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I looked across the room, searching for Gabe, to no avail. He’d disappeared.
?
The next morning, I watched Gabe walk across the green lawn and into the stables. It was still early and I couldn’t sleep, so I’d curled up on the concrete bench—the same bench where Manuel had confessed to me his family secrets. Dropping my feet to the ground, I hurried after him.
“I’ve been looking for you,” I said as I entered the stable. It sounded more accusing than I’d meant.
Gabe stood next to Clint’s stall, feeding him a carrot. He brushed the mane off Clint’s forelock and scratched his chin. “I figured you’d find me eventually.”
“Can we talk?”
He sighed and turned to me. “Sure.”
His dark brown hair fell across sleepy eyes. It had been several days since he’d shaved and a scruffy beard had begun to form on his chin.
“You don’t sound so sure,” I said, biting my lip.
“Can you blame me?” With a shrug, he dropped his broad shoulders. “The last time you and I had a full conversation, you said you wanted to end our partnership. I figured, the more space I gave you, the more likely it would be for you
to change your mind.”
I took a step closer. Clint nudged my arm, searching for a treat.
“Are you sure you want to be partnered with a demon?”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re not a demon...”
I opened my mouth to argue.
“Well, not all of you,” he cut me off. “There’s so much more to you than that, Lizzy. You’re a daughter, a friend, a partner, and an incredibly strong warrior. And you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
My heart began to beat faster. Gabe loved me.
He. Loved. Me.
I reached forward and brushed the hair from his face. He grabbed my hand and, closing his eyes, pressed his lips to my palm. Shivers ran down my spine at the touch of his mouth.
“I wanted to tell you that I was wrong,” I said, as he kissed my hand again. “Wrong to rely on my anger for strength. Wrong to hate myself for something that I couldn’t control. And I was wrong to push you away. I love you more than anything.”
His eyes snapped open. “Can I get that in writing?”
I smiled. “I’ll write I love you a million times if that’ll make you happy.”
“No, not that part.” He gave me a devilish grin. “The part about you being wrong.”
Snatching my hand away, I pegged him on the shoulder. He grabbed the spot I’d hit and winced unconvincingly.
“If you’re not going to take this conversation seriously, then I’m going to leave,” I threatened, turning on my heels to go.
The pressure of his hand on my hip spun me around and I found myself chest to chest with him. He growled as he leaned in, his lips only a hairsbreadth from mine.
“Don’t ever leave me again,” he murmured, his hands stroking the back of my hair.
My breath caught in my lungs. I never wanted to leave him again. Never. My heart couldn’t take the distance.
Closing the space between our lips, I pressed my lips against his. He leaned into my kiss and wrapped his arms around my torso. Heat enveloped us and blossomed in my gut. As he kissed me, I worked my hands up his chest and tightly around his neck. Nibbling on his bottom lip, my body thrilled when the tip of his tongue pressed against my mouth. Opening up to him, I pulled him closer and we kissed for a long time before Clint nudged us with his nose and whinnied.
“Take the carrots,” Gabe said out of the corner of his mouth as he pulled a bunch from his back pocket and tossed them at the horse. “Take them all.”
