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“Thank you.”
He kissed me again. “You’re welcome. Now, eat up. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
He cleaned up breakfast too while I showered.
When I came back downstairs, everything was clean and he was reading in the sitting room, long legs kicked up on the coffee table. He thumbed through the pages.
“Looking for inspiration?” I asked lightly.
He gave me a rakish smile. “Maybe.”
I blushed, unable to look at him. “Ready?”
“Almost.”
He lumbered to his feet, twisting his back from side to side. A few small cracks echoed in the room. He changed while I was up there. I’d never seen him in anything outside of the linen shirt, dark pants, and boots. Now he wore jeans, of all things, and a rust-red sweater that did all sorts of wonders for his eyes and hair. I eyed the leather boots and the jacket tossed over the arm of the couch.
“Where did you get that?” I asked, pointing stupidly to his clothes.
“Raided the guest bedrooms. Lucky for me, my great-great-great—whatever he is—nephew is nearly the same size as me. I figure he won’t mind if I borrow his things for the day.”
“No,” I said faintly. “I suppose not.”
He crossed to me, gripped me by the loop of my jeans, and yanked me close. “You look lovely.” He kissed my neck. “This color suits you.”
I thumbed the edge of my blue sweater. It was one of my favorites, worn in and comfortable in all the best ways.
“Now I’m ready.”
I grabbed my jacket and bag and led us out into the sun.
Wolfe squinted against it, flipping up the collar of his coat. There was no way I was going to make it through my day with him looking like that.
The cliffs were only a forty minute drive away. I expected nerves or hesitation, but nothing came. Not as Wolfe held my hand in his lap, tracing my fingers with his free hand.
I could do anything at all with him beside me.
When we pulled into the lot, my stomach swooped low. There was a small visitor center built into the side of the hill, only the awning and doors protruding from the green grass above it.
“I’ll go get us tickets.”
“I’m with you,” he said, taking my hand.
I didn’t miss the stares he garnered as we crossed the parking lot. I understood. Even dressed normally, there was something otherworldly about him, something not quite right about his eyes and the glow hovering around him.
He barely noticed it, too busy staring at the buses and cars in the parking lot.
“Strange,” he mumbled, “how much it’s all changed.”
I couldn’t imagine what it must have looked like to him. They likely brought horses down the path to see the cliffs and now… Now the lot was full of coach buses and travel groups with brightly-colored flags keeping their visitors together.
I went in and bought our tickets and led him back outside.
There were exhibits to see inside, but I was too anxious to get up the path to see it. My heart fluttered against my breastbone. Wolfe’s hand was solid around mine, thumb gently stroking over the back of my knuckles.
“Ready?”
I stared at the crowded pathway, sucking in a deep breath. The sun split the clouds and I took it as a sign.