She stared at him before looking at thewindow as she contemplated everything he’d said to her. No matterhow much she cared for Aiden, she didn’t know if she could makethis leap. She’d worked too hard to gain the security she had nowto risk everything.
“I care about you; Ireallydo, morethan I ever believed possible in such a short time, but I’d likesome time to think about this, Aiden. It’s abigdecision.”
“Whatever you need.”
“I have to go home, go back to work, go backto the real world. Hiding out in a hotel room with you is more adream than reality. I need some reality,” she said and smiled athim to soften her words.
Aiden’s fangs extended. He could turn herand complete the bond so she could never leave him, but not onlywould she despise him, he’d despise himself. He wouldn’t tell herthat he could already feel himself unraveling because of theirincomplete bond. It might destroy him, but he would abide bywhatever she decided, and he would control himself, for her.
“I understand,” he said. “I’ll take you hometoday.”
“I need to be alone, Aiden.”
His teeth clamped together with enough forceto crack a few. “I see.”
“It’s the only way I’ll be able to sort thisout,” Maggie gushed. She felt like she’d stabbed him straightthrough the heart, and she hated it, but she had to do this. “WhenI’m with you, I can’t think straight. There’s so much I have toprocess, and taking some time to do that is nothing compared to aneternity, right?”
“Right.”
“And you said there’s no threat to meanymore.”
“There’s not. The Savage Ronan and theothers captured and we questioned revealed they didn’t tell anyoneelse about what happened the night they attacked me.”
“Why did they keep it quiet?”
“Because they almost exposed all of our kindthat night. Since it appears they were working for Joseph as wellas Carha, Joseph would have had them pleading for death by the timehe finished with them for making such a blunder of that night.”
“So, I’ll be safe if I go home alone?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I think it’s best if I go now.”
“Sure.” He couldn’t think about going tosleep without Maggie tonight or waking to find her gone. He’d teareverything in this room apart if he did.
“I’ll meet you here, at the bar, in fourdays. I don’t know if I’ll have everything sorted out by then, butgive me those four days before we talk again.”
“Whatever you need.”
“Aiden—”
“Do what you need to do, Maggie. I’ll behere for you, always.”
Unexpected tears burned her eyes, and a lumpformed in her throat. She’d asked for this time away from him, yetit took everything she had to place her feet on the ground and risefrom the bed. If she said yes to him, she could stay in this dreamworld forever, but she would be giving up so much for someone shebarely knew.
Her heart ached for him as he kept his gazefocused on his feet. His knuckles turned white from clenchingthem.
Padding over to him, she bent and kissed thetop of his head. “Two o’clock on Friday, we’ll meet back here. Fourdays from now.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “You can’t reveal anythingabout what you know, Maggie. If you breathe one word about theexistence of vampires to anyone, I might not be able to protectyou.”
“I would never do anything to put you oryour family in danger, Aiden.Never. Besides, my worstnightmare is ending up in a room next to my mother, and that’swhere I’d be if I started telling people vampires were real.”
Aiden nodded, but he found it impossible tosay anymore to her.
Maggie slipped from the room before shethrew all precaution to the wind and plunged over the edge withhim. However, if she chose to join Aiden, it would be the mostpermanent decision she’d ever made in her life. She couldn’t makethat choice without at least thinking it over first.
Her brain repeated this over and over again,but her heart felt like someone had stuck it in a shredder.
