Page 37 of Wrong Number, Right Unicorn

“But I wanted it to be good,” I said, my voice wobbling, emotions so close to the surface. What was wrong with me? “Actual good, not mate-being-kind good.

He tipped my head up so I was looking at him. “You know, I don’t love you for your cooking. I love you for everything else.”

He meant it to be kind and sweet, but it only made me cry harder. I’d worked so hard to create the perfect time for us to tell each other about our love and here he was telling me for the first time as tears ran down my face and I was sucking snot.

“Honey, tell me what’s wrong.”

I hated that I had him worrying so.

I told him about my plan, how I wanted to make a special memory where we shared our love for each other for the first time. I braced myself for him to tell me I was being overdramatic or that it didn’t matter, belittling it in some way. Apparently, I had some baggage from past relationships I hadn’t dealt with.

But he didn’t do any of that.

Instead, he said, “Let’s go get dressed up. I’ll put on a shirt and tie, and we’ll head to that steak place you’ve been talking about.”

“But—”

“No buts. We’re going to have an amazing dinner as the best-looking couple there, and then we’re going to tell each other we love each other for the very first time in some big, romantic way. One we’ll remember forever and tell our grandbabies about.”

Grandbabies. I loved the sound of that.

“You must think I’m so silly, sitting here crying over something like this.” Because I sure did.

“No, I don’t. I think you’re romantic, and I think you love me.” He kissed my lips. “And I think you put too much pressure on yourself to make today ideal, forgetting the fact that every day with you is a perfect day. It doesn’t matter what we do or what happens—I’ve always got you in my corner.”

We did get dressed up and go to the steakhouse. I was surprised he managed to get us a reservation, the place was pretty packed. But he had, and the two of us ordered steak, ate looking out the window and the river flowing by and each other, and had a great time.

We had the most amazingly delicious meal I’d ever eaten and was complete with romantic gestures of love as dessert came. It was everything I wanted, only to discover it wasn’t what mattered. Sure, it was nice to have a date night with great food and company and to express your love for one another. But at the end of the day, when I looked back at this night, it wasn’t going to be for the things I had planned. It wasn’t going to be for the first “I love yous” or the fancy date. It wasn’t going to be how amazing he looked in his shirt and tie.

It was going to be about the way my mate accepted me—my humanness—and made sure I had what I needed. It was how I realized, in that moment, that I didn’t just love him... he was my world.

And I was his.

Fate had really known what they were doing when they decided we were mates.

“I love you,” I squeezed his hand as we reached the car. I love you so much that I sometimes wonder if this is all a dream.”

“It’s not, Errol. But if it were, I’d never want to wake up.” He reached behind me to open the car door. “Let me get you home and naked.”

“I have a better idea.”

“Better than making love to my mate?”

“I didn’t say we weren’t doing that. I thought a change of venue might be nice.”

He looked at me quizzically.

“Let’s go to the orchard. I want to spend some time with my unicorn, and then you can make me come so hard, they hear me calling your name three counties away.”

Chapter 18

Davien

“Hey, sleepyhead. You’re going to be late.’

Errol’s first client at the gym was at six AM. Some mornings it was at five, as people wanted to get a jump on the day. I couldn’t imagine hauling ass to pump and jump so early.

Usually, he was bounding around, exhibiting more unicorn behavior than I did.

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