Scheming Against Devotion (Book 2 of The Transition of Pinn)
Compromise (Chapter 25)

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Merry Christmas guys!

I hope where ever you are and whatever you are doing, you are able to take some time out from this crazy year to relax and enjoy the holiday.

Happy reading!

Heather

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Ivy:

I think I have found a new favorite place, a large leather chair next to the fireplace in the library. It has a table for my new favorite Pinn tea, the name of which I can’t pronounce, but it’s purple and sweet and somehow that tickles me.

The weather has gotten colder and I guess I’m about to experience my first Pinn winter, or fall, or whatever this is. I really should’ve paid more attention during the lessons on that space ship, but who can blame me for not being focused on lessons when you’ve just been kidnapped?

And assaulted, I shiver a bit thinking back to that moment that I have mostly managed to push out of my mind. I don’t know if it’s healthy to do so, but I have to manage through this somehow.

I sigh and reach over for the tea. I’m reading some trashy Pinn romance novel I found on the shelf. I briefly entertained the idea that it might be Giddean’s- a secret pleasure that his masculinity won’t let him admit. Or maybe it belongs to James, he seems like such a sweet and sensitive boy. But I settle on it probably being Julia’s and yes I am a bit creeped out by reading a dead woman’s smutty novel. But I’m bored, unable to focus all day on anything as I wait to hear how it went for Giddean.

Everyone is gone. James was jittery after he typed up Giddean’s speech this morning and went to wait at the public viewing area city hall- after hearing this I decided I might go with him until he gently let me know the public is only Pinns. Sean went to ‘work off some steam’ at the temple to the god, whatever that means.

So I have spent the day waiting at home, by myself, thinking far too much. It doesn’t help that we received two invitations for dinner- one with Giddean’s parents, which I suppose is not a surprise, and one with Elena and her partner. A dinner with Elena would be an opportunity to patch things up, but I’m nervous- nervous that she would accuse me of hurting or son, or that I really did hurt her son and Linda was wrong. Even thinking about a dinner makes my heart race a little…

The doorknob twists and the door pushes open. Standing there in the doorway is Giddean in his work finery, an old-fashioned style silk suit with his emerald sash and thick gold chains about his broad shoulders. His face is indecipherable as he searches me out in the darkness. When his dark eyes replace me, they light up and the corners of his lips tick up.

“So..?” I ask. I want to know how it went- I don’t want to know how it went. I just ugh…. I’m so worried about all of it.

He steps further into the room, his face pensive, “We will have our investigation”

A large wave of relief washes over me. I jump up from my seat and run to him.

He opens his arms and a smile breaks out on his handsome face. I leap onto him. Pressing a kiss to his lips as he lifts me up by my waist.

I press kisses all over his face in celebration as he laughs joyfully. It’s amazing how quickly we have become comfortable as lovers. I was angry at him not so long ago, but now I feel… I feel like I’m becoming attached despite my better judgment. Maybe it’s because of how he opened up to me, or maybe because he is risking his career to improve the lives of others- it just shows how caring he is, even if sometimes he seems a bit angry.

I wrap my legs around his waist and his hands settle on my butt, pressing himself into the apex of my thighs. I run my fingers through his short wavy hair as he walks us over to one of the armchairs and sits us down with me on his lap. He then runs his hands along the curves of my body as I lean my hands on his chest and continue to kiss his neck.

I undo the top buttons of his shirt and slowly begin kissing down his chest. He has the perfect chest, flat, slightly defined, and lightly sprinkled with coarse dark hair- I want to run my nails through it. He begins to scrunch up my dress around my waist.

And this is the position that James replaces us in.

“I guess he told you how it went today”

I jump at the noise and land directly with my knee in Giddean’s swollen groin.

“Ompf!” he lets out as he cups his grain and his eyes begin to water.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I try to scramble off his lap as delicately as I can, but I seem to be kneeing him in all the wrong places, pinching his thighs and landing hard on his legs as I wiggle out of his hold. My dress gets caught on one of his buttons and in my panic to get out of our compromising position I pull, hard, and it yanks his body forward. He gives me a pained look as I finally stand.

When I’m finally sitting on the couch a good meter away from Giddean, I finally look at James and he is holding back his laughter- poorly.

I feel my cheeks flush bright red as I smooth down my dress.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?!” Giddean grits out between his teeth.

“I figured if you wanted privacy you would be in the bedroom” James shrugs his shoulders and picks up the liquor carafe to pour himself a glass.

I hear Giddean curse under his breath something about employees.

“Anyone else?” James asks.

“Yeah, hand me one. Maybe it’ll dull the pain” Giddean looks at James accusingly.

“Sure” I chirp out. God this is so embarrassing.

James pours two glasses and hands them to us, before going back to his grab his glass and lift it into the air in salute, “To successes”

I return the gesture before taking a sip of the sweet liquid.

James plops down on the couch next to me, looking down at his liquor he asks, “So, what are you going to do about Jarish and the others?”

“Not tonight” Giddean sounds annoyed and I look up from my glass to see his pensive face.

“But…”

“Not tonight!” Giddean growls.