Kalinda shook her head. “It would change everything, Romano.”
“Why?”
“Because a woman usually likes to hear the man she loves, loves her too. Why else?”
She should have had a damn camera. The click and flash of one told her Silva must have had the same thought.
“Score! This is going up on SpellBook. That face is priceless!”
Kalinda would ask for a copy of that picture later, but for now, she kept her eyes on her mate. Jaw slack, mouth hanging open, and eyes wide, she figured he was in shock. He’d even dropped his arms to his side, and she was sure if she blew, he’d fall right over.
“Romano?”
“Say that again.”
She smiled. This was new—this connection, this release. Romano didn’t let her hide away, and she was going to be the woman he saw when he looked at her. Letting her past and the hurt control so much of her life was over. She wanted to live here, in the now.
“I don’t need to. I love you, Romano.”
He closed his eyes, and his body shook from his shoulders all the way down. Pressing her hand to his chest, she felt his pounding heart under her fingers. She let him have this moment and curled into his chest, breathing him in.
How they’d gotten here from him threatening to eat her—in a much less sexy way to begin with—to now where she couldn’t imagine her life without him, wasn’t something most would understand. Maybe it was the life-and-death situations, or the mating call she may not have felt like he did but was intimately aware of. Maybe it was her magic, or maybe it was just a man and a woman finding each other in the storm and their messy pieces fitting together.
Whatever they were, here they stood, in his kitchen, a place that now felt like hers. She hadn’t seen her own home in what seemed like forever, and she realized she didn’t miss it as much as she’d thought.
And that was perfectly fine for her.
“I love you too.”
To hear it did more to her than she thought it would. Suddenly, she wasn’t a fan of their audience at all. There were some very fun things they could do on the island if Silva wasn’t sitting there.
“I think that must be my cue to leave. Don’t think you guys would like me to put up amateur video. Although it would really make some money if you’d like to. I’ve got a few sites we could use if you’re interested.”
“Get out, Silva,” Kalinda ordered.
“Just let me set up my tripod. I can direct this and get the money shots. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Out!”
“Okay, okay. But don’t come crying to me when you’re broke and your boobies are hanging to your feet. No one will want to pay to see those then. Well, maybe Romano, but you’re giving it to him for free. What a waste.”
“Can I eat her?”
“If you threaten to eat another woman again, Romano, I’m going to take your balls.”
“I like when you get feisty like that.”
“Like is such a boring word.”
“Agreed. I love when you get feisty like that.”
“Good. Now get me messy on the table.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Seventeen
Romano couldn’t deny he was perfectly happy standing in the background as his mate got dressed for her meeting with the Trinity. Just two days shy of her deadline, she’d received word from the National Council, and it was going to make the Trinity piss their pants.
