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She’d surprised him with that question, and he took a moment to consider it. Some women might’ve been offended that he didn’t immediately respond with protestations of love, but she appreciated that he gave it serious thought. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I think I could be, but I also feel like it would be… wrong.”
“Wrong?” she echoed. “In what way?”
“Would you say your father loves your mother?”
Ah.“Yes. He does love her. And she loves him. What you saw between them was…”
“Unsavory,” he finished. “I was horrified to witness that, Nic—and that’s tied up in how I feel about loving you. I don’t want us to pretend with each other. I not only loathe the lies, I think they’re dangerous. If you ever love me, I want it to be because of me, not because of some enchantment that forces you to.”
“I understand.” And she did, all too well. Unfortunately, that left her in the position where if she explained that she did like him for himself, it would ring false. “So where does that leave us?”
He regarded her with somber resolve. “You’ve made an excellent case that I must follow through on what I got us into. I’m willing to do this bonding, but on one condition.”
He could set all the conditions he liked, and she’d have to agree, but she nodded anyway. “And that is?”
He held out his hands, waiting for her to place them in his. She did, and he folded hers in his cool silvery grasp, holding her gaze. “I don’t want you to be my servant.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he raised a brow. “Hear me out,” he said, throwing her earlier words back at her. “You have to teach me the bonding ceremony anyway, so we’re going to figure out how to make it reciprocal. We’ll be partners or nothing.”
Only him.In purest exasperation, she burst out, “It doesn’t work that way!”
“Has anyone tried?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it. This is a centuries-old tradition for a reason. I certainly can’t promise to abide by your ultimatum—it might not be within my control.”
“All I ask is that we try,” he replied evenly. “Let’s set the question of love aside. I think we’ve built something of a friendship?”
“I suppose so.” She considered saying more but left it at that.
“Let’s continue to build that relationship, then—and we can’t be friends unless we’re equals.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily sound logic.”
“It is for me,” he replied, that implacable look in his face.
She regarded him dubiously, then sighed. “I really don’t think it will work.”
“What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked, bending his head to brush kisses on her fingers, sending silvery shards of desire through her.
“I can think of alotof terrible outcomes, actually,” she said in a very dry tone.
He laughed, relief and genuine humor in it, breath shivering over her skin. She loved his laugh—the real one—and it made her want to kiss him, to take that laughter inside of her, a ripple of moonlight on water to gaze on when she lost hope.
“I have a condition, too,” she said, and he lifted his head warily, bracing for it.
“Anything that’s in my power,” he promised again. Did he know how that made her heart turn over? Probably.
“Oh, this is.” She gave him her most seductive smile. “I want a real marriage—with sex. No more of this refusing to ‘use me that way,’ either.”
The storm of warring emotions crossing Gabriel’s face might’ve made Nic laugh if she wasn’t so intent on getting her way in this.
She stood and slid onto his lap while he was still stunned and trying to work out a reasonable defense. “I thought we’d start with a kiss.” As she leaned in to take her kiss, he caught her by the shoulders, holding her away from him. She glared at him. “What?”
He searched her face, looking for something. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s not as if we have to worry about me getting pregnant.” She pressed against his grip, the yearning deep inside pushing her to make contact with his very tempting mouth. “We agreed we’re doing this—wedding, bonding, the whole commitment.”
“Yes—as friends.”
“Friends have sex,” she purred. “And you said you wanted me.”
