“That may be, but it happens with the situations I find myself in for handling the dirty work of my coven. People come after me since I’m the one who doles out the punishments and beatings to those who don’t follow the rules my father sets out or that don’t make do on the promises they give him. It’s idiotic at times. I know. But I would rather be prepared and trained for it than not and suffer even worse.”
He doesn’t seem to be on board with my way of thinking, but I think it’s diminished some of his anger at least.
“The point is,” I continue, “I dealt with it, then doled out my own sweet justice, and I’m healed now.” I slowly walk over to him and wrap my arms around his middle and rest my cheek against his chest. “It’s over, Jordan, and all I’ve wanted since I got out of Zander’s house was you. You to wrap me in your arms and hug me.”
His arms come around me instantly to hug me tight to him. I feel his cheek rest on the top of my head. “I can do that, sweetheart,” he sighs in relief. “As much as you want.”
He holds me for several minutes. I listen to the wind rustling the branches of the surrounding bushes, the sound of crickets in the distance, and the gentle gurgling of the small waterfall off to the side.
“Before I knew Zander had taken you and you weren’t responding to my messages, I was so worried you were trying to convince yourself to change your mind about being with me. I felt like an ass once I found out why you really hadn’t responded to me.”
I pull back and look up into his eyes. “I didn’t regret the night we spent together, Jordan. I still don’t. And I’m done trying to convince myself why it may not be a good idea for us to be together. I’m tired of doing anything but what I want, and I want you.”
He smiles down at me. “I want you too.”
With a smile of my own, I tell him, “Good. Just remember, we could learn with time that we don’t like each other. You may be hiding the fact that you don’t wash your hands after going to the bathroom or pick your nose. Or you may be hiding that you secretly like to dress in animal costumes other than a wolf because it makes you feel whimsical.”
A full, deep, and loud laugh comes from him and fills the air around us. I smile bigger than I have in a long time whilelistening to it. It’s sexy and makes me feel ecstatic because I caused him to laugh that way. Me.
“I can promise you I do none of those things. And any relationship has the potential to become strained or be blissfully happy. It’s the effort and time you put into it to find out and to make it stronger as you go that matters. It’s scary and risky at times, especially when it comes to your heart, but I wouldn’t want to see where it all goes with anyone else but you sweetheart.”
“You’re not saying this is your first time being in a relationship is it?”
“Not the first, no. But it is the first serious one, and the first one I’ve ever been so committed to seeing where it goes and making it work because I know you are worth every damn kiss, memory we can make together, and piece of my heart I’m guessing you are going to steal.”
Correction. This is the biggest smile I’ve ever had now. “I like the sound of that.” I stand on my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re worth it too,” I whisper against his lips. “This isn’t going to be easy, though, especially if anyone ever finds out about us.”
“Nothing ever is in any relationship, but you’re one tough badass woman and I’m your trusty sidekick who knows you’re not a damsel in distress in need of saving.”
This time I’m the one laughing and he’s smiling at me all goofy like.
“I have no doubt we can handle whatever is thrown our way,” he finally says once I stop laughing. “You and me, darling. Tomorrow and every day after, I’ll fight to make it whatever reality we want and dream it to be. No matter how many obstacles get in our way, I’ll never stop fighting to be with you.”
“I promise I won’t ever stop fighting, either.”
He leans down and kisses me deeply as if to seal the promise we just made to each other. We likely can’t fathom the challenges we will face because of our desperation to be together, but it will no doubt be worth every second we are together because no one, not even either one of us, could stop it from happening. Today, tomorrow, or any day after. Jordan and I have been, and will always be, drawn to each other like an inevitable love story that started the day he came blazing into my life trying to be a knight in shining arm but failed because this queen doesn’t need a knight but a lover and an equal.