“A bit much?”
“It’s nice—I’m not saying it isn’t—but it’s so…big. And it feelsempty.”
“You got all that from walking into the foyer?”
Shadow shrugged. “I can’t imagine how it must’ve seemed to you when you were even smaller than you are now.”
Alice chuckled and turned toward him fully. “How can you not imagine it after spending so long walking through a giant forest with flowers as big as houses?” She poked his chest. “And I’m notthatsmall.”
Shadow arched a brow and glanced down at her, having to dip his chin to do so. His gaze dropped, trailing over her body before rising to meet hers again. “Youaresmall, sweet Alice, and I rather like you just as you are.”
Alice smiled and reached for him. He crouched, setting their bags on the floor, and she took his hands. She turned around and tucked her back against his chest, guiding his arms around her. She stared at the chamber as he rested his chin atop her hair.
“It does seem a bit much, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“Especially for just the two of us. And all these angles and colors…they’re soplain. Where’s the style, the flair, thechaos?”
Alice felt her smile stretch. “Oh? And what sort of place would you prefer to live?”
“This sort of home might do, but it’d take a lot of work. It’s entirely too orderly, for starters. We’d need a bucket of paint in every color—perhaps two.” He extended a hand and swept it from side to side, as though indicating the entire room. “Just pop off the lids and splash it around. The best thing about it is we could always get new paint if we want to change it. The flooring is rather humdrum, too. We’d need to vary that up in much the same way. And doors! Clearly, there need to be more doors. They don’t have to go anywhere so long as they’re unique.”
Alice laughed; her entire body quaked with it. And that laughter felt cathartic, like it expelled some of her stress. “I don’t think we’re going to do any of that here.”
Shadow dropped his arm, and she could almostfeelhis disappointed frown. “Why not? Think of the fun we’d have, dearest Alice.”
“Because…I think I want to sell this place. And if I let you loose on it, nobody will want to buy it. At least, not in this world.” She rested her head against him, her smile persisting even as her laughter faded. “We can build a home of our own. Together.”
Shadow tipped his head forward to peck a kiss atop her hair. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll live anywhere.”
Alice released one of his hands to reach up and cup the side of his face. “I’ll always be with you, Shadow.” A warmth flooded her. “Also, who says it will always be just the two of us?”
There was a pause before he spoke next. “What do you mean?”
She turned in his arms to face him, head tilted back so she could meet his eyes as her hands settled over his heart. “I want to have a family with you, Shadow, when the time is right. A home, children. I want everything…with you.”
He stared down at her, cat-like ears perked, his teal eyes softening with emotion so raw and pure that it seemed on the verge of overwhelming him. He answered her by dipping his head and pressing his lips against hers. The kiss was slow, sensual, lingering; it ignited a spark deep in Alice’s core and left her breathless and wanting.
She never would’ve thought a kiss could drive a person mad before meeting Shadow, but madness was a small price to pay in exchange for his love.
