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“I’m alive because of you,” she whispered.
Darien corrected, “I’m alive because of you.” He bent his head to kiss her softly on the mouth. The gesture was so gentle compared to the frantic, intense need that had just overtaken him, it stole the last of her breath.
For several minutes, Darien stared down at her—speechless.
She reached up to push back his hair. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head, but then nodded. “Yeah, just—” he panted “—trying to convince myself that this is actually happening. That I’m not dreaming.”
“You’re not dreaming,” she whispered, tracing the strong edge of his jaw with her fingertips. “This is real.”
“Even before tonight, even for weeks, months after I met you, I had to stop and ask myself if you were even real. I wondered what I did right in a lifetime of wrongs to deserve someone as perfect as you.” The sight of him hovering above her blurred as Loren’s eyes stung with tears.
“You’re making me cry,” she said around a wobbling sob, though her lips spread with a smile. Sadness and joy were a strange combination.
He kissed her between the brows. “Sorry, I’m just so happy I got you back. So happy you’re home.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“I hope they come back,” she panted as he pressed his lips to hers this time. “The memories,” she clarified. A blink of her eyes sent a couple tears down her cheeks, and Darien softly wiped them away. “I want to remember you—all of you, not just pieces.” She swept her hands up his muscled shoulders, winding her arms around the back of his neck and slipping her fingers into his silken hair. “I want to remember everything.”
“If they don’t come back,” Darien said, still catching his own breath, his eyes roving her face with affection so deep she could feel it, “then I’m up for the challenge.”
She cupped his cheek. “What challenge?” she whispered.
He started moving inside her again, grinding his hips into hers, burying himself deeper with a sexy groan. Gods, her heart was still pounding, her lungs desperate for air, and yet he was ready to go for another round, every inch of him still hard as granite inside her. This man would be the death of her. “Making you fall in love with me again,” Darien said, his movements quickening. But there was no challenge there.
He had already succeeded.
93
Zima
YVESWICH, STATE OF KER
Night had fallen sometime ago.
Roman stood out front of Shay’s apartment building, cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting for her to come down—please come down—if she was in there.
“Shaylaaaaa!” he called again, panting. No answer. People were beginning to peer out their windows, and while Roman knew he should care, he didn’t. All he cared about was Shay. He needed to see her. Needed to know that she was okay. If she asked him to leave, he would. But until then, he couldn’t not try.
He was all too familiar with grief. How it chewed a person up inside, leaving nothing behind but raw and bloody scraps of soul. A ghost of a person’s former self. He refused to leave her alone in this.
A small, dark blur sped through the night sky, leathery wings flapping wildly. Sayagul.
“The spells are too strong,” the dragon said. “And her blinds are drawn.” She flapped down to perch on Roman’s shoulder.
He swore under his breath. Called for her again. “SHAYLAAAAA!”
A man shouted out his window for Roman to shut up. Roman shouted back, his words so aggressive and colorful, the man was quick to disappear inside and latch his window.
Roman shouted for Shayla again, not giving a shit if someone called the cops. Maybe they should so he could let off some fucking steam.
A taxicab rolled up to the curb, and a middle-aged witch got out, studying him with silver-ringed eyes. “You looking for Shay?” the woman asked him.
“Yeah, is she in there?” He was out of breath. “Can you let her know I’m here? We’re friends.”
“She’s not here, honey.” She fished a cigarette out of her overflowing purse, a sugar glider Familiar peeking out. “Left a couple of hours ago in a cab. Looked like she might be gone a while.” Those last words were a swift kick to the nuts.
Gone a while. Had she left with suitcases? Boxes?
