Page 21 of Another One Bites the Lust
I glanced into his eyes and admitted, “I feel the same way.”
His eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Yes.”
He swallowed. “You mean something to me, Celeste. I think you’re incredible.”
His words took flight inside me, giving me hope—but I had to be strong, to remember two centuries of experience that warned me to be cautious.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said, shuffling his feet.
“Go ahead.” I braced myself for whatever terrible thing he was about to reveal.
“Celeste, I’m… you’re…” He exhaled, laughing nervously. “Too bad this isn’t a song lyric I could use to say it.”
“What is it?”
“Celeste, I know this started out as pretend, but this hasn’t been fake for me for a long time. Since…almost since we met. Because my jaguar… because I…” He took another deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay, I’ll just say it. You’re my mate. And there’s nobody else I want in this world.”
He traced his knuckles along my cheek, down my jawline. “Only you, Celeste. Only you.”
My body stilled. The fluttering inside went manic. What he said was beyond anything I’d ever considered—it made me blatantly happy on one level, and on another, it terrified me beyond comprehension.
“Celeste?”
I must’ve looked frozen because he frowned. “Am I freaking you out?”
“I… I’m just…” I didn’t know what to think.
“Oh, no.” His face fell. “Forget I ever said it. We can keep doing what we’re doing.”
I stepped back, the weight of his words sinking in. Two centuries of experience, and none of it prepared me for this moment. “We’ve…we’ve only known each other for a few days, Van. Maybe we’re rushing things.”
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, groaning. “I never should’ve said anything.”
“No, I’m glad you did.” I struggled to make sense of the war between my heart and mind. “But maybe…maybe we need some space. Time to figure out what we really want.”
Van’s expression crumbled. I wanted to yank every goddamn word back, but I didn’t. I just stood there, watching him hurt.
He walked to the door, paused, and turned back. “I already know what I want, Celeste.”
His gaze pierced me. “You.”
Then he opened the door and walked out.
CHAPTER 14
VAN
Sleep was rough. Putting myself out there the way I had for the first time, only to be rejected, gutted me. I’d revealed my feelings, exposed my soul to Celeste, and what had it done? Nothing.
Except to claw at my psyche.
She didn’t want me. I should have known better.
And now I had too much time to think.
The ship was docked at the cruise line’s private island in the Caribbean Sea—a place I usually loved to explore on my time off. Beyond the beach was a lush forest teeming with wildlife, a haven for shifters. The dense green canopy whispered with the flutter of wings and the rustle of unseen paws. The fragrant scents of small prey trekking over soil called on us to hunt. We’d have several hours off while many cruise passengers wentashore to bask on the island. Normally, my jaguar would crave the time onshore. But today…
