“Thanks, Mandy, I just might take you up on that.”
She gives me a wink, then we both step up to the two waiting hotel staff members at either end of the counter.
“Hi there, and welcome to Nightfall,” the woman says in greeting. She’s gorgeous with radiant dark-brown skin and burgundy corkscrew curls that reach her shoulders.
“Hi,” I say, returning her smile as I place my purse on the counter. “My name is Bryn Meara. I have a reservation for two nights.”
“Wonderful, let’s get you checked in.” Her fingers fly over the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen. After about a minute, her brows knit together, and my stomach drops. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Meara, but I don’t see a reservation for you.”
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Are you sure? Because I got this letter in the mail—” I start to retrieve it for the third time when a man interrupts.
“Thank you, Anya, but I can take it from here.” I glance up to find a manager of some kind stepping in behind the computer, offering an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Meara. We had a glitch in our system, and it double-booked your room. Unfortunately, the other couple has already arrived, so the room is no longer available.”
“Oh, I see.” I don’t want him to feel bad, but I can’t keep the dejection from my voice or hide my crestfallen expression. For all my worrying that something would go wrong, I didn’t think it would actually happen. I truly thought I was meant to be here this weekend.
Now reality is throwing punches, and I don’t have the energy to bob and weave. Maybe there’s a motel with a vacancy on the outskirts of town somewhere.
“However,” he continues in an overly chipper tone, “I do have a VIP suite available from a last-minute cancelation, so I’m going to upgrade you at no charge and ensure you receive all the VIP perks during your visit to apologize for the inconvenience.”
My eyes open wide. “Wow, really? That’s amazing, thank you!”
I catch Mandy staring at me. She mouths the word “horseshoe,” then points to her butt.
I laugh and roll my eyes at her, but she might have a point. That did feel like more luck than fate, so maybe I have both going for me right now. Guess now the only thing left to do is ride this Luck Dragon for all she’s worth and see how far she takes me.
Look out, Vegas, here I come.
CHAPTER THREE
Caiden
“Mr. Verran, over here!”
“Caiden, Caiden! Can I get a selfie? Pleeeeeease?”
“I love you, Caiden Verran! Have my babies!”
“I said back the fuck up. Now,” Connor Woulfe growls. He uses his massive body and outstretched arms to hold the crowd at bay while his twin brother, Conall, ushers me onto my private elevator and enters the security code. As the doors begin to close, Connor joins us, and then all the shouts and flashes are blessedly sealed off.
I don’t love the out-of-control attention that comes with owning this city. To humans, money and power equal celebrity, and celebrity breeds fans. My upper lip curls just thinking of the word. It’s part of the gig, I know this, but it doesn’t mean I have to pander to it.
Tiernan says being a goddamn recluse (his words) only serves to make it worse, but I think it’d be like this regardless. You don’t see people leaving Ryan Seacrest alone, and that asshole’s everywhere.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that kind of nonsense with my subjects. There are thousands of Dark Fae in Vegas and the surrounding area, but they don’t scream for selfies or beg for my sperm. I have immense love for my subjects. Humans…not so much.
Which is why being in the business of exploiting their vices is so ideal.
Speaking of humans, my mind slips to the woman from the lobby. Since fae can sense others of our kind, I know for certain she’s human. I wonder what her vices are… Maybe she doesn’t even know what they are yet…
But because she is human, I shut that thought down before my dick gets any bright ideas.
Her beauty was stunning, there’s no denying that. Even travel disheveled in a hip-hugging pair of faded jeans and ridiculous T-shirt that said “Drink Wisconsibly” on it. Even with the slight gap between her front teeth that somehow enhances her looks instead of distracting from them. I don’t know what made me look over at her or why it was so hard to tear my gaze away, but it doesn’t matter. On the rare occasions I make time for pleasure, I don’t do it with humans. Not anymore, not since becoming king.
Fucking them is too much of a security risk for a number of reasons. Plus, my sexual tastes run darker than most of them can handle anyway. They all wanted the Fifty Shades experience until they were bound by my rope and under my command.
That doesn’t stop them from pursuing me, though. Doesn’t matter how much of a surly asshole I am. They can’t help themselves. Fae are extraordinarily beautiful. If you ever hear someone described as having “a certain glow” about them, they’re most likely fae. Humans are drawn to us without quite knowing why. Sometimes it’s a blessing, other times it’s a curse.
For me, it’s usually the latter.
A throat clears, snapping me back to the present. The guys have taken a relaxed stance against either wall, arms folded across their tree-trunk chests and regarding me with identical amused smirks.
“What?” I snap.
Connor arches a brow. “See something you like, sire?”
“Fuck off.” That was for using my title. The Woulfe brothers are co-leaders of the Night Watch, my security team of personal bodyguards. They’re also Seamus’s sons, so we’ve been friends since birth. They’re the last two people, besides my brothers, who need to use formalities, but they like getting under my skin as much as their father does.
“What?” Connor asks with fake innocence. “I’m just saying, if you want us to fetch something for you, we could do that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I wish you’d shut the hell up. Your voice is grating to my ears.”
Conall’s deep laughter shakes his shoulders, moving the ends of his wavy reddish-brown hair. “Finally, someone else said it. I’ve been telling him that our whole lives.” Connor flips his brother off, and just when I think I’ve successfully switched the topic, Conall switches it right back. “Come on, CV, you can’t fool us. We know what you look like when you see something you want.”
“And you want that human something fierce,” Connor finishes with his shit-eating grin.
“What I want is a drink and some peace and fucking quiet.” Thankfully, the elevator dings to signal our arrival before they can share any more of their ridiculous speculations. I step out first, then turn to block their path. “Take the rest of the night off.”