Page 144 of Mama Si's Paradise

“I promise, yes,” I said automatically. “What is it? What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Valentine raised a hand to touch my cheek, and he smiled but it was forced. “Pick an Isle, Sunshine,” he then whispered. “Pick an Isle and you’re free to go there.” Then he nodded his head to the side—to the mirrors.

I was pretty sure I heard him wrong. “Excuse me?”

“Pick any of the Seven Isles, and you’ll be able to get there through these mirrors. For the whole day. You can stay there until nightfall. You canleavethe Whispering Woods.”

My mouth opened and closed about a million times. “You’re joking.” He was fucking joking—no way was he telling me the truth.

He shook his head. “I’m really not.”

“Then you’re teasing me.” He had to be.

“No, Sunshine. It’s not a joke, it’s real. Romin and Grey aren’t here, and Tristian and Emil are busy. You get this half day only. So…” He stood up and pulled me by the hands, then spun me around to face the mirrors, his hands on my shoulders as he slowly turned me toward each. “Pick an Isle. Any is fine, but I’ll have to suggest you stay away from Sirens’ Lair.”

I forgot to even blink as I looked at the shiny,brightsurfaces of the other five isles. “I don’t…I don’t understand.” He was joking with me, or he was maybe testing me, but there was no way this was real.

“You’re free for today. The curse will still keep you in the Isles, but you can leave this castle. You can leave the Whispering Woods. You can visit the other Isles. You can be in sunlight again, Sunshine.Now—before the Blood Call.”

I shook my head and turned to him, desperate to understand. “But why? Why would you…why?”

He wasn’t supposed to be doing this. And if Romin found out, what the hell would he do to Valentine?

He took my face in his hands, coming closer. “Because it’s the best I can give you.”

I held onto his wrists, shaking my head, trying to understand better. And he was coming closer and closer, his eyes locked on my lips.

“Valentine,” I warned because he was coming in for a kiss, andhe knewhow I felt about this. About him.

“I know, Sunshine. I know you don’t want me like that. As much as it sucks, I’ve made my peace with it.” He smiled sadly. “But how about a kiss before you go?”

Before you go.

I was actually leaving the Whispering Woods.

Oh, my God. No way could I think to speak in time, and Valentine took that as ayes.

The next second, he slammed his lips to mine.

My mind was wiped completely clean instantly. I was kissing Valentine Evernight.

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. He held me there tightly, and it didn’t feel so bad at all. In fact,it felt amazing to be held with such urgency, to be kissed so gently. Even though I didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Valentine, he was still hot as fuck.

And while he slipped his tongue in my mouth just slightly, it occurred to me I’d never felt so warm and fuzzy with Brandon either, even though I’d been so sure I was attracted to him.

But most importantly, it occurred to me thathewas the only guy I’d ever kissed in my whole life, so when Valentine let go of my lips and pressed his forehead to mine, he found me smiling.

“What? What is it?” he whispered, pushing my hair away from my face.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking how you’re the second guy I’ve kissed in my life.” And I had no idea why that was so damn funny.

So sad.

Valentine grinned. “In the ideal world, I’d have been your first and only,” he said, but he was teasing me.

“Show me that ideal world and I’ll follow you to it blindly.” Because the world we lived in was far,farfrom it.

“I can’t do that, unfortunately. That world isn’t real. The stuff of fantasies,” Valentine said, pressing his lips to my forehead before he let go of me and I stepped back, my lips still warm. It had been a good kiss. I would remember it forever.

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