Page 77 of Embraced By the Ghost

I felt a sharp pang of sympathy for her. I had been fortunate in my marriage to Lucinda—we'd loved one another dearly, and although we'd had our disagreements, as any married couple did, I'd never doubted that she cared for me.

It was difficult to imagine spending twenty-three years with someone who failed to appreciate the woman sitting beside him.

"Well," I said quietly, "I should like to see that you never feel lonely again, Lady Celeste. At least while you're here with me."

Her eyes shone in the firelight.

"That's a very sweet thing to say," she whispered.

I brushed a stray lock of hair away from her cheek.

"It is also the truth."

She smiled at me and then leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine once more.

I returned the kiss gladly, drawing her close and holding her until I felt her relax completely against me. And for the first time that evening, I stopped worrying about whether the spell would work. Whatever happened afterward, this moment belonged to Celeste and me—I intended to cherish it.

GARRIK

I had thought I understood the meaning of the Moon Script, but I hadn't appreciated how powerful its magic would be until we began the ritual.

There were no candles to light this time—no silver chalices or elaborate invocations. Celeste had already called upon the Guardians of the Watchtowers, and her magical powers had been awakened by the first part of the spell. Now all that remained was the rather unusual kiss which the second set of instructions required.

And although I had been looking forward to the opportunity with considerable anticipation, I found myself far more concerned with Celeste's happiness than with the possibility of breaking my curse.

It was a strange thing, after a hundred years of thinking about nothing else, but as I held her close and listened to her soft breathing, I realized that I wanted her to remember this evening fondly, regardless of whether my body ever awakened.

I wanted her to feel beautiful and cherished. I wanted her to know that she was desirable exactly as she was, with her lovely curves and silver-streaked hair and all the little imperfections which she seemed to think detracted from her beauty. As though they could—if anything, they only made her more appealing to me.

“Why don’t we lay on the bed,” she suggested, her cheeks pink with what I thought was a combination of embarrassment and desire. “I mean…we’ll be more comfortable there.”

“Certainly,” I agreed.

She climbed onto the bed and I lay beside her, looking down into her eyes. There was something I wanted, but I didn’t know how she would feel about it. However, I supposed it couldn’t hurt to ask.

“Celeste…sweetheart,” I murmured, stroking her cheek, which was warm from all her blushing. “Forgive me if I sound forward, but I don’t just wish to kiss you between your legs.”