Page 68 of Veiled

“I already know there is no way you could pick a favorite food,” he jokes.

I softly laugh, “No, I can’t. But Matt always says the more carbs it has, the happier I am, and I have yet to prove him wrong. I think Lee is the only real nickname I’ve ever had.” The last bit almost feels like a confession. No one other than Matt has ever cared enough about me to come up with anything else, unless you count my dad’s colorful terms of endearment.

“Childhood pets?”

“I’ve always wanted a dog, but it never happened.”

He hums softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Morning or night person? What’s your morning routine? And, now this is a big one—if you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

“I want to say night, but I also wake up really early in the morning to run before I shower and get ready for whatever I have to do that day. Hands down, being able to fly, though,” I answer without a second thought.

“Ah, makes sense why you want to ride dragons then. Looking to escape something?” He asks teasingly, not knowing how true that really is.

“Something like that. Now, your turn.”

“I’d be invisible, do you know the things I could get away with? I need coffee before anyone even looks in my direction, but I’d still say I’m a morning person. I turn into a pumpkin at midnight.”

The snort that comes out of me would be embarrassing if this weren’t fake. “That is not at all how that fairy tale goes!”

He tickles my side, “Oh, you think that’s funny?”

I wiggle, trying to get away, but he has me trapped.

I laugh, catching my breath between snorts, and finally collapse against him, surrendering. “Okay, okay! You win.”

He grins down at me, still holding me close. The moment feels like it lasts forever and is over in a blink, all at once. When we break eye contact, the flames have burned lower, embers glowing softly now, and the sky overhead has gone deep, almost velvety black. “It’s getting late.”

I soak in the calm of the ocean, and the quiet crackle of the fire settles over me, “You’re right,” I begrudgingly admit. “We should probably head in. Wouldn’t want you turning into a pumpkin.”

He brushes a loose strand of hair from my face, his gaze searching for something I can't name.

“Come on, Mrs. Carter. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

I sigh contentedly and let him push me to my feet. The sand shifts under our toes as we make our way back up the steps. Mission or not, this is the best night I’ve had in a very long time.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, unless you want to go first?”

“You go ahead; I’ll lock up the house and then shower when you’re done.”

Grabbing the sleep clothes I packed—shorts and an oversized shirt—I head into the bathroom.

When I finish washing my body free of sand, and my hair is braided to give me wavy curls tomorrow, I open the door so the mirrors will defog as I brush my teeth.

“I know she said not to bring anything, but we can’t show up without a hostess gift. Do you think flowers or a bottle of wine would be better?” I call out.

No response. He must still be in the living room.

“Aiden,” I call out again as I step out of the bathroom.

But there he is, asleep on top of the comforter.

I pause in the doorway, toothbrush still in hand, and allow myself to stare for a moment. The moonlight streams through the open windows, catching the curve of his chiseled jaw and the slight rise and fall of his chest. He doesn’t look like the jerk from Scion who left me after a hookup and then talked shit the next day, or the guy who snuck into my room to terrorize me. He looks sweet, soft, and completely at ease.

A small smile tugs at my lips despite myself.

Carefully, I set my toothbrush down and walk out to get him a throw blanket from the couch. Once he’s covered, I slide under the sheets on my side. As soon as I’m all the way in, he shifts slightly, still asleep, curling an arm over me as if he’d been waiting for me all along.

“Goodnight, Ace,” I murmur, allowing myself to settle into his warmth rather than scooting away.