Rosko, Mandy - Night and Day (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Mandy Rosko Page A

she cared very deeply for the traditions of her people. Because Cedric was about to break one of those traditions, he felt it was she who would take the news the hardest, second only to perhaps the bride herself.
    The bride. Fuck, Dacielle would have to be the first to be told. It was her, after all, who was most emotionally invested in this union. She didn’t want money or position. Just him.
    She’d have to know before the rest of the house did. It was only fair.
    By the end of the day, she would be in tears, and her mother’s kind, human blue eyes would be staring at him with hatred. His own mother would take her side out of sisterly affection, and that left only his father to calm the airs for them. Cedric wished it wouldn’t be so. His old man probably still hated him from yesterday.
    Wait till he found out who Cedric was breaking the engagement for. He was going to bust a nut.
    Actually, that might be funny to see.
    “Cedric, you look as though you’ve eaten something terrible,” Cyricus said from behind his coffee cup. His golden eyes were hard, searching, as though he’d sensed Cedric’s thoughts.
    Cedric cleared his throat. “No, Dad, the meal was delicious. I’m just thinking of poor Dacielle up in her room.”
    His mother put her hand on Sheila’s shoulder, as though she were the one who was ill. “The doctor came and said she merely has a terrible cold. But she should be right as rain in time for the wedding tomorrow. I know that, despite her brave face, her heart must have been breaking for every day we delayed.”
    Cedric inwardly groaned. Her heart would break even more very soon. “I’ll visit her.” Not to keep her company though.
    Two out of three faces brightened up.
    “Good idea!” his mother said. “You two have always gotten on well. Your company will definitely cheer her up.”
    “Cecelia,” his father said, “remember she needs to be resting. Dacielle needs to be in prime condition for the wedding night.”
    Jesus Christ, why not just come right out and say it? He wanted her in prime condition for fucking.
    Cedric stood from the table just as the chills came down on him. He needed to leave before his father started giving him tips on getting his cousin pregnant on the first try. “I won’t stay long. We’ll just talk.”
    His father narrowed his eyes, as though judging whether or not talking could be harmful to the health of someone with a cold. Whatever. Dacielle was a big girl, and cold or no cold she needed to hear the truth from him.
    Finally, Cyricus waved his hand in a shooing motion. “Very well, but don’t excite her.”
    “And don’t get too close either, dear,” his mother said. “You don’t want to catch what she has and get sick again.”
    Cedric left the room just as other guests who’d been invited to stay started coming in. His heart sank a little as he escaped them. In all likelihood, that was to be the last time he’d ever have a semi-carefree breakfast with the three of them in the same room.
    Though Dacielle’s room was a guest room, because of the wedding preparations, she’d been staying in the house long enough to have personalized it a bit. Though all guest rooms were spacious, each with a queen-size bed, a connecting bathroom, and neutral colors that were neither too male nor too female, she had already moved most of her things inside and really princessed it up.
    Cedric knocked and waited. A strong voice on the other side bade him to enter.
    And there she was, to his shock appearing healthier than ever, propped up in bed amongst her mound of stuffed animals and pink pillows with one of those thick manga books in hand. His little cousin.
    Well, not exactly little. She was a plump girl, pretty in the face and of fair hair, with eyes the golden color that marked her as a sun sprite. She looked innocent and carefree just lying there. Cedric loved this girl, but not in the way his parents wanted him to.
    God. She’d only just turned eighteen two