12. Irving

12

IRVING

I struggled to keep my composure in front of the innocent bystanders who were doing what they should have been doing in a library: reading. Internally, I was seething with rage, but the last thing I wanted to do was create a scene.

"Yes," I said, concurring with Sylvan, "explain yourself."

"I – well –" the Librarian stammered. "Truth be told, I forgot Sylvan was coming in today when I called you."

"So the error with my account is real? You can show it to me so we can correct it and I'll be on my merry way?"

Sylvan shot confused glances back and forth between me and his cousin, trying his best to keep up with the conversation that was rapidly devolving.

"Yes," the Librarian replied sheepishly. "Of course."

"You didn't act like you forgot I was coming when I walked in," Sylvan finally spoke up. "I knew something was off when I arrived. I could sense it in the air."

I looked at Sylvan, a mix of admiration and utter confusion filling me. "You have some sort of sixth sense?"

Sylvan smiled proudly. "I'm a fae, remember? We have certain… special characteristics."

I shook my head at him, turning my attention back to the Librarian. "So this was all a ploy to get the two of us together?"

"Er, yes, I suppose there's no denying it now. Well, there is a mistake with the name on your account, but I could have fixed it over the phone. I called you here to meet with Sylvan when he arrived, but I see now that I have made an error. Sylvan, why don't you run along? I shall call you later if I have any more questions about your application."

"Just a moment." Sylvan held up a hand to shush his cousin, still looking at me with a certain curiosity in his eyes. "I understand what my cousin was trying to do here today, and I think you do as well. But, please, don't blame them for any of this."

"I don't blame them," I said.

"Good."

"I blame you."

Sylvan's eyes widened, his voice raising to an inappropriate volume for inside a library. "You what ?"

The Librarian cringed, making a half-hearted effort to shush their cousin, but neither of us was paying much attention to them anymore.

"If you hadn't dragged things along with them," I said, my own voice losing the calmness I had a few minutes ago, "they would never have thought our relationship might have worked out. I wanted to leave after that first date, and somehow you convinced me to go back home with you."

One of the people nearby looked up from her book. Another leaned into the pages as if he were trying to block out the conversation with the text.

"Don't be ridiculous! I never forced you to go home with me; you made that decision all on your own."

"I did it for you."

"Gentleman, please!" the Librarian whispered harshly. "If you're going to shout at each other, take it outside."

"All right," Sylvan and I said in unison.

I glowered at him, silently daring him to keep talking. "We will."

I stormed out, Sylvan on my heels, and whirled around to face him once we were safely on the empty side of the parking lot.

"Don't you ever try to contact me again," I told him, "and don't send me any more presents either. We're done ."

"You got my painting?" Sylvan's tone changed, his brow relaxing and his eyes softening.

I was caught off guard. "Yes, I did."

"Did you like it?"

"Never mind that. Did you even hear the first part of what I said?"

"Don't contact you. Got it. But did you like the painting?"

"It's…fine. A wholly inappropriate gift for a one-night-stand, though."

Sylvan snorted. "Of course you would think that. Why can't you lighten up a little, Irving? Have some fun, let loose. Everyone else does."

"I do let loose," I protested. "Remember last week at your place?"

"That was one time. You're not special just because you had sex once." His voice rose again. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm glad you don't want anything to do with me because I don't want anything to do with you either. You're a miserable man and you deserve someone equally miserable as your partner."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." I was practically spitting with rage now. "Some of us have to live in the real world so creatures like you can dream away in fantasy land all day. If anything, you should be grateful toward me."

" Grateful ?" Sylvan laughed, leaning in so our faces were mere inches apart, his hot breath making my face flush. "I can't imagine ever feeling grateful toward you ."

"And that right there is one of your problems," I shot back. "You don't know who deserves your thanks and who deserves to be treated like the dirt you step on."

"Believe me, I care much more about the dirt I step on than you ." Sylvan pointed his finger in my face, pausing for emphasis. I stared back at him, eyes flashing. And before I could stop him, his hands were on my waist and his lips against mine.

I wanted to push him away, to deny him this victory, but I couldn't, because what I desired even more was to let him keep going. I reciprocated his kiss with a stronger, deeper one and pressed one hand on the nape of his neck while burying the other in his thick waves, my fingers getting momentarily caught in a tangle before breaking free. Nothing about what we were doing was suitable for a public parking lot, and it was only going to get less suitable the longer we let ourselves go.

"Where can we go?" I asked between kisses.

"Follow me," Sylvan murmured. "I know of a good place nearby."

I was grateful he didn't try to suggest going back to one of our places this time. His cabin was too far away for either of us to make it even to the edge of the woods, and I wasn't ready to bring him back to my apartment yet.

He grabbed my hand in his, his palm deceptively smooth for a man who spent many a day outside engaged in physical labor, and dragged me along behind him past the parking lot and into a small grove of trees. I had so many questions, namely whether this was a good idea or not, but I refrained from asking a single one. I didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Here," Sylvan said, stopping and turning around to face me in a small clearing, his hands already on the small of my back. "We'll have some privacy in here."

I looked around. The trees and their leaf-covered branches were thick enough to hide us, but this was not our property, and we weren't far enough removed from town for me to be entirely comfortable.

But my cock strained against my pants, aching for Sylvan's touch, and judging by the stiff bulge pressed against me now, he was desperate for the same thing.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

Sylvan's response was in the form of a kiss, his tongue sliding between my lips. That was a good enough answer for me, and I shrugged my suit jacket off, knowing full well it was going to get marked with dirt and bugs and God knew what else.

For once, I didn't care.