Page 11 of Evidence of a Folktale

“After hearing what you survived to escape that mountain, I believe you’re strong enough for anything.” Eamon kissed her, long and slow and deep, and Bel wrapped her arms around his neck, seconds away from repeating what had just happened on his foyer floor.

Until a wet nose poked her in the back.

“Oh god!” She jerked in Eamon’s lap before bursting into laughter. Cerberus stood behind her with expectation in his eyes, and Eamon rubbed his head before pulling Bel to a stand.

“Guess he’s done giving us our privacy,” he chuckled.

“At least he let us finish our conversation before he reminded us it’s dinnertime.” Bel grabbed Eamon’s sweater off the floor and slipped it on.

“I missed seeing you in my clothes.” Eamon leaned down and kissed her, slipping on his boxer briefs without bothering to put his pants back on.

“I missed wearing them. I missed everything about you.”

“I’m glad. I needed you to help me escape my head, but how did you convince your dad to let you come?” he asked as the trio entered the kitchen.

“I’m almost thirty-five, that’s how,” she teased, and he rolled his eyes as he dug the dog food out of the pantry. “I told him I’d tell him the truth.”

“You what?” Eamon froze.

“Is that a bad thing? I assumed you’d be okay with it.”

“I am.” He resumed scooping Cerberus’ dinner into his bowl. “I just didn’t think you wanted your father to know.”

“He heard you confess to scarring me. I had no choice, but I haven’t shared any specifics. I just promised him the truth when he decides how much he wants to know. He’s already suspicious because of your and Griffin’s behavior at the morgue.”

“Yeah, he was freaked out about that.” Eamon gripped her hips and hoisted her onto the counter by the stove, fisting his sweater in his fingers and yanking it up to her neck so he could plant a kiss on her chest. “You have no idea how amazing it feels to see your skin whole.” He ran a palm down her bare belly to her thighs before dropping his shirt back in place. “Before I caught the victim’s scent, I thought it was you on that slab… your lower half was severely mutilated. Blaubart must’ve done that to hide any differences the body double had, but at the time I wasn’t thinking rationally. I just saw the love of my life ripped apart.”

“I’m sorry you went through that.” Bel shuddered, trying not to imagine herself dead in the morgue with her flesh peeling off her bones.

“I never want to live through that again.” He pulled open the refrigerator door, not meeting her gaze as he selected ingredients. “I didn’t expect you home until after Christmas, so I didn’t shop for anything special.”

“I already had my Christmas dinner.” She scanned his mostly bare body from head to toe with exaggerated appreciation, and he rolled his eyes before capturing her in a kiss.

“I’m still going to feed you. How hungry are you?”

“I fled Dad’s before breakfast, so I’ve had car snacks and that’s it.”

“Isobel.” Eamon lovingly glared at her.

“This is why you can’t leave me.” She shrugged. “Someone has to make sure I eat.”

“Thank goodness I enjoy doing it.”

“Why do you love to cook when you need blood to survive?”

He shrugged, the kitchen silent for a moment before he answered. “I guess I survived on only blood for so long that when I started eating, I realized how amazing well-prepared food was. Plus, I like watching you eat. It’s cute how you light up around a proper meal when you’re too busy to cook.”

“I love you,” Bel blurted, unable to keep the words in. Now that she’d spoken them, they wanted to spill out endlessly.

“You need to stop that.” Eamon leaned over the sink, every muscle in his massive frame tensing. “I’m trying to make you a nice dinner, but if you don’t stop saying that, I’m going to take you upstairs and lock you in my room.” He shifted to stand between her thighs. “You drove all this way to be with me for Christmas. I don’t want to send you to bed starving.”

“I love you.” Bel shot forward and planted a quick peck on his lips. “But if you want me to make it through dinner, find your pants. I haven’t been home in a while, and I forgot how handsome you are.”

“I like it when you call this home.”

“Calm down.” She patted his chest. “I meant Bajka. Besides, you just raised the question of leaving for my safety. Are you really back to asking me to live with you that fast?”

“You promised to stick closer to me so I can protect you.” Eamon winked before returning to the cutting board. “Living here would solve that problem.”

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