The choice was what came after. What did we do with such a precious gift? Did we cherish and nurture it, encouraging its gentle bloom? Or did we smother or neglect it until it withered and died on the vine?
Gabriel had already made his choice.
The next belonged to her.
Slowly, he got to his feet and put himself back together, then held out his hand—an offer. A plea.
And Jacinda—his beautiful, fiery, dark, light, magical, mysterious witch-demon—laughed and reached for him and grabbed on tight.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Long after Jaci and her vampire prince returned to the highway, the scent of roses still lingered, along with the sizzling heat in all the places he’d touched her and the echo of the words that’d sent her heart soaring.
I fell in love with you, Jacinda Colburn…
Now, with every beat of that soaring heart, the erotic ache of Gabriel’s bite throbbed anew, a seductive reminder of all the things they’d shared tonight in the Gardens.
No matter what the future held for them, Jaci knew this was one of those nights that would mark her forever, dividing her life into all its befores and afters, every last one of them pivoting aroundthismoment.Thisfeeling.
Madly, terrifyingly, obsessively in love with you…
Suddenly, Gabriel slowed the car and took an unfamiliar exit, pulling her from her reverie.
“What’s going on?” she asked, shattering the comfortable silence that’d fallen between them. “This isn’t the way back to the city.”
Gabriel grinned at her across the dark space of the car. “We’re not going back to the city. Not until tomorrow, anyway. And before you say a word, I’ve already checked in with Dorian and Aiden—they’ve got everything under control. The club, the security, the endless search for the bitch I refuse to name tonight—it’s all being handled. I spoke with Cole as well—he’s got some of his wolves with him on the Jersey stakeout, hoping to cover a bit more ground. Oh, and Charlotte says hello, and something about an upcoming Fifty Shades movie marathon and hot tub party at Ravenswood with her and Sasha? I didn’t press for details, but she was quite adamant I relay the message, and quite adamant the invitation didnotextend to me and Dorian.”
“But…” Jaci blinked, trying to adjust to the rapid-fire change of plans. Her first instinct was to demand he take her back home—that they’d already had their fun tonight and couldn’t spare any more time away from their work. The binding spell, the bitch-who-shall-not-be-named, Jaci’s endlessly failing attempts to connect with Meech… There was still so much to do. To figure out.
But then he slipped a hand behind her neck and squeezed, and all the tension melted away in an instant.
“Okay, you win,” she finally said. “One night to forget about everything else. Just one, then it’s back to reality.”
“I’m so relieved to hear you say that. After what I put him through to get things ready for us, my associate would decapitate me if I canceled now.”
“Things? What things? And what associate?” Jaci laughed. “Where are you taking me? Nowhere public, I hope. I’m filthy, Gabriel!”
“Which, coincidentally, is exactly how I like you.”
“Location, Prince. Spill it.”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Two in one night?”
He arched an eyebrow, sexy as ever. “I’m just getting started, little moonflower.”
Giddiness bubbled up inside, making her feel light and airy in a way she hadn’t since she was a kid. And even back then, those fizzy kinds of moments were few and far between: sneaking into her mother’s private quarters with Meech, stealing bottles from her collection of ancient magical elixirs. Her father, taking her to see the triple suns rise over the black ocean in hell’s Vargas realm—by night, the waters turned to acid, the beach crawling with horrifying beasts with daggers for teeth and claws that could shred an elephant, but the rising dawn was one of the most amazing things she’d ever seen. Another time, her father had shown her how to find water beneath the parched earth of the Salt Flats. And on her tenth birthday, after a particularly brutal fight with Viansa that’d left Jaci with a broken arm and three missing teeth, he’d given her a bouquet of stargazer lilies that sparkled like real stars.
He’d bred and grown them himself, all from different botanicals he’d gathered across the realms.
Even in hell, there was beauty to be found, just like finding an enchanted oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle.
“What are you thinking about?” Gabriel brushed his knuckles along her jaw. “You’re smiling.”
Jaci let out a soft sigh. “My dad, actually. He’d really love the Enchanted Gardens. He’s an earth mage, too.” She told him about the lilies.
“Now I know where you get your gifts.” Gabriel lowered his hand to her knee, giving it a squeeze. “When this is all over, we’ll have to take him to the Gardens.”
