Page 90 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

That little gem slips out before I have time to hang up and I know I will never live it down.

The frustration of not being in control might account for the hurling of my phone at the couch. I storm over to the bed and throw myself down on the comforter, leaning back against the headboard with my hands behind my head as I wait for the woman to get finished with the bathroom.

My minx slips out of the door and smiles brightly when she sees me. I can’t explain the kick her smile gives my heart or thesqueeze of love that wraps around the whole of my soul. I don’t figure that I need to, though.

“All worked out?” she asks, climbing back into bed. She lies on her side with her head on my thigh and my hand drops to comb gently through her hair.

“Yeah, baby, it shouldn’t be long.”

She smiles at the caress. Her tummy gives a Beast-worthy growl, and it makes me grin.

“Are you still hungry?” I ask.

Sandwich closes her eyes without answering me. Before I question her or make any comment, there’s a bag of licorice laying on the spread next to her. My eyebrows arch with surprise. I haven’t seen her do that before. She’s obviously proud of herself when she opens her eyes and sees the bag. Looking up at me with a wicked grin, she crows, “Score. It worked.” Opening the bag, she pulls out a piece and starts munching, all cute and self-satisfied. “Yep. Hungry. Grrr.”

I chuckle low in my chest and run my fingertips over her cheek with pride in my eyes. Beltane’s opened a whole unknown world of tricks, from the floating tome to licorice apparition to a host of things I’m sure that I haven’t seen yet. Her magickal powers are increasing daily now that she is embracing them. I’m impressed, but then, she always impresses me.

“Kill any delivery boys today, baby?” I ask her idly.

It still amuses me to think about the way she’s taken to the hunt and kill with as much deadly efficiency as she does everything else. It’s like she was waiting for the right opportunity when I came knocking. Since there’s no shortage of food walking around with the constant comings and goings of the construction crews, I figure it’s as good a question to ask for small talk topics until the doc gets here.

I also love that her fierceness drives the writer wild, and she told me he gave her a lengthy lecture on morality. I couldn’t havebeen prouder of her when she told him she’s granted amnesty to the Thai because they give her indigestion. I doubt that it was the response he wanted and I’m sure that only lead to more pontificating on his part. She gets very vague when she’s trying not to worry me over their constant picking.

“No delivery boys,” she says as she chews another stick of licorice. “Mormons won’t bother me again, though.” She licks a fang and my eyes follow the action intently. So intently, in fact, that I almost miss what she says next. “They do always come when you’re naked, too.”

Blinking, I feel the demon inside me rage.Zero to royally brassed off in oh-point-three.I snarl low and grind out, “Someone saw you naked?”

She remains remarkably unconcerned—as if I’m not ready to hunt down every sodding Mormon in either dimension and do my personal interpretation of the last bloody supper.

“Nope. In a towel, but not for long. I was in the shower and all. They have the worst timing, those folks. How do they even get into the Rift?”

Okay. No need for a rampage—yet at least. Good to know. My demon feels mollified, though the ridges and fangs are out.

“Related to support staff at the Company, I suppose. Did you kill them all, love, or did you leave one for me to track down so I can pluck his eyes out?”

“I ate them both. Sorry, baby. I couldn’t take a chance on the leftovers leaving me pamphlets.” She finally turns her attention away from her snack and sets those gorgeous blue eyes on me. They kill the last small sizzles of irritation and my demon face melts away. My lips tug into a grin as she shrugs at me with a mock expression of innocence on her face. “I do so hate door-to-door religion salesmen.”

Playing into the dramatics, I toss a mock pout at her. I’m amused beyond the telling of it, given that she’s getting moreand more in touch with her primal kitty and there’s nothing in me that’s got complaint one about hearing she’s killing so effectively.

“Oh!” She sits up and scoots over to the side table, rummaging around for something. Frowning when she can’t find it, she sits up and growls, “Yo ho!”

The scrawny rat comes running from the top of the curtains, his prize catching the light and winking. I can’t see what it is, but the minx gives him a stern look. Twist climbs up onto the nightstand, chittering, and drops the object in the drawer before taking off.

Hiding it in her palm, she looks up at me with shy eyes. I wonder for a moment exactly what my multi-faceted woman has in store for me. “So, last night, I had this, and I wanted to give it to you, but they occupied us. Before the lab coat gets here, I wanted to…”

I tilt my head. “Wanted to what, heart of mine?”

“I think I did a good job on estimating and getting it right, but I’ve wanted to give you this for now and we keep getting distracted.”

She drops it in my hand, looking as if she wants to sink into the bed and disappear. Her constant battle between bold, brassy confidence and shy waif both amuse and confound me. For someone so emotionally clued in, she always seems to wait for rejection. Who taught her that? I still haven’t figured it out since her household all seem to love her flaws, claws, and all.

The platinum band hits my palm and my eyes widen as I look at it. The inscription shines up at me:Gra Go Deo.

“I saw it and I thought of you. It means ‘love forever’ in Celtic. I hope you like it.” She ducks her head, looking like she’s going to disapparate herself to another room.

Humbled and awed, I look at the glittering ring. It’s so simple yet so elegant, conveying things that I don’t even think sherealizes. If I weren’t so overwhelmed, I might wring the little sod’s neck for hiding it from her.

A smile forms on my lips and our eyes lock. Without a second of hesitation, I slip it onto my left hand, noting that the fit for my ring finger is perfect. She’s got an eye, that’s for sure. “Forever and a day will pass and my love for you and ours will shine as brightly as it has ever been.”

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