Page 170 of Caelum

“Come here,” he said after a moment when I didn’t reply, neither to agree nor disagree with his words, and he tugged me down so I lay atop him.

“I’m too heavy,” I argued, but he snorted.

“You’re perfect.”

“Not for your wounds.” His throat was healed, but the beating that had happened after he’d been taken down had caused injuries that were nowhere near recovered.

“If you think this isn’t making me feel better than any drugs, you’re crazy,” he grumbled, and he did sound sleepier.

Was that good? Or bad?

His mouth brushed my temple. “Sleep, Eve.”

My eyes fluttered to a close as I got myself comfortable. I moved a little, settling just off him to the side and cocking my leg over his hips. He let me rest my arm on his belly and hummed when I pressed my face into the crook of his neck.

“Better?” he asked.

“Much.”

Another kiss to my temple. “Thank you for that, Eve.”

I bit my bottom lip, but it didn’t stop me from smiling, and I rubbed my nose against his neck in silent response. I couldn’t think of a better way to begin my birthday.

Suddenly, all I needed was to sleep. My thoughts weren’t important. Memories or what-ifs weren’t either.

Just me and him, together in this bed.

That was all that mattered, and it was perfect.

SEVENTEEN

EREN

“I didn’t forget.”

Her eyes widened at the box I’d just presented to her.

Behind me, Stefan and Nestor mouthed, “Suck up,” but I just smirked at them while Eve’s attention was on my offering.

“What is it?”

A laugh escaped me. “Open it and find out.”

She peeked up at me, flashing those honey eyes my way. Every time she stared deeply into mine, I longed for her to claim me. To do what she’d done with Nestor and Dre, with the others too.

I wanted to ask her what was taking so long, wanted to know if I wasn’t good enough… but then the warmth in her eyes would reassure me. She’d cling to me like she had last night after class, touch me as though she couldn’t not touch me somewhere, and I’d breathe a little easier.

Though she nibbled her bottom lip, I watched as she untucked the ribbon that was haphazardly piled on top of the box. No amount of YouTube tutorials made the bow look pretty, but fuck, I’d tried. Her tongue peeped out from between her teeth as she meticulously pulled it apart then began to unwrap the paper covering it. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. I’d imagined she’d tear into it, rip it to pieces, but she didn’t.

She was careful.

I watched with a smile on my face, one that probably made me look sappy, but I didn’t give a damn. She made me feel so much sometimes that itwas like it was spilling all over me, and for so long, I’d forced myself not to feel for fear of what happened when I did.

The Lorelei in me never responded well to my emotions, but more than that, my sleeping patterns grew even more tumultuous. Ever since she’d come to Caelum, I couldn’t say I’d been sleeping better, but the Lorelei was more in control, that was for sure.

“Open it already,” Dre grumbled, and I shot him a glare.

The bastard totally didn’t deserve Eve, and he’d done nothing but give her even more crap ever since she’d claimed him.

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