Page 20 of The Moonstone Hero
“I’m not sure how to answer that. Yes, I wanted our kiss to be everything wonderful and memorable for you. It was special because it was you that I was kissing. It was magical because of you.”
She nodded. “You made me feel desired and beautiful. Truly, it was a kiss to be treasured.”
He cast her a soft smile. “Ah, more admissions.”
“Yes, but I would rather not say anything more about it.”
“I understand. But before we move on, I just want you to know the kiss was real for me, too. I did desire you. You are beautiful. And I want more.”
“Oh.” She buried her face in her hands and groaned. “Must you always make things so difficult?”
“I thought I was clarifying the situation. I am not going to kiss you again without your permission. Just let me know if you are amenable, and I will oblige.”
She dropped her hands and looked up at him. “No, you are complicating the situation. Here, have a slice of ginger cake.”
“Tell me about Moonstone Landing, Ella. Why do you love it here so much?” He chose to change the topic before she ran out of here and never returned. He accepted the plate she was now offering him.
She pursed her lips, reminding him again how much he wished to kiss her. But she was already embarrassed and overly skittish. He would chase her away if he came on too strong. Besides, he liked talking to her. Being with her made him forget the horrors of that last battle for just a little while.
“For me,” she said, “it is thefeelingof this place more than anything else. There is a beautiful simplicity to life here. Damaged souls can heal here.”
“Such as mine?”
She nodded. “You were very angry when you arrived. This is why I hope you can stay longer and complete your recovery here. It was never about the physical mending. You are strong and healthy. Those visible wounds will mend in time. Your damaged soul will take a bit longer to heal.”
“It won’t.” He snorted. “One cannot undo events that occur in one’s life.”
She set down the slice of ginger cake she was about to bite into. “I am not suggesting you will forget any of it, but it is important for you to learn to cope with whatever has happened and somehow move forward.”
Cope? If only he could snap his fingers and make the pain of remembering go away. “Easy for you to say. You don’t know what happened.”
“Caden, I am ready to listen whenever you are willing to talk about it.”
“No, and don’t ask me again.” Just as she did not want to talk about their kiss, he did not want to discuss the Ashanti incident.
“All right. Oh, you are frowning at me now. Have another slice of cake. Learn to appreciate these small joys, for they are as important as the evils you have encountered. Life is a matter of balance, Caden. When you have seen things as terrible as you obviously have, there must be something of extraordinary beauty to balance it out.”
“And I will find it here?”
She nodded.
It could be argued shewasthat beauty.
“I hope you will.”
He shrugged and cast her a wry smile. “The cake is delicious. Being with you is also nice. You are a calming influence on me. Perhaps it is enough for me to look at you and drink you into my soul.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You are a veritable well of compliments today. I’m glad I can be of help.”
“You are, Ella. More than you can ever imagine.” There was something about the natural ease of this moment that did his soul good. The air was soft, the sun gently warming as it filtered into the room through the large windows. The ginger cake was delicious and the lemonade refreshing.
Most of all, he felt at peace with Ella.
She would never lie to him or use him.
She sighed as she set aside her plate, the ginger cake only half finished. “I often feel so useless in London, where my days are taken up doing nothing important.”
“Some would say finding a proper husband is an important role for a young lady.”
