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I laughed, kissed him again, and flipped open the first design book. As it turned out, I was one of those women who knew almost instantly what she wanted when she saw it, and that was a simple jade ring with an inlaid design of leaves done in gold. Our wedding rings would use the same design in reverse. After checking our finger sizes, Maitland promised to start work on them immediately, ushered us out the door, and slammed it closed loudly.
As we made our way back to his truck, I cast a rather bemused look at Aiden. “He seemed in a hurry to get started—how soon did you tell him we needed the rings?”
Aiden laughed and ushered me into the truck. “He’s always like that. Before he started taking commissions, he’d often bemoan the fact that not enough people wanted something that’s truly different or unique.”
“That’s because not enough people can actually afford his particular brand of uniqueness.”
“Also true, although his physical store is profitable. He just doesn’t go too far off center when it comes to his rings there these days.” Aiden started up the truck, checked the rearview mirror, and did a U-turn. “Now, to dinner—where would you like to go?”
“How about fish and chips at your place?”
The look he cast me was disappointed, though it was muted by the amusement dancing in his bright eyes. “That’s hardly what I’d call an appropriate dinner for such an auspicious occasion as our engagement.”
“Perhaps not, but I have a hankering for them. Besides, if passion rises, we don’t have to drive all the way home to satisfy it.”
“I like your thinking,” he said, smiling.
It didn’t take us all that long to reach our favorite fish and chip shop in Argyle. Thankfully, they weren’t all that busy—no doubt due to the fact that it was a Monday rather than a Friday or the weekend—which meant we didn’t have to wait the usual twenty or so minutes to get our order.
Twilight was casting ruby fingers across the storm-clad sky by the time we reached his home away from home. It was situated at the far end of a six-unit complex built close to the sandy shoreline of the vast Argyle Lake and surrounded by trees. The building itself was a two-story A-frame design and cedar-clad, with the lake-side wall consisting completely of double-glazed glass that gave amazing views over the water.
I followed him across to the front door, the strengthening wind tugging at the hem of my dress and revealing a rather indecent amount of thigh. Appreciation gleamed in Aiden’s eyes as he waved me through the door. Though I hadn’t shared this space with him all that long, it nevertheless felt like coming home. If the packdidreject the notion of us living within the compound, I wouldn’t object to making this our permanent base.
The lower floor was basically one long room divided by the open wooden staircase. At the far end was a modern kitchen-diner, complete with a bench long enough for six people to sit around and, on this side, an open fireplace, around which was a C-shaped, hugely comfortable leather sofa. The TV—a monster of a thing—was tucked into the corner between the fireplace and the outside glass wall. The stairs led up to two bedrooms, each with their own en suite bathroom. Aiden’s was the front one—the one with the balcony and the long views over the lake. Our daughter would take the second. Any more kids than that, and extensions would have to be added.
I dumped the fish and chips on the coffee table, then walked down to the kitchen end to grab tomato sauce, chicken salt—because I loved the stuff, and they sometimes didn’t put enough on the chips—and a couple of glasses.
“Bubbles, red, or white?” he asked.
“Just sparkling water, if you’ve got any.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Sparkling water is hardly—”
“It is when instinct is warning we both need to remain sober.”
Which it actually wasn’t—not majorly, anyway.
He groaned. “Seriously, why can’t darkside just control their murderous impulses for a few days? Is that too much to ask of them and the universe in general?”
“Hey, be thankful our vamps didn’t just charge into the reservation and immediately start an all-out bloody war.”
I put the sauce, salt, and the glasses down, then tugged the cardboard trays free of their white paper bags and snagged a chip as I sat on the floor behind the coffee table. The chicken salt, I was pleased to note, was not lacking.
“Aside from the body count factor, I’m actually not sure releasing a basilisk and randomly sucking people dry is that much better.” He sat beside me, poured our drinks, and then grabbed a potato cake. “Rocco sent me a text, by the way. Suzanne’s regained consciousness, though she remains somewhat confused.”
“Confusion sure beats being frozen and dead,” I said. “It also supports the current theory that unless you meet the basilisk’s gaze full on, it is survivable.”
“The problem being the bastard appears out of nowhere and most people generally look up at the first scent or sign of movement.”
“Which is why at least everyone on your team needs to start wearing mirrored sunglasses whenever they’re out patrolling, whether on foot or in the car.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”
I grinned, poured sauce onto a section of the paper tray, and swirled a chunk of battered fish through it. “Belle said that exact same thing.”
“It wasn’t Monty’s idea, then? Because they remain in the loved-up glow of the newly engaged, don’t they? She hasn’t been her usual snarky self around him.”
“Oh, yes she has. You just haven’t been in their company much of late.” I pointed a chip at him. “And I will have you know that the newly engaged glow won’t stopmefrom disagreeing with you or even challenging a statement I think is utterly stupid or wrong.”
