Scenic Sunday: Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

When Angela first mentioned the idea of Scenic Sunday, I KNEW EXACTLY which series I wanted to revisit. I just wasn’t sure which scene. Hmmm….so many great moments in the Fever Series. I think this series is what got me into urban fantasy and down the rabbit hole of Jeaniene Frost, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, and of course, JR Ward. I seriously need to reread this series, it’s been years. Jericho Barrons will always be my #1 book boyfriend!! I’m already swooning…

This is the birthday cake scene in chapter 15 of Faefever. There’s so much emotion and sexual tension, it makes my heart just burst. Ms. Lane (MacKayla Lane) ordered a birthday cake for the otherworldly hotness of a beast Barrons. She expected him to be back at his bookstore at a certain time and her plan was to sweetly surprise him with the cake. He’s late and it just escalates from there. – Jen

“He lifted his gaze from the cake to my face.
“It’s just a cake. I promise. No surprises. No chopped-up Unseelie in there,” I joked. “I’ll even eat the first slice.”
“It’s far from ‘just’ a cake, Ms. Lane. That you procured it implies—”
“—that I was having a sweet craving and used you for an excuse to indulge. Blow out the candles, will you? And lighten up, Barrons.” How had I not realized the delicacy of the ice I was on? What in the world had made me think I could give him a birthday cake and he’d be anything but weird about it?
“I’m doing this for you,” he said tightly.
“I get that,” I said. I was really glad I’d vetoed getting balloons. “I just thought it would be fun.” I stood, holding the cake out to him in both hands, so he could blow out candles before they dripped wax on the pretty confection. “I could use a little fun.”
I sensed violence in the room a split second before it erupted. In retrospect, I think he thought he had it caged, and was nearly as surprised as I.
Cake and candles exploded from my hands, shot straight up in the air, hit the ceiling, and stuck there, dripping gobs of icing. I stared up at it. My lovely cake.
Then I was trapped between the wall and his body, with no awareness of having gotten there. He’s frighteningly quick when he wants to be. I think he could give Dani a run for the money. He had my hands pinned above my head, braceleted at the wrists by one of his. The other was around my throat. His head was down and he was breathing hard. For a moment, he rested his face in my neck.
Then he pulled back and stared at me and when he spoke his voice was low with fury. “Never do that again, Ms. Lane. Do not insult me with your silly rituals, and idiotic platitudes. Never try to humanize me. Don’t think we’re the same, you and I. We’re not.”
“Did you have to ruin it?” I cried. “I’d been looking forward to it all day.”
He shook me, hard. “You have no business looking forward to pink cakes. That’s not your world anymore. Your world is hunting the Book and staying alive. They’re mutually exclusive, you bloody fool.”
“No, they’re not! It’s only if I eat pink cakes that I can hunt the Book! You’re right—we’re not the same. I can’t walk through the Dark Zone at night. I don’t scare all the other monsters away. I need rainbows. You don’t. I get that now. No birthdays for Barrons. I’ll pen that in right next to Don’t wait on him and Don’t expect him to save you unless there’s something in it for him. You’re a jackass. There’s a constant for you. I won’t forget it.”
His grip on my throat relaxed. “Good.”
“Fine,” I said, though I don’t really know why. I think I just wanted the last word.
We stared at each other.
He was so close, his body electric, his expression savage.
I moistened my lips. His gaze fixed on them. I think I stopped breathing.
He jerked so sharply away that his long dark coat sliced air, and turned his back to me. “Was that an invitation, Ms. Lane?”
“If it was?” I asked, astonishing myself. What did I think I was doing?
“I don’t do hypotheticals. Little girl.”
I looked at his back. He didn’t move. I thought of things to say. I said none of them. He vanished through the connecting door.
“Hey,” I shouted after him, “I need a car to drive!” There was no answer.
A large chunk of cake dropped from the ceiling and splatted on the floor.
It was mostly intact, just a little goopy.
Sighing, I got a fork and scraped it onto a plate.
It was noon the next day when I got out of bed, cleared my monster alarm from in front of my door, and opened it.
Waiting outside for me was a thermos of coffee, a bag of doughnuts, a set of car keys, and a note.I unscrewed the thermos top, sipped the coffee, and unfolded the note.
Ms. Lane, I would prefer you join me in Scotland this evening, but if you insist on helping the old witch, here are keys, as you requested. I moved it for you. It’s the red one, parked in front of the door. Call if you change your mind. I can send a plane as late as 4:00. CJ
It took me a moment to figure out the initials. Constant Jackass. I smiled. “Apology accepted, Barrons, if it’s the Ferrari.”
It was.”