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But then he didn’t lead me to my tower. No, he brought me over to the tower with the rooms for nobles of the coven that weren’t mine.
Where his room was.
I gave him a curious look but nodded it was fine. He seemed relieved and then I was back in his arms, not even waiting for the elevator. He set me on my feet at the door that was obviously his but then waited.
“Give me a minute?” he checked before ducking inside. He was super quick and then opened the door for me. “Please, come inside.”
I nodded, thanking him and going in. I glanced around and saw the suite was sparse, but there were a lot of books. “It’s nice. You like it? You’re settled in?”
“Yes. It seems silly to hang things on the walls or take the time to decorate after all we’ve been through and are still handling, but… I’m getting there.” He cleared his throat. “I was hoping for a piece of your glass art maybe. One day. I mean, I love the mural you did in the sunroom.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. I smiled when he showed me his bedroom, but then froze when I saw two cameras were set up. “Um, what is this?”
“Yeah, it seems creepier now than I’d realized,” he chuckled awkwardly. Still, he moved me into the room and closed the door behind us. “There’s something I wanted to say, and I wanted to record it so I could always—when you recorded that video for me, it was everything. We haven’t had a chance to do this. People used to record certain things all of the—”
I reached up and moved my fingers over his lips. “I get it. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re so nervous that it’s cute.”
He kissed my fingers and smiled. “No one’s ever called me cute before.”
“Maybe not to your face, but they have,” I promised.
He pulled me over to the bed and let out a slow breath before leaning down and giving me a soft kiss. “I wanted to say that this is our bed. Just for us. No woman has ever been in it besides you and never will be. I know I will share you, but never here. Here, it’s just us. We’re the couple and lovers, and everything else is out there, okay?”
I nodded, glancing at the bed and realizing how much I liked that. “That sounds nice. Really nice.”
“Good. Yes, good.” He moved me to sit on the bed and knelt before me. “I wanted you to know that was how I felt.” He reached up and cupped my cheek. “I’m not pushing for more. I will court you forever, Inez. I know how wrong things have gone moving too fast and people losing their heads—taking on more than they could handle.”
I nodded, not wanting to go over that or discuss it when this was such a nice date for us.
But then I realized there was a point in what he was saying when there was an open ring box on my lap… And there was an engagement ring in it.
“There are words I want to say to you that you’re not ready to hear,” he said quietly. “And I won’t push you. You need everything to slow down after how you’ve been hurt. I understand that.”
“Then what is this?” I whispered, my heart beating too fast.
“Me telling you that this is real for me. That I’m yours no matter the label and this is where my heart is.” He reached for the box and closed it, leaning over and putting it in the drawer of his nightstand. “And that’s where it will stay until you’re ready, if ever. We know how I feel, but I won’t push you into the next step just so others know. Not ever.”
“That means everything to me, Branko,” I admitted after a moment. I leaned in and kissed him. “Thank you. I… You mean so much to me too. I don’t know how much. I don’t think I can—everything is so—”
“I know,” he rasped, cupping my face. “I know, Inez. You have suffered too much. I couldn’t ever add to that. I wanted you to know that Kristof isn’t the only one who feels as he does for you. You won’t ever be alone and I’ll always be here. No matter the label. No matter the oath.”
I kissed him deeply. That was what I needed most right then. To hear someone loved me—even if he didn’t say it—but without trying to trap me into forever.
Well, James had said just that but then been stupid.
This wasn’t stupid. It was perfect.
“Are we breaking in our bed tonight?” I asked shyly.
“Yes, yes, we are now that you accepted my feelings,” he murmured against my lips. “And you said today was anything I wanted.”
That wasn’t exactly what I’d said but close enough, so I was fine with it. Plus, clearly Branko was super into the idea which meant lots of fun for me.
I snorted. “And you want to record doing everything to me.”
He flinched. “No, actually just this part. People used to record their proposals and I thought… It always seemed pretty to me. Not that they shared them on social media, but that—memories fade after living so many years. This was a moment I never want to fade and to always have.
“How pretty you were at my words. How your eyes shone with love that someone understood you. How you loved the ring I picked even if you didn’t say it.” He smiled when I nodded to confirm it. “I wanted to record everything and never forget.”
