“And your mother was almost nice to me today because of it. Just think, if I stub my toe really hard, she might finally invite me to tea.”
The joke fell flat. He wasn’t ready for it, and I felt pinned beneath his brutal stare.
“I’m sorry, Tessa. This trip wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. My mother, Isabelle… You deserve so much better than the way they’re treating you. All I wanted to do was give you the taste of family I know you’ve craved ever since your mother died.” He lifted my chin with his fingers. “I love you more than anything, and I wanted this trip to be perfect for you.”
My throat tightened from his confession and from the guilt he harbored for the way things had turned out. None of this was his fault, yet I knew he’d do anything to change the past few days.
The moment crystallized in my mind, and I took in every detail, imprinting it. The way the air smelled like pine and wood fire; the way the light hit his features. His words struck me, and at first, I didn’t know what to say. Then it all became clear.
Intertwining my fingers with his, I pressed our palms together. “You know, when I was under the water, all I could think about was that I might not see you again. I was furious, and it wasn’t fair. How could that be the end after everything we’d gone through? Your face appeared in my mind along with Vivian’s, and even Sylvia with her damn cat. And you know I hate that cat.”
A half-smile curved his lips, but he didn’t interrupt, letting me continue.
“I’m sure I realized it then, but not dying allows me to vocalize it. The thing is, you’re my family. All of you. The cat to a lesser extent, but that’s not the point. After I lost my mother, it felt like I didn’t have any family left. But that gave me the chance to choose the people I want to be my family, and…well, I choose you. So you don’t have to worry about giving me something you think I’m missing, because I already have it.” My throat cleared, and I met his gaze. “At least, I hope I do.”
There was no hesitation. “You do,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “Always.”
I blew out a shaky breath. “Oh, good, because that would have been an awkward carriage ride back to the kingdom. Can you imagine? The uncomfortable silences, the weird glances… I’d probably have to—”
“Tessa, be quiet.” He lowered his head and brushed his mouth against my lips. Softly at first until he shifted me beneath him and drew me tight against his chest. The blanket fell to the floor, but I didn’t miss its warmth. I couldn’t even remember what being cold felt like when every inch of me was on fire.
“Look at you, living dangerously again,” I murmured between deep, drugging kisses. “Someone could walk in at any moment.”
“That won’t happen. I put Edward in charge of keeping everyone occupied. They’re probably on their tenth game of charades by now.” His teeth scraped my bottom lip.
“That was clever.”
“No. What was clever was my fail-safe.” His mouth hovered over my ear as he whispered, “I locked the door.”
I laughed softly, winding my arms around his neck. “You’re brilliant. Have I ever told you that?”
“Not nearly enough.” He found my mouth again, stroking his tongue against mine and twisting the coiled tension in my belly tighter.
Restless with expectation, my heart thundered in my chest, and I pressed my body closer. His breathing was harsh, and I could feel the desperation in the way he deepened our kiss.
There was a hard truth neither of us wanted to voice: If things had gone differently today, everything we had could have been ripped away.
He knew it, and so did I.
Moments like these made all the uncertainty and all the anguish worth it because they grounded me in what mattered. I wasn’t mired in the past or fearing what might come in the future but living completely in the present. From this moment to the next, with his hands sliding over my skin and fingers delving into the curves of my body, making my back arch from the deep rumble of pleasure in the back of his throat.
Was there a more addictive sound? I wasn’t sure I could ever get enough.
As much as I needed to feel grounded, I knew he needed it too. He had to banish his own demons, and, in some ways, they were stronger than my own.
His body was hard against mine as he pressed me deeper into the cushions. Hands molded over my hips, he rocked into me, setting a deliberate pace, one he knew would drive me over the edge. I sucked in a breath, melting beneath him as his kisses turned languid and slow. His touch lingered.
Neither of us spoke for a long time—possibly because we were afraid to break the spell, and I was content with the quiet if it meant delaying the inevitable. Scooping the blanket off the floor, he draped it over us and shifted so we were lying side by side. I tucked my head back under his chin, and his arms banded around my middle.
“Promise me we’ll make it through the next few days without any more near-death incidents,” he said.
Given the track record, that was a tough promise to make, but I nodded all the same. “Witch’s honor.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“We’ll make it through—you’ll see.” I closed my eyes, trying to hold on to the confidence I so desperately wanted to believe in. But I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that whispered through my mind like snow through the trees.
What if whatever was happening to me was only the beginning?
