Page 30 of Kennedy

“Whenever you are.”

Lewis squeezed Kennedy’s hand, and the next thing Kennedy knew, they were in front of a castle.

That was the only thing to call the structure in front of them. It wasn’t big, and Kennedy was sure there was another word for it, butcastlefit. It had a tower, and its white walls were immaculate, even in the winter. The many windows made it feel inviting, but Kennedy knew the castle wasn’t why they were there. In front of it, right where they stood, was a wide garden that included a fountain.

Lewis was right. Kennedy was sure that the garden was full of flowers during spring and summer, but right now, everything was green and brown. That didn’t make it any less pretty.

“Where are we?” he asked.

“In France,” Lewis explained. “This is the Château des Milandes. It’s not actually a castle but a manor house, but I like it anyway.”

“I can see why. I’m sure it’s a sight in spring.”

“It is. I like to walk around and look at the flowers. It might not be the same, but I thought we could take a walk anyway.”

“And what’s in the backpack?”

“I brought food. We could sit down somewhere and have lunch. Well, dinner here, but lunch for us.”

Kennedy glanced at the castle again. Lewis was showing him what he liked and the places he enjoyed, and he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Lewis. “Lead the way.”

* * * *

THE DATE HAD GONE WELLbut had been way too short because of the time difference. Next time, they’d have to come early in the morning, like Lewis usually did, maybe in the spring, which wasn’t that far away.

But the flowers and the landscape didn’t really matter when Lewis was walking down the path holding hands with his mate. Kennedy had listened to him babble about the castle and its grounds for an hour and a half without looking annoyed, which had to be a first. People usually had a limit to how long they could listen to Lewis, and Lewis kept waiting for his mate to hit it. So far, Kennedy didn’t seem to have one.

Lewis’s passion wasn’t the only thing they’d talked about. Kennedy knew about Lewis’s family, but Lewis didn’t know anything about Kennedy’s family, so they talked about that, too. Kennedy looked so fond when he stared at Lewis that Lewis couldn’t help but want more. He wanted to have this for the rest of his life. He’d never met a man like Kennedy, and while most of that was because of the bond they shared, another part was Kennedy himself. Some people might think he was harsh considering his job, but Lewis had seen his tenderness and his softness, and he never wanted to lose them.

So when he shimmered them back to town, he shimmered them in front of his apartment. He had a plan, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. He should probably be honest and tell Kennedy what was on his mind.

Kennedy didn’t seem fazed by the fact that they weren’t at the facility. He glanced around, then smiled down at Lewis. “You need something from your apartment?”

“I need you to spend the night,” Lewis blurted out.

“I can do that,” Kennedy readily agreed.

He was probably thinking about the last time he had. He’d been in his lion form, and Lewis had fallen asleep against him. Kennedy had still been a lion the next morning, but that wasn’t what Lewis wanted today.

He sucked in a breath. They hadn’t talked about this at all, and there was a good chance that Kennedy would tell him he wasn’t ready, but Lewis had to put it out there. “I’m ready to bond with you. I mean, we don’t have to do it if you’re not, but I want you for the rest of my life, and I know it’s a bit of a rush, but I don’t see a good reason to wait. You’re not going anywhere, and neither am I.”

Instead of running away screaming like Lewis half expected Kennedy to, Kennedy stepped forward and cupped Lewis’s face with both of his hands. It forced Lewis to look at him, which he both wanted and didn’t want to do. He had no idea what he would see in Kennedy’s eyes.

There was no disgust. There wasn’t even worry. Kennedy’s expression was smooth and soft, and it made Lewis want to press forward and burrow into his arms. He was tempted to do just that, but first, he wanted to know what Kennedy thought about all of this.

“As long as you’re sure, I don’t see a reason to wait,” Kennedy murmured.

“Really?”

Kennedy chuckled. “You sound like you convinced yourself I’d say no.”

“I kind of did. Sometimes, it’s still hard to believe that you actually want to be with me.”

Kennedy leaned forward to kiss Lewis. “Well, I do, and maybe once we’re bonded, you’ll finally believe it.”

Lewis hoped so. He knew it would take time, though. Having Kennedy by his side day in and day out would be the best way for him to believe that Kennedy was here to stay. Feeling him in the back of his mind would also help.

He wanted that kind of relationship. He wanted never to be alone again. Most of all, he wanted Kennedy because he was a good man and his mate, and it would be so easy to fall in love with him.

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