Page 99 of Under a Wicked Moon
He kissed the palm of her hand. Need pulsated through her from the little touch. She found herself moving closer to him.
“These past few weeks have been torture. Awful,” he said. “But I had…have reason to stay away. I fear the monarch or our handler finding out about you and ordering me to kill you. It happened before when I had a relationship. They don’t like us to be tied down. If that happens, the curse will hurt me and my brothers, even to the point of death, until we follow the order.”
She visibly swallowed. With a whisper she said, “You won’t let that happen.”
“I won’t hurt you, Vivi. I swear. I’d die before the curse forced me to act.”
“Roman and Nova are making it work.”
“By keeping her secured at all times. By being one hundred percent sure they don’t find out she lives. The same has to stay true of you. I thought the right thing was to stay away, but I couldn’t manage to push you out of my head. I tried to convince myself I didn’t need you, but hearing about you, or even about your sister, broke down everything I thought I’d patched together to wall you out. I need you, Vivi. I realize you don’t know me. I’m willing to wait. To get to know each other. I don’t care so long as you’re with me in some way.”
“I’m not sure I want to be friends.”
His brows pulled together.
She rushed to add, “I meant I can’t do a friends-only situation. Look, I do want to be friends, but I want sex. Lots of it. Everywhere and every way with you. Only you. My dreams are driving me nuts not knowing what really happened and what’s pure fantasy.”
“Oh. Good.” His face relaxed. He kissed her knuckles. “I wantto ask you something important.”
Hoarsely she asked, “What?”
“Would you go on a date with me? It’s a human thing, but I don’t think doing this the lycan way is possible for us.”
“What’s the lycan way?”
“Your parents do some arranging with my parents. There’s a ceremony, and then we’re stuck together. Forever.”
“Sounds rather unromantic. But my parents are dead.”
“It’s not about love or a connection. Lycan matings, allowing a male to interact with an unmated female, are about power. I don’t want anything to do with that. There’s no power play here. I want to know you and to figure out if what we had is still there as much as I think it is. I want to know you want to be with me. That it’s your choice. I don’t want anything to be taken away from you again. You were imprisoned for years with no choices. Everything from now on is what you want. Let me be the one to make sure you always have a choice.”
“So you’re saying you want to mate me? Marry me?”
He nudged sand around with his foot. “Please don’t get overwhelmed.”
“I’m not. I think it’s you who’s projecting. This feels…right. How do we go about doing it the non-lycan way?”
“I want us to have an actual meal-type situation where I can sit there and try to make asinine small talk and tell you how beautiful you are. I want to cook for you.”
“You cook?” She arched back, skeptical.
“We had this conversation once, and I got the same look. Believe me, I’m good at it.”
She chuckled. “I might have to let you prove it.”
“After we eat, I’ll take your hand and walk around this human city, proud to show the world that you’re with me. That you chose me. You have my heart. All of it for however long you want it and however you feel it’s best suited for you, be that friends ormates once we know each other again.”
“You’re cute, Ky. As if you could go with being fuck buddies only. Sex is definitely going to be in the picture.” Her voice went hoarse as a single finger traced the muscle of his upper chest. “I want you so freaking much, I’m in pain right now.”
His eyes drifted closed. “Stop it.”
“You’ll be mine, Ky. Only mine. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
He heaved in a deep inhale as if he had trouble doing so. “Me too. I wouldn’t be great about anyone else in the picture. I don’t share.” He reached out and touched her hair to catch a few strands moving around in the wind. “Would you let me cook for you?”
She nodded. “I would.”
He pulled her in close and pressed his forehead to hers. Then he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. With a groan, he deepened the kiss. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she could breathe. This felt right. This was home.
