Page 66 of Midnight Whispers

“Can I please have a clue?” She puts her hands in prayer pose in front of her.

I chuckle. “Were you like this as a kid before Christmas, wanting to know what presents you were going to get?”

She rolls her eyes. “Surprises make me itchy. I can’t stop wondering.”

I tap the end of her nose. “If you’re patient, you’ll find out in about twenty minutes.”

“You’re the worst.” She slumps back in her seat like a sullen teenager.

I barely contain my laugh. I guess I know how to get under her skin now—act jealous and arrange a surprise for her, then refuse to say what it is.

“Are we going skydiving?”

I arch an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t we have stayed at the airport?”

She twists her mouth. “Good point. Are we going to some fancy Michelin star restaurant?”

I glance at my casual clothes. “Dressed like this?”

She growls in frustration. “Right.”

“Wait… would you go skydiving?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe if I didn’t have time to think about it too much and freak myself out.”

Noted for another time.

She taps her finger on her bottom lip, and I watch the movement the way a cheetah might watch a gazelle through the grass. “I know! Are we going to a sporting event?”

“That’s a good guess, but no.”

Her arms flail out in front of her. “That’s it. I give up.”

I grin. “Good, because we’re here.”

Cinder’s head whips back toward the window as we pass the sign for the zoo. “We’re going to the zoo?”

I shrug. “I know how much you love animals, so I got us a behind-the-scenes visit to the zoo. We’ll be the only ones here today.”

Her eyes widen. “In the whole zoo?”

I nod, amused by her reaction. “Yup. Just us.”

“How did you do that?”

“With a very generous donation.”

“Wow.” She sits back, seeming to think for a moment. “Do you think we’ll get to see any otters? They’re so cute.”

I wrap my hand around the back of her head and pull her face toward mine. “I think you can see whatever you want today. You say the word, and it’s yours.”

Her palm brushes down my cheek before she kisses me, showing me how grateful she is. “This is the best surprise ever, Nero. Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

When the words leave my mouth, I realize how truthful they are. “Are you ready to show everyone why you’re my queen?”

Chapter

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