Page 60 of Cryptic Dreams
“It is to me.”
“It is not.” She’s smiling again, thank god. “If it was you would have heard me the first time.”
I stop dead in my tracks, shift the many, many garment bags to one hand then hold the other over my heart while I wait for my mate to look at me.
“What are you doing?” Zephyr quirks a brow and fights a smile.
“I, Wraith of Carmarthen, last descended of Kadoc and Father to us all, heir apparent to the sovereign king, swear on my blackened soul that each and every word to run through the pretty head and leave the sinful mouth of my true fated mate, Zephyr of New Orleans in the great state of Louisiana, shall be heard, respected, and cherished because it is destined so, and so shall it eternally be.”
Her smile is positively blinding but it’s the glimmer of tears in her glowing golden eyes that has me deciding what was a slightly dramatic display is now undeniable truth. To have my mate smile at me as though I could lasso the stars and bring them to earth for her after such simple words makes it so.
“I just said that you went overboard with buying me clothes. You didn’t have to do any of that but you especially didn’t need to buy me more than what was needed for the meeting and dinner.”
“Think nothing of it, love.” I motion for us to start walking again, this time side by side, our steps in unison. “I find I enjoy spoiling you.”
She smiles and discreetly wipes under her eyes. “You don’t have to. I don’t need much.”
“I am aware, but as I said, I enjoy giving you the things you may not need, and the things you may have deprived yourself of, yet secretly want all the same. And since I’ve acquired quite the fortune over my nearly fifteen hundred years on earth, it does me good to have something so meaningful to finally spend it on.”
“Full of charm tonight, are we?” Zephyr glances at me from the corner of her eye. “Might want to back off of laying it on so thick.”
I gasp and feign offense. “I am doing no such thing. I’m merely being honest in an effort to woo my mate in hopes she does not think me to be such a bastard.”
“Consider mewooed.”
“Now then.” God, how I long to touch her. It has been incredibly difficult not doing so, especially now that we seem to have developed such a companionable and easy way about things, one that is clearly sprinkled with genuine affection and intrigue. But I shall wait. As she suspects, I’ve put the proverbial ball in Zephyr’s court in order to prove myself, and anything that happens between us should be driven by her feelings and nothing more. “What else were you saying while your bum distracted me?”
Zephyr giggles and shakes her head. “Just that we don’t actually know each other much at all. And how it’s ok, but also interesting because we have these instant and intense feelings for each other, this extreme connection and unmatched need for a virtual stranger. It’s like our hearts and souls recognize each other immediately, so the Gods of Old gave us an eternity to let our minds catch up.”
And all I heard wasintense feelings, extreme connection,andunmatched need.
I’ve made it clear, both with words and actions, that I love Zephyr, that I am in factin lovewith her because it couldn’t be any other way, but she has yet to say it back. I feel it. I feel it strongly, her love for me, more so now that she knows where I stand, but Zephyr hasn’t said it and it has left a little room for doubt.
Do I need the verbal confirmation of her love? No, not really. Not when I feel the emotion rolling off her in waves, but do I want it? You bet your arse I do, and I fear I will not be completely at ease until my gentle breeze says those three little words.
But again, she has control and I imagine she’ll say how she feels when the time is right. And until then I will absolutely fixate on herintense feeling, extreme connectionandunmatched need. The bit about aneternitywith me didn’t go unnoticed either.
“Perhaps then we should get a jump start, yeah?”
Zephyr lifts those bright amber eyes to mine. “What do you mean?”
I angle my body toward hers and nod as a couple passes us, a mated couple who bow their heads to me. “As we stroll along the streets in search of the perfect lingerie shop, let us allow our minds to begin catching up.”
“Okay...” Another brilliant smile. “And how do you suppose we do that,Wraith of Carmarthen?”
“Cheeky.” I flash her a grin. “I shall answer any question you wish to ask so long as you do the same.”
“Any question?”
“Any question.”
She regards me for a moment as another couple passes. “What is your favorite color?”
With a chuckle, I shake my head. I should have known this would be my artistic mate’s first inquiry. “Either burgundy or gold.” Another small laugh. “If it were considered a color, also black.”
“None of which is surprising.” Zephyr smiles at me, a smile that steals my breath but what she does next has me fighting the need to check for a pulse.
Slowly, with more embarrassment than hesitance, her knuckles brush against mine once, twice, and on the third, Zephyr slips her delicate lace covered hand into mine.
