Konrad cupped her cheek. “I wasn’t talking about taking care of you. I was talking about loving you.”
Roz’s eyes rounded, and Konrad watched as she experienced a suspended moment in stunned silence. At last she was able to respond. “Oh!”
He expected her to say something more, and he waited and waited. “Roz? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah,” she murmured, seeming completely distracted.
Maybe she needed it spelled out a little more. He cupped both her cheeks and waited until she was gazing into his eyes. “I’m telling you I love you, Roz.”
“I…I love you too. I think.”
“You think?” Konrad dropped his hands and took a step back.
“It’s just that I know there’s something you’re not telling me. I need to know what it is, or at least why you can’t tell me right now.” She stepped forward and rested her hands against his chest. His arms automatically extended to her waist while she continued. “Before, we hadn’t known each other very long at all, but we’ve been on several dates now, and…I should know what the big secret is before we go any further.”
He heaved a heavy sigh. “Trust me, there’s a right time and place to talk about this, and I’ll do my best to find them.”
She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him. “Soon?”
“As soon as I can.”
Eventually she sighed. “Okay.” She stepped into his space and raised her face to his for a kiss.
Thank God.He kissed her tenderly at first and then the inevitable fire sprang up and so did part of his anatomy.
After kissing her thoroughly, he asked, “Are you sure you’re not in the mood for a quickie?”
She rested her head against his chest and mumbled, “You’re incorrigible.”
“But you love me.”
“I think…”
Konrad gazed at the ceiling and asked for strength. Now wasn’t the time to push for a commitment, either.
He kissed the top of her head. “At least you know I love you. I’m glad I said it.”
She tipped her face up, and her eyes sparkled. “I’m glad you did too.”
Chapter 10
Konrad returned to the Gardner Museum to think. The place was ideal for that. Not only was it an art museum, but also the whole building surrounded a courtyard rich with verdant plants and flowering shrubs. Gray stone benches had been strategically placed throughout the courtyard to allow visitors to appreciate the subtly fresh-scented air and quiet surroundings.
Too preoccupied to appreciate the beauty all around him, he paced and obsessed about his impossible predicament. Now that he’d told Roz he was in love with her and knew she was in love with him too, despite reservations, he had to tell her the truth. Trust was an important ingredient in a mature, loving relationship.
But how do you tell the woman you love you’re a werewolf and you want to be mated for life? How do you admit you lied to your lawyer and committed the crime you were accused of? How do you keep pretending you’re unemployed and expect to pay the rent?
Konrad sank onto a bench and slumped over with his head in his hands. The last thing he expected was for anybody to come over and talk to him about it. People in the city didn’t talk to strangers. If you were on fire, they might stop to put you out, but they might also walk right past you, glaring at you for having the nerve to disrupt their thoughts. That’s why he jumped, startled, when he felt a touch on the back of his head. As he whipped around to see who was standing behind him, he felt a sharp prick of pain in his scalp. A few of his hairs had been yanked out by a toddler.
The child’s mother rushed over, pushing an empty stroller. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I thought it was safe to let him walk off a little energy here.”
Konrad smiled, relieved that no one wanted to chat his ear off and simply wanted to pull his hair. The boy clutched a few long strands of blond hair in his chubby fist.
“Oh, he got some of your hair!”
“Don’t worry. It’s no big deal.” He patted the little tyke on his head.
The boy drew the strands toward his mouth. The woman yanked his fist away and worked the hair out of his hand. She dropped the strands on the path and said, “No, dirty.” She shook her head vigorously and enunciated, “Dirrr-tey.”
