Free House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter

not?”
    “The belief is that you ensure yourself good luck for the rest of the year if you kiss a stranger. If you tell me your name, you’re no longer a stranger.”
    That was fine with her. “Okay, I bought a mask, I guess I’ll play. What should I call you?”
    He glanced back the way the girls had gone. “How about Charlie?”
    She laughed. “I like it. And I’ll be Angel.”
    He snorted. “That’s the spirit. That is a really great mask, by the way.”
    “Yours, too. It’s actually beautiful. Is that a weird thing to say to a guy?”
    Before he could answer, loud whoops and shrieks caught their attention. A new group of revelers swept toward them, somehow noisier and more raucous than everyone else. They were all male, throwing beads and grabbing at every woman they passed. She froze, panicking. It was suddenly too much, the crowd, the noise, the—Charlie took her hand, pulled her through the crush and down a quieter side street where he brought them to a stop near a wall. The broad expanse of his back shielded her from the crowd behind them.
    She felt like she should thank him, but didn’t. Instead, she tried to explain. “I’m… not always so great with crowds.”
    He nodded. “I sensed that.”
    “You did? How?”
    He laughed softly. “The horns aren’t part of the mask, sweetheart. I’m fae if you hadn’t figured that out. Your pulse went into alarm mode when that group started toward us.”
    Damn it. She’d tried to gloss over his being fae so much she actually had. Hopefully her heart was still beating fast enough to cover the new twinge of panic his reminder brought on. She did her best to play it off. “Yeah, of course you would have heard that. I guess I just didn’t realize you’d be able to pick up on it in all the rest of that noise.”
    He bent in closer, the scent of something warm and smoky filling her nose. “You okay?”
    It was easy to believe the softness in his eyes was genuine concern. Too easy. She blew out a breath and shifted so that her back was flat against the wall. “I’m fine. Just needed a break from all that.”
    He sidled up against the wall next to her so that his bicep touched her shoulder. “It is nuts, huh? You should see it at Mardi Gras.”
    She could do without that. “I can’t even imagine.” The horror.
    “It’s the most fun you’ll ever have.”
    Not repulsive but definitely crazy. Still, if her courage held out, the night might not be a total wash. Emboldened by the alcohol, she pressed him. “I thought being the most fun I’ll ever have was your job?”
    His head swiveled around and the look on his face was pricelessly stunned. Then he burst out laughing. “Just when I have you figured out.”
    She turned a little toward him. “Did you think I was going to cut and run?”
    “Something like that.”
    She swallowed, holding on to her intoxication like a safety blanket. “And miss the kiss that’s going to bring me good luck for the rest of the year?”
    His lips slowly parted and his tongue came out to lick them. He cleared his throat. “It
is
almost moonset.”
    Do it, she wanted to shout.
Before my courage sobers up.
But he didn’t need any further encouraging.
    He pulled her against him, his legs straddling hers, his back against the wall and her weight leaning into him. One hand came up like he was going to cup her chin but she caught it with her gloved hand and pushed it to the wall. The kiss would be enough contact without his fingers on her skin.
    Deep in his throat he made a sound of approval. Good. Let him think she wanted to be the aggressor. She lifted her face to his, hoping that would be enough.
    It was.

Chapter Five
    A ugustine found Angel’s upturned mouth a second after she offered it to him. Her sudden control of the situation spiked heat along his bones with a mix of pain and pleasure unlike anything he’d felt before. The female in charge wasn’t new to him, but there was something so
untried
about her that her