven Goodfellow tasted wonderful .
    Raven was perched on the edge of the porch, one of his favorite spots when he visited the Dunne farm. Like most sylphs, he preferred high places and the wind in his feathers. He was enjoying the morning breeze, sipping the tea Aileen had been kind enough to make him, when Amanda stepped out onto the porch.
    He couldn’t see her, but his senses went immediately on alert as the scent of peaches wafted up to him. “Good morning.”
    She grunted.
    “Have you had your coffee yet?”
    She made a noise he hadn’t heard since he’d been a moody teenager. Half whine, half moan, for him it had once meant Oh for the love of God, Ma, shut up! She hadn’t listened, but then again, his mother had spoken fluent teen-ese by the time he was fifteen.
    He missed her, more than he wanted anyone to know.
    Indecipherable mumbling followed her whine-grunt, and the sound of rustling papers accompanied her march down the porch steps. His bondmate was in a black motorcycle jacket with multiple zippers, dark blue jeans and low-heeled ankle boots. Her hair was in a loose braid that wound down her neck and over one shoulder. She had multiple pads, papers and binders in her arms, and she was grumpy as a kelpie in a desert.
    Raven fluttered down to the ground, landing right in front of her. “Can I help with anything?”
    She stepped around him, not even looking at him. All her attention was on the papers in her hands. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to him. “Drive.”
    “Yes’m.” Raven followed her to the car and slid into the driver’s seat. “Where to?”
    “Hell.” She sighed, tugging on her braid. “Wait. Starbucks, then Hell.”
    He chuckled. “Problems with the wedding?”
    Her growl was mighty impressive for a human. “Don’t get me started.”
    Instead, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway and onto the county road. “Which part of the wedding is getting to you?”
    The slow pan, the disbelieving look, and the way she gripped the papers so tightly her fingers turned white were adorable. “What part isn’t?”
    He chuckled, keeping an eye out. Just because he was planning on enjoying this day with his bondmate didn’t mean he could let his guard down. There were still hunters after him. Hell, half the reason he was going with Amanda was to keep her safe. Now that he’d tasted, her, Claimed her, she bore his signature in her aura for any fae to see. She would be a sitting duck, and if he didn’t watch over her, she’d be a dead duck.
    “The venue. They’ve given me very little time to find one, and it’s going to be impossible.” She thumped her head on the back of the seat. “We’ve got the dresses taken care of, but the venue is going to kill me.”
    “Did you speak to Robin about this?” Raven didn’t sense anyone following them, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t. He’d learned over the years to be vigilant. It was what had kept him alive.
    “Robin and Michaela said they trust me because Leo does.” She thumped her head again. “But I can’t figure out how to find a venue at this late date. I’ve spent the past hour calling around and getting laughed at.”
    Hmm. Raven frowned, wondering if there was anything he could do to help his mate. “I can see if any of the fae have a venue available. The wedding of the heir of the Gray Court is a big deal. I’m certain any fae-run establishment would love to claim the coup of gaining that bit of business.”
    She stared at him for a moment.