Dinner ended and dessert was eaten without further issues. Toby kept his mouth shut about her ability or lack thereof to keep a man happy, and she didn't reach across the table and strangle him over the turkey. The conversation managed to stay light in part due to some maneuvering on Jareth's part, and Sarah realized that he was quite good at it.

Still, she was growing hyper aware of him in ways she'd never been aware of men, before. That annoyed her, for reasons she didn't want to look at. But she could feel the warmth of him at her side, the press of his thigh against her own. The weight of his arm around her shoulders. Still, she managed to ignore it, laughing with her family until the adults started winding down for bed.

She let Jareth escort her upstairs, watching as he shut the door behind them. When he turned back, he leaned against the door and looked at her for a long moment. "Something on your mind, my dear?"

She went towards her bag, finding one of the oversized t-shirts she slept in from it. "You've got to stop that."

"Stop what, my dear?"

She straightened, unable to look at him. "Calling me that. Kissing me like you did, downstairs."

"Why is that?"

He sounded closer, but she forced herself to not look at him, feeling a shiver work its way up her spine. She shook her shirt out for something to do besides look at him. She didn't have an answer that wouldn't cause both of them problems. "It's distracting."

His warmth came up behind her, but he didn't touch her. Somehow, that made her more aware of his presence, rather than less. "Distracting, how exactly?"

She couldn't afford a distraction like him. She was so close to finishing everything, and this wasn't fair. She'd been around him for four days, and she was scared that she was starting to get tangled up. It wasn't fair because it was fake, and soon it would be over. Her chest heaved and she shook her head, trying to concentrate. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper. "Why are you better at this than any real boyfriend I've ever had?"

His fingers pulled her shirt up and off of her, and she turned towards him, looking him in the eyes, ignoring the fact that she was standing there in her bra and jeans and nothing else. He looked at her, but his eyes didn't leave her face. "In their defense, I've had a great deal more experience with women than the boys you have dated before."

She pulled her oversized t-shirt off and slipped out of her jeans, folding them and leaving them on the dresser, turning away from him, again. The answer made so much logical sense and she hated it. He wasn't supposed to be charming and kind and shower her with affection without expectations. She wasn't supposed to care about him, that wasn't part of this damn arrangement, but every time he called her sweet pet names and kissed her, she had trouble remembering that. When Christmas and New Years were over, she was going to go back to her regular life and pretend that this was nothing at all.

She was starting to worry that would be difficult.

"Sarah, regardless of how much experience I've got, what I said this evening is nothing but truth. I apologize if I've been too honest about how I see this situation. Would you prefer if I pretended to be like the fools who you were with before?" His expression was one of distaste, as if he didn't like the idea of pretending to be someone like those who had hurt her before.

"No, but -" She paced the room, thinking hard. When she faced him again, she looked at his face. "This isn't real."

He seemed to consider her for a long moment, then moved towards her. "As I recall, my dear, the arrangement is simple. I act as your lover for Christmas, you attend social engagements with me as mine. Are you saying that it's becoming inconvenient for you? Am I too real?"

Her brow furrowed and she struggled with words to express what she was feeling. "I'm starting to worry that when it finally does become inconvenient, I'm going to end up getting hurt."

He straightened, his brow arching. He searched her eyes for a long moment, then stepped towards her. He didn't speak at first, lifting his hand between them, palm extended towards her.

She swallowed hard, looking at his hand and then back up at his face. She lifted her trembling hand and set it on his, biting her lower lip.

He used the grip on her hand to draw her close, and his free hand came to rest on her waist. "That sounds ominously like you're growing attached to me, Sarah." His eyes held hers, not looking away from her.

She bit her lip harder, lowering her gaze.

He gave a quiet sigh, then leaned down. Rather than finding her lips, his found her hairline, brushing against her temple.

"You're tired." His voice was quiet when he spoke. "You haven't been sleeping well. We can discuss this further another time, but right now isn't the best time." His fingers found her chin and he lifted her face, looking at her. Something in his eyes told her not to argue with him.

So she let him guide her towards the bed and tuck her in, pulling the blankets up around her. She thought he'd crawl in with her, but he seemed content to just sit on the edge of the bed. She swallowed hard before she found the courage to speak.

"Are you getting in here, too?"

He considered it, she could see it. Then, he looked away. "You don't sleep well when I'm in bed with you."

It took swallowing her pride, but she nodded in agreement. "I don't think I'll sleep well if you aren't, either. Besides, you made me take a nap earlier. So I'm making you take one now."

Pleasure and surprise on his face and he leaned over her, pausing for a moment. Then, his lips brushed against hers, that soft caress he'd been giving her since the evening of the 21st. Then, he shifted onto the bed with her, under the top blanket, but with the sheet separating them.

She felt the moment when his clothing was gone, and her cheeks heated. She slept in a t-shirt, but he slept in the nude, and that was something that her brain still tripped over.

Then, his arm settled over her midsection and she rested so her back was to him, his warm chest against it. The feeling of his chest brushing her back with each inhaled breath relaxed her, and when she closed her eyes, she drifted off into dreams.

Those dreams, however, had her waking up multiple times through the night and blushing. She tried to not think too much about the nature of them beyond hoping very deeply that she wasn't moaning in her sleep. In her dreams, Jareth was darker in a sexy commanding way, and did things she should not ever be thinking about, never mind risking him actually getting tuned in to her dreams.

The last time that night, close to dawn, she woke from one such dream and found herself alone in the bed. She startled further, first wondering if she'd woken him from her restless movement in her sleep. The next thought made her heart twist in pain, the fear that he'd left for good winding around it and squeezing. After all, it was supposed to be something convenient, and she was getting twisted up about the fae monarch. She wasn't convenient, anymore, and he'd leave her -

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

Her eyes jerked towards the window and she found Jareth standing there, not looking human at all. His glamor was gone, and she recognized the armor he was wearing from when she'd stood in her parents room eighteen years ago. She swallowed hard, wondering how to explain the panic she'd felt from finding him gone. From being afraid he wasn't coming back. It took several false starts before she managed to speak. "Is everything okay? You're -"

He glanced towards the mirror and gave a sigh, and as she watched his glamor settled over him. The sharp feral features softened to the more human look. The dark armor changed to a collared shirt with several buttons at the top opened, and fitted jeans. He pushed a hand through his hair, pacing towards her.

She took a moment, thinking about what he'd been wearing, and then she looked up at him. When she spoke, it was low and quiet and she struggled to not feel hate for people she didn't even know. "Someone wished away a child?"

He gave a short nod, and sat on the edge of the bed, beside her. He leaned back against the headboard, looking tired.

She opened her mouth to ask, then decided she didn't want to know. "Son of a bitch…"

His head snapped towards her and he looked affronted, as if she'd insulted him.

She shook her head, frustrated, then looked at him. "Not you. Wishing a child away on Christmas. What kind of asshole -"

A finger against her lips silenced her. "Sometimes, my dear, as terrible as human nature can be, it's better for the child for them to be wished away." His voice was low and quiet, and his hand shifted from her lips, stroking her hair as if to soothe her.

She frowned, sitting up next to him. "How can that be?"

His arm went around her back, holding her against his side and with a gesture, a crystal formed on his fingertips. He handed it to her. Sarah looked in and found a very young girl dozing next to her mother with a crystal in her hand. She looked back at Jareth in confusion.

"The girl who made the wish was younger than you were when you wished Toby away. The child was her own, the product of a man who had forced her to do things a child that young is never ready for. The man who forced her was her own father, and didn't use any protection. The girl ended up pregnant with her own sister and daughter."

Her stomach churned, and she stared up at him in horror. "Is the father still there?"

A smile that should have chilled her curled his lips. She could see his sharp teeth, see the feral side of him that the glamor usually hid. "No, my dear, he is not. You see, she made that wish in front of her mother. And her mother, upon learning exactly what sort of monster her husband was, made a wish of her own. I'm fae. I know just what sort of mischief to use in order to ensure that the child will never be put in such a situation ever again. The father's misdeeds will be handled in the Goblin Kingdom, the infant will become a goblin and live a simple and happy life, and the child who made the wish is getting to enjoy the first Christmas with her mother without her father looming over everything."

She swallowed hard, biting her lip and nodded. She handed the crystal back to him, a thought occurring to her that she'd never really thought to ask him.

"You love children, don't you. Everyone noticed when you were holding Emily, including the baby. You can't fake things like that. That's why you're the Goblin King. I mean, in theory, you could abdicate if you didn't enjoy the work."

He looked towards her and his lips turned up into a handsome smile. "Call it a professional hazard, my dear."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Fair enough." She hesitated for a moment, then she shifted, resting her head against his shoulder, wondering if she was allowed to enjoy this.

"I thought you'd be sleeping, still?" Jareth's voice was quiet and very close to her ear. She could hear a trace of worry in the tone, and she wondered how much of that she should get into.

"I was having weird dreams. They woke me a few times last night, then when I woke and you were gone, I was confused and disoriented. I didn't know what was going on. I suppose the surprise of it kept me awake."

He was quiet for a long moment and she felt his hand pass over her hair, fingers combing through it. She turned to look up at him and found his speculative gaze on her. Before she could look away, his other hand caught her chin, thumb brushing over her lower lip. Her breath stuttered out of her and she looked up at him, wide-eyed.

Then, he leaned close, his lips brushing against hers, so soft she almost couldn't feel it. Her eyes closed against her will, as he lingered, keeping that soft contact.

"My apologies for worrying you, my dear. I'll endeavor to leave you with more warning if I need to vanish in the middle of the night, again."

She couldn't tell if he was teasing her or not. She opened her eyes and looked at him and found his gaze hooded, those brilliant blue eyes pinning her. Again, she found herself wishing that he wasn't so good at this, so that she wouldn't end up with her heart destroyed when this damn arrangement was over. Too easily, she could fall for his natural charm, the care he took with her, and even his darker side she sometimes saw lurking beneath the surface. "Jareth -"

Whatever she was going to say was lost when a hand beat hard on her bedroom door and she gave a displeased snarl, her head whipping towards it.

"Come on, Sare! If you don't get downstairs, we'll start opening the presents without you!"

Toby, her brain identified, and she bared her teeth.

"You know. I realize you saved him and all, but I am starting to suspect there are times where you seriously consider wishing him off to the goblins, again."

She opened her mouth to object, but she saw the faint amusement on Jareth's face, and flushed. Instead of gracing his comment with an answer, she flipped the covers off, and started crawling out of her bed. She remembered too late that she was wearing little more than a t-shirt and underwear.

Jareth's arms snatched her around her waist and she found herself settled against his thighs, his chest close to her back. When he spoke, his voice was a purr against her ear.

"While I can't say I don't enjoy the view, my dear, I don't recommend crawling out of bed in front of me. Or else you really will end up missing out on opening presents." Every word she felt his lips brush against the back of her ear and she sucked in a sharp breath, a shudder working its way through her.

She gave a quick nod, and went to find her jeans, pulling them on under the t-shirt as quick as she could, hoping the blood pooling in her face would ease up before she hit the bottom step. When she straightened, and glanced back, she found Jareth still lounging on the bed with a satisfied grin on his face. As she watched, he rose from the bed with the grace of a damn cat and snagged her hand before she could dance back.

"That is a fetching shade of pink on you, my dear." He said, pulling her towards the door, pure mischief sparkling in his eyes.

She sputtered, again, and decided a strategic retreat to grumpy would be her best option this morning. So she let him herd her downstairs. The view around the tree was so nostalgic, her footsteps faltered at the doorway to the living room. Irene was kneeling by the base of the tree, prime hand out position, the same she always sat in. Robert was near her, ready to aid should she need it. Toby and Mariah sat on the couch with a child on each shoulder. She pulled a face at her brother, sticking her tongue out at him.

She felt Jareth pause when she did, and she shook herself, going to sit on the other couch. He released her hand, as she did, and she watched him head into the kitchen. Probably going to start on coffee for the morning. At least he knew well enough how to get back into her good graces, she thought, still feeling grumpy.

Jareth had been given an open invitation to make coffee whenever it suited him, which she doubted Jareth recognized that for the compliment that it was.

Irene and Robert started handing out presents before he'd returned, the ones intended for the children. The babies were fascinated with the shiny papers and bows and ribbons, but didn't give a damn about the actual presents. Which was fine, they were intended for Toby and Mariah, to make sure they would have a bit of a surplus of things they needed for the children. Karen and Robert had gotten them several sets of onesies and baby blankets, a few stuffed toys with stitched eyes and teethers for matt. She'd gotten them two different kinds of diapers, cloth and disposable, baby wipes and a baby sling for Emily. Other gifts for them from extended family were silly, useless things the kids would be more likely to destroy than actually get any real use out of.

When Jareth returned, he had two cups of coffee in hand. He passed her one before sitting beside her, his arm stretched over the couch behind her, his thigh close enough to her she could feel the warmth of him through her jeans. She cradled the cup between her hands and noted Toby and Robert looking at her in surprise.

It was well known in the family that she was finicky about coffee, and that no one was allowed to make hers because she was so particular about it. So, meeting their eyes, she lifted the cup and took a long drink from it. As usual, the amount of cream and sugar was exactly what she'd use, herself and she gave a quiet sigh that she knew sounded like she'd been stroked just right. Jareth was looking at her, his brow raised as well. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on his sculpted cheekbone.

"Thank you," she said.

He looked like the cat that had caught a canary, she noted as he leaned back again, looking far too smug for his own good.

That little scene caused a hiccup in the flow of the morning, but Irene had more than enough experience to move things along after. She started handing out the presents for the "children", which meant Toby and her, and she tore open the package, finding fluffy new socks, and a festive sweater, some cash tucked away in the bottom, chapstick, and a gift card for a bookstore. Mariah got a similar package.

They had taken her advice and gotten Jareth a nice set of cufflinks with dark blue stones set in them. He wore a faint expression of surprise, but smiled and accepted them, and she took a moment to help him get them set into the cuffs of the shirt he wore.

More gifts were passed out. Her gift for Mariah was a soft, light nursing blanket and a decent breast pump. She got her brother a fountain pen and ink refills. She had found a pretty vintage pin at a thrift shop that she knew matched some jewelry that her stepmother had been collecting. She got her father a nice silk tie. Toby got his wife a pretty necklace, their parents, he teased he'd gotten a third grandchild on the way. Her present was a canned snake. Fortunately, she was used to those sorts of gifts and aimed it at her brother before opening it, popping him in the face with the spring.

He sputtered, annoyed and she took a juvenile sort of pleasure in it.

Her mother handed Jareth a box, and he looked pleasantly surprised, giving her a balance.

"Full of surprises, my dear," he said, his voice low. "I didn't expect you to get me anything."

He opened the box and she noticed he didn't just rip the paper off the box, taking his time with it like he was opening a puzzle. Toby seemed to twitch watching it, and Sarah noted that Jareth seemed to slow down and take more time than necessary, intentionally making her brother twitch in the process. When the box was opened, he pulled the soft sweater up, looking at it in appreciation. He put it on, immediately, and leaned over, kissing her on the lips very quickly.

"Thank you, Sarah," he said, holding her eyes with his for a moment.

She felt heat on her cheeks, but when he pulled her against his side, she decided that was fine and snuggled against his warmth, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Oh!"

She blinked in surprise, finding Irene looking at a present in her hands, a small and flat box and she looked up at Jareth. She watched her stepmother open the package with curious fingers and Sarah inclined her head, noting the wrapping paper matched what she'd used. She gave Jareth a perplexed look, realizing he'd gotten everyone a present as well.

When Irene opened the jeweler's box, she lifted a hand to her chest, looking pleasantly surprised. She looked up at Jareth, her expression touched. "Thank you., Jareth."

He just smiled and gave a bit of a nod to her. Toby leaned over and saw the box and squirmed a bit, and looked away. Irene turned the jewelers box towards them, showing a lovely set of pearl earrings and a matching necklace set. That explained why her brother was squirming in his seat. She gave Jareth a bit of an elbow in the ribs, but still grinned at him.

Her father, who had a collection of broken pocket watches that barely worked because he liked the way they looked, received a fine pocket watch on a handsome chain. He looked pleased as punch with his present as well. The next present was handed over to Mariah, and she opened it, curious and confused. She opened the card and it fell from her hands as if she couldn't grasp it. Her hands flew to her mouth in surprise, and Toby frowned, snagging the card, then looked up at Jareth in surprise.

"We can't accept this -"

Jareth looked at Toby, his head inclined just a bit. "You're both new parents. You both need to take the time with one another to keep your relationship healthy."

Sarah leaned to the side and saw tickets on a cruise liner for Mariah and Toby. Toby shifted and hugged his wife, stroking her hair. Then, he looked at Jareth and nodded in agreement. "Thanks, then."

Jareth shrugged, and nodded. She gave him another gentle elbow in his side. "You're too smooth," she muttered to him.

"We'll see if that's the case."

"Sarah, here's yours," Irene announced, and handed her another flat box.

She blinked, taking the box and looked at Jareth, finding him watching her. She'd assumed that their arrangement, that him enduring two days with her parents, would be her present. She unwrapped the present, finding another jewelers box and she opened it. Her heart jumped into her throat and she covered her mouth.

Jareth, without asking, took the box and pulled an elegant diamond chandelier earring from it. He slipped one through the hole in her earlobe. As he did, she heard her mother and sister in law gasp in surprise. Once it was fastened, he took the other, putting that one in its place as well.

"You'll need these for the New Years party," he said, his voice low as he spoke to her.

"They're beautiful," she admitted, swallowing hard.

His fingers trailed from her ear to her chin and he held her face still, admiring them on her for a long moment, his lips curved into a smile that brought her libido rushing up through her.

So not fair, she thought, caught by his beautiful eyes.

She thought, for a moment, that he was going to kiss her again, like he had in the kitchen the night before. Then, her father cleared his throat and she felt her cheeks heat, and she backed up, forcing her eyes from his. Rather than complaining, she heard the man beside her release a quiet chuckle, and he shifted to sit closer to her, his arm going around her shoulders again.

She decided that was fine and shifted close, again, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "I didn't think you would get everyone presents."

"Fair's fair," he quipped against her ear, and she felt her breath catch at the caress of his lips there.

Once the gift giving finished, everyone sat around the living room chatting. The talk turned towards Mariah's upcoming pregnancy and Sarah detected panic rather than pleasure in her sister in law's eyes. She fixed Toby with a serious look, a frown pulling at her lips. She didn't speak until she was certain she had his attention.

"I suppose that means you're ready to step up and make sure you help support her properly. And I don't mean monetarily. You were raised better than to just leave all the child rearing to your wife."

Her brother had the good grace to blush.

After brunch, Jareth ended up trapped in the living room with her parents and Mariah and she was in the kitchen handling the dishes with her brother. She kept quiet for a while, hearing laughter and conversation from the living room, and she glanced at Toby.

"You need to start wearing a rubber, Toby."

"I don't like them," he complained, setting a dish in the drying rack.

She turned towards him and gave him a look that had withered other men. "Toby, you've been married for two years and your wife is on her third pregnancy. She needs to rest. I don't give a flying fuck how much you don't like them, if they pinch, or if bareback feels better. You start wearing a condom, because if she's pregnant with a fourth before next Christmas, I'll castrate you with a spoon."

He sputtered, turning towards her in surprise. "Sarah, this isn't any of your business."

"I don't know if you haven't noticed because you don't pay enough attention, but she's exhausted and you're in school. You have another two years before you get your degree. You don't live close enough to our parents or hers for them to help her out with the children. She's your wife, Toby. If you can enjoy the pleasure of the marriage bed, you'd better step up and start enjoying the other responsibilities that come from it."

"Why do you think I'm trying so hard in school?!" He snapped, glaring at her. "If I get this degree, I can join one of those tech startups in Seattle, and we'll be set for life."

Sarah sighed, shaking her head, searching for patience. "Toby, she supports your choices. But have you taken the time in the last two years to ask what her dreams are?"

He stopped, looking lost for a long moment.

"Just be careful that she's not so busy trying to please you that she loses who she is and what she wants. Because that's what happened with my birth mother. And when she found herself, again, she ran and abandoned our father with me."

Toby looked at her for a long moment, then turned his gaze to the soapy water. "I guess I never thought about it like that."

She nodded in understanding. "Most guys don't. Which, I might add, is the real reason I haven't 'kept a boyfriend' as you indelicately put it last night. Mariah is your partner, she needs more than monetary support if you two are going to make it. If you don't want to wear a condom, talk to her about alternatives. But make sure you two aren't on the same road to different locations." She sighed, shaking her head. "You're both still so young."

Toby scoffed. "You say that like you've got a foot in the grave, already."

She shrugged, and started back on the dishes. "I'm a lot older than you, Toby. And I've had a lot of boyfriends trip over the fact that I won't compromise my dreams for them."

His gaze returned to the water. "What about you? Your boyfriend have to wear a rubber?"

Her cheeks heated and she swallowed hard, not looking at her brother. This wasn't something she needed to even be thinking about, she thought to herself, but she shook that thought out of her head, forcing herself to answer.

"I'm a thirty three year old woman in a long term relationship with a school paper. I thought he also made it clear last night that whatever we were or weren't doing, children aren't in either of our plans for some time. I graduate this year, and he has his own responsibilities that pull him away at odd times."

"I've never seen you like you are with him before. You really like him, don't you?"

Yes, and that scared the living daylights out of her. Rather than answer, she dodged the question. "Seen me like what?"

"None of the others made you forget that anyone else was in the room. You two were about to make out in front of your parents after you opened those earrings. I'd call it hormones, but I thought you were old enough that that wouldn't be a concern."

"I'm trying to not overthink it," she said, trying to not think about it at all, because it made her heart do that troubling twist she didn't think she liked.

"Why not? Maybe he's 'the one'?"

She shot her brother a look. She wasn't going to even try to explain the contract, because the loud mouth would go tell her parents that this wasn't a real relationship. She wasn't going to tell him that Jareth was only with her because it was convenient, in part because thinking about it like that was starting to hurt. She was still tripping over the idea of getting involved with a man from another realm in the first place. So, she didn't answer him, getting the dishes finished and when they were finished, Toby walked out of the kitchen and she refilled her coffee. After doctoring it, she leaned against the counter, lost in thought, her finger tracing the rim of the mug.

If she let herself dwell on this like it was a real relationship, she was going to get hurt. She'd gone so long protecting it from careless hands, from the other's she'd dated. Sure, she'd felt disappointment when the previous relationships ended, but this wasn't going to end like that.

That scared the hell out of her.

"I see what you meant about your parents pumping me for information."

Jareth's voice at the archway drew her attention and she looked at him. He pushed a hand through his hair as he walked towards her, his steps measured.

She took a moment to appreciate how that sweater fit him. It was slim enough that she could see the curve of muscles she usually pretended that she didn't notice. He stopped at her side, leaning against the counter with her. One of his hands came to rest on one of hers.

"If it makes you feel any better, Toby was in here trying the same thing with me."

"Oh, really?"

"To be honest, I think he was just annoyed because I told him I'd castrate him if he got Mariah pregnant again before next Christmas." He gave a surprised laugh, and looked towards her. "I also read him the riot act about taking measures to keep her from getting pregnant again after this one."

"Ahh, so I'm not the only one who thinks three in such a short time is too many, too fast."

She gave a sigh, leaning her head against his shoulder, for a moment, and then looking up at him. "So, what's with the flashy earrings? The last time I needed something like this, they were waiting there with the dress."

His eyes found hers, and flicked towards the earring that still hung from her ear. "I thought they'd be an appropriate present from a man to a woman. Were they too much?"

"I thought Irene's eyes were going to pop out of her skull when she saw them," she said, finding her gaze caught by his, again. "Are these diamonds?"

His lips curved into a smile, and he tilted his head. "And if they are? It's not as though I can't afford to spoil you."

But it's confusing, she wanted to say and her brow furrowed a bit. She shook herself, digging for some sass. "Is spoiling me a part of this arrangement? I didn't see that in the fine print."

He turned and she found herself pinned to the counter. His other hand found hers, holding them there. His eyes drifted from hers to her lips, and the smile he gave her showed a flash of sharp teeth. When he spoke, his voice was a low, quiet purr. "I would call it a prerequisite."

She searched his eyes, feeling that strange fear she'd never felt before. She'd brushed against it the night before, when she'd told him he needed to stop this. When his eyes met hers again, she saw that he could see that fear as well. "And when you're tired of it? When you're tired of putting in so much work for someone who is always preoccupied?"

That smile grew wider, and he leaned so his lips were close to her ear. "Sarah, if you're worried about this being inconvenient for me, it isn't. This is something I do because I enjoy doing it. And you enjoy it being done as well. You like being spoiled as much as you like me pinning you against your stepmother's counter like this. That sort of compatibility makes the situation more convenient, not less. So, as I said before the ball on Yule, enjoy yourself as much as you're able."

A shiver crept up her spine, but she couldn't have said if it was from fear or arousal. "Assuming much, aren't you? How do you know I like it?"

He shifted closer, and one of his legs slipped between her knees. She felt his hips against hers and a flush rushed to her face, because she could feel him through his jeans against her. His hands tightened on hers, holding them there, and her eyes fell closed, breath leaving her in a rush. When he spoke again, she felt his breath whisper over her lips. "Because if you didn't, my dear, you wouldn't let me do things like this."

His lips were kissing close and hers parted, her libido heaving her good sense out of her brain. Her breath shook out of her and she acknowledged the truth he'd just spoken. If she really wanted him to stop, she could make him stop.

She thought, for a moment, he would kiss her again, like he had the night before. His hand lifted from hers, touching the earring that still dangled from her ear, his fingers brushing against her neck as his hand lowered. The soft caress had her breath quicken, her heart stumble, and she opened her eyes, staring up into his.

"Sarah, is everything alright?"

Oh, she was going to strangle her father, she thought as Jareth dropped his hand as if he hadn't half-seduced her breathless against her parents kitchen counter. Still, having him move away from her a bit straightened her head out and she shook herself, blinking.

"Uh, yeah. Fine."

She was glad, she didn't sound like she was about to jump the fae monarch who had shifted so that he stood at her side.

Jareth still held one of her hands captive, and he lifted it to his lips, looking at her from under his brows, a smirk curving his lips. As he drew her from the kitchen, she noted that his expression was a little too smug and satisfied.

A sigh escaped her and she shook herself, trying to remember all the reasons she shouldn't be getting tangled up with him, emotionally. The problem was, she was starting to wonder if Jareth understood or cared.