Page 63 of Enchanted with the Orc
The wiggling stopped and she pulled back to frown at me. “Mommy’s being too slow. We should plan it and then surprise her!” The feral glee in her eyes told me that I would have no say in anything for the wedding and I would end up wearing sparkles of some kind.
“No,” I laughed, cupping her little face in one of my hands. “I haven’t even asked her,” I whispered. “And when I do, I want to make sure she’s going to say yes. For that, I need some time to get her to fall in love with me.”
“That’s easy,” Gruk-ir said with a shrug. “She already loves you.”
“She does, huh?” I chuckled, tickling her under her neck and making her squeal with laughter.
“Yeah,” she cried, rolling around to hide from where I aimed for her sides. “She doesn’t really love people. She loves me, our coven, and now you.” The words were said with such matter-of-fact assurance, that I almost believed them.
“Well, we’ll see about that,” I sighed, settling her back down to play her game. “But until then, no more talking about our plans, okay?”
She heaved out a sigh as if the weight of the world was on her tiny shoulders, and I had to hide a smile. “Fine,” she agreed, rolling her eyesand leaning against me. “But did you get a ring?” she asked, focused on the screen again.
“I did,” I told her, and when she looked up, her eyes gleaming, I shook my head. “And you can’t see it until Mommy shows it to you, okay?”
Her pout was even bigger, but I ignored it. I didn’t want her to get attached to a ring until Tasia did. I wanted my mate to have a choice. If she didn’t like the one I’d chosen, I would take her to the store that I’d visited with Darak and let her select another.
It hadn’t taken me long. I’d been sure as soon as I’d seen the beautiful, unique ring on display. It was one-of-a-kind, just like my Tasia. It held a special place in my heart and even if she didn’t like it, I’d still like for her to have it.
“I want a ring too,” Gruk-ir said from her position cuddled against me. “A pretty one.”
A grin spread across my face and I didn’t tell her about the tiny little exact replica that I’d had commissioned for her that was tucked in the wedding box under Tasia’s. “We’ll see,” I told her instead, and she huffed as she continued playing her game.
“We’ll pick one for you too, Abu,” she told me with firm confidence and my heart clenched hard in my chest at the thought of my mate and our daughter searching for a ring forme. Something that would let the world know that I belonged to them. That I had a family who accepted me.
It was a struggle not to let the tears that were threatening brim in my eyes, but in the end I won, taking a deep, rattling breath before releasing it and trying tohelpGruk-ir with her game again.
Chapter Thirty-five
Tasia
Istood frozen just inside the doorway next to the kitchen, staring straight ahead, but seeing nothing. Enka had aringthat he was going topropose with? I didn’t know if I’d ever been more surprised by anything in my entire life.
I’d known that we were enjoying each otherphysically, andyes, I was also catchingallthe feelings, but I hadn’t thought that we were serious enough for something likerings. Still, hearing my two favorite people discuss rings and weddings and proposals had my heart fluttering.
I clutched at my chest, feeling the strong pounding of my heart. Enka wantedmore. He wanted us to be a family. And I wanted that more than anything.
But could I? I would be pulling him into the mess that I’d made for myself. A mess that I’d needed his help to clean up because I’d been too naive. Too stupid to do it myself.
Swallowing hard, I pressed my forehead against the wall, letting the cool smoothness center me. There were ways that I could deal with this.
First, I’d need to handle the David situation. I’d gotten myself into it and I would find a way to get myself out. I’d been an idiot, avoiding the police, when I’d hadso muchevidence. Squaring my shoulders, I peeked around the edge of the door toward the room where Enka and my little girl were together.
The two most important people in my world. I was going to find a way to protect them. I just had to ensure that they didn’t get into any trouble when I did.
Licking my dry lips, I pasted a smile on my face before going out toward them.
“One more,” Gabbi insisted, holding up another book toward mewith an imperious tone that I was going to have to get stern with and not laugh at… eventually. Not tonight. Tonight was about cuddles, snuggles and kisses from my sweet girl.
“Alright,” I murmured against her hair, and she nestled herself between Enka and I on the bed. Gabbi had insisted that Enka was a necessary addition to our nightly routine. The shock and then delight in his expression when she’d told him had made what was left of my heart fling itself at him.
I love him.
I knew it, Gabbi probably knew it and he would have to have missedallthe signs if he didn’t know it already.
“This is the best one, Abu,” Gabbi told Enka with a serious tone. The same tone she’d used to announce the same thing for the previous two books we’d read together.
It wasn’t long before her little head was drooping and she was drooling all over Enka’s shirt. The softness in his gaze as he pressed a gentle kiss to her head was enough to have me leaning over to press a brief kiss to his lips.
