Page 157 of Master of My Heart

She shook her head, still staring out over the water. “No. He did plenty later, but that day, he just picked me up and carried me out of the house.” She squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head. “Terric said he was ‘removed from this world.’” She looked up. “What does that mean?”

He hadn’t heard the phrase before. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s how an Immortal is killed.”

A hard look crossed her face. “I hope it hurt like hell.”

“Me, too.”

She leaned back and curled up against his chest. Chase held his breath as she rested her head against him. His heartbeat sped up as she sighed. Put your arm around her, dumbass! When he did, she sighed again. He ran his hand over her silky hair and smiled. This has to be what heaven is like.

*****

“I had a really good time today, Chase,” Sabrina said with a smile as they stopped in front of her apartment door. It had been a wonderful afternoon. A simple afternoon, but wonderful nonetheless. After the park, they’d gone to dinner at a small bistro and talked about everything and nothing.

And now they were home.

Chase smiled. “I have something for you.”

Sabrina looked around. “You do?”

“I gave it to Ethan to hide when I came to pick you up.”

She smiled up at him and unlocked the door to the apartment. Chase followed her inside and she saw a small wrapped package sitting on the table. She glanced back at him. Chase nodded.

She picked it up and stared at it for a long moment. How long had it been since she’d gotten any sort of present? Since she’d unwrapped any sort of package?

Five years.

Carefully, trying not to rip the beautiful silver wrapping, she slid her finger beneath the tape and loosened it, one piece at a time.

“Do you always open things so carefully?” Chase asked, sitting down on the chair next to where she stood.

She felt her cheeks warm and shrugged. “I don’t want to ruin the paper. It’s so pretty.”

He laughed. “Next time, I’m wrapping it in a brown paper bag.”

She giggled and slowly tore the paper until a book was revealed.

She gasped. It was a first edition of The Last Unicorn. “Oh! Oh, Chase! Oh, it’s wonderful!” She beamed as she hugged it to her chest. “You remembered!”

He looked pleased. “Your story about it inspired me. I thought, if you liked, we could read it together.”

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the most wonderful man in the world sitting next to her. He looked a little embarrassed, so she hugged him hard. “I’d love to.”

Ethan appeared from the living room. “She like it?”

Chase laughed. “I think so.”

“Can we start now?” she asked, running her hand over the cover, tracing the ornate letters with her finger. “It’s beautiful.”

“Absolutely.” Chase stood. “Is your room okay?”

She nodded, eager to begin.

They walked into her room and settled at the head of the bed, him leaning against the wall and her leaning against him. “Do you want me to read first, or do you want to?”

Sabrina loved his deep voice and how his chest rumbled as he spoke. She could only imagine it would be even better to hear the words from her childhood as she cuddled next to this amazing man. “You first.”

He smiled and opened the book. “‘Chapter One. The unicorn lived in a lilac wood... ’”

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