Page 41 of Shade
That did sound nice. So did sharing a bed with Shade.
"We haven't even said the three words to each other yet, though."
Shade was silent for a moment, then asked, "What three words?"
I huffed. Was he being deliberately obtuse? Or were his feelings for me still so far away from mine that the words hadn't even occurred to him yet?
"You know, the three words people say to each other when they reach a certain point in their relationship."
"What? I love you?" Shade asked, completely nonchalant, and I nodded mutely. "Well, obviously, I do."
"What?"
"I do love you, Diego. I probably have since you kissed me. I thought you knew that."
I stayed frozen for a moment, my lips parted and my brain glitching like the Sanctuary. Then, I shook my head and smacked his chest, knowing my feeble human hands would never hurt him.
"How would I know without you telling me? Bobo!"
"Oh, I forgot you speak Spanish. You don't really do that much now, do you?" Shade asked, as if that was the only part he'd caught.
I practically growled. "That's the part you focus on?"
"Well, I like it when you speak Spanish," he said plaintively, and I shook my head.
"I usually only say it when I want to swear, since I can't slip and swear in front of the kids in English. Since you like it, here's some Spanish for you, then: Te amo más, tonto adorable!"
"That means I love you, right?" he confirmed, and I nodded. Of all the ways I'd thought I'd say those words, doing it while feeling infuriated and mildly annoyed wasn't one of them.
Shade pulled me in a tight hug, kissed the top of my head, then stepped back. "So now that we've said 'the three words,' will you move in with me?"
I snorted, then sighed. "Yes, fine. I will move in with you."
"Say it in Spanish," he urged, and I suppressed a grin. I had a feeling this was going to be a recurring request now.
"Me voy a mudar contigo," I repeated, and he leaned forward and kissed me. Oh. He really liked it when I spoke Spanish, I realized as he pulled me closer, and I smiled into the kiss.
I'd learned most of my Spanish by talking to my mom, but over time—and especially since her death—I'd stopped using it except for swearing. I didn't think I was even fluent anymore since I'd had no one to speak it with. Hmm... maybe I could get Shade to learn it since he liked it so much.
Shade pulled back, and I sucked in a breath, cupping his face and holding him close.
"When should we move your stuff?" he asked eagerly, and I chuckled.
"How about this weekend? I don't have a lot of stuff, so it shouldn't take more than a few trips." While I had another month on my lease, I didn't care. I wanted to move as much as he wanted me to.
"Great. We can just move things through my shadow. Zamir will help you pack."
"He...will?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't know him that well, but I knew he'd taken care of Pixie last night so Shade and I could have some alone time together. I also knew he was a shtriga and had to consume people's life force to survive.
"Yeah. He's a helpful person," Shade said cheerfully, and I shrugged.
"Okay. I'd like to get to know him better, so this will be good." He gave me a full-body squeeze, tendrils of his shadows caressing my arms.
"You'll still stay here, right? I can bring over a few changes of clothes for you for the rest of the week."
I had a feeling Shade wouldn't be dissuaded from making me stay, and if I was being honest, I didn't want to leave either.
"I'll stay."
