Page 215 of Night's Fall
“It troubles me,” he admitted.
I stared at him.
SoIsaw him wince and felt his hands move soothingly on me as he said, “Ishouldn’t have shared that.It’snot somethingIshould burden you with.”
“You love me,”Istated impassively, and it was impassive because, ifIlet just a hint of whatIwas feeling loose,Iwould explode with it.
His hands stopped moving, but he didn’t say anything.
“You love me, and your creature loves her,”Isaid.
“Laura, we’re mates,” he pointed out. “ButIdon’t wish to alarm you.It’stoo soon.”
It wasn’t too soon.
It just was.
“I love you, and she loves him,”Ideclared. “Effortlessly.Limitlessly.Idon’t love theTrueHeir.IloveAleksei.Ilove the male who lets my cat lay on his stomach while he strokes her and brings me coffee and breakfast in bed soIcan work.Ilove the cuteAlekseiwho hovered through a flyby to bring meCaptainJacques’sandIlove the fierceAlekseiwho wants to shake my parents until their necks snap.”
“That last isn’t my finest urge, love,” he said quietly.
I shook my head vehemently. “Idon’t care.It’sa part of you.Theyall are what makes you.You’vegiven me a family.Sure, they’re a king and queen, a princess and a couple of emotionally stunted princes, but it isn’t about that either.It’sabout them, who they really are.You’vegiven me a sense of belonging.You’vegiven me a home.”Ipressed into his chest. “Yougave me all of that,Aleksei.”
“You had all of that,Laura, with theTruelocks, theVinestrongs.”
“I love them to my soul, but it’s not the same.Youhave a family, and you all have issues, that’s true, but you still have a family and there’s love and care there.Youcan’t know how it feels to live your life not having that.It’sabout belonging to someone.It’sabout howIknowIbelong toyou.Whowe are, the strength of what we feel, it isn’t about theTrueHeirand hisTrueBride, it isn’t about being mates.It’sbecauseI’mLaura.Andyou’reAleksei.”
He rolled so he was on top of me.
“You love me,” he said, like he was just processing my words.
“I knewIwas falling.Ijust realizedIlanded.AndwhenIdid,Idid it hard.”Irested my hand on the side of his face. “You’vegiven me the sky and stars, baby, in so many ways.AndItreasure it.”
A sound rumbled from his chest that was so predacious,Iwasn’t sure if it came fromAlekseior his creature, before he took my mouth and kissed me, then we made love again.
Right, well, it was too energetic and desperate and communicative to be considered making love, but you get the gist.
When we were done, andIwas recovering (okay, sweating and panting), he rolled from me to reach his suit jacket on the floor and pull out hisPalm.
He made an audio-only comm, commanding, “Ineed you to contactMurieland clear my schedule for today.AndLauraandIneed almond croissants and fruit bowls fromLesendre’s.”
At the mention ofLesendre’s, the best patisserie in the city,Isuddenly found the strength to roll toward him. “Oo, and four religieuse and a dozen madeleines for later.Andpain au chocolat for tomorrow morning.Oh, and some of those swirly, vanilla frosted things, just because.”
“Did you get that?”Alekseiasked.Hepaused and then, “Andtwo large café au laits.We’llwantBenninden’sfor lunch.”
Yes!
The sandwiches atBenninden’swereto kill for.
Aleksei looked at me.
“The turkey and salami melt.Andtheir toffee cookie,”Iordered.
“Add beef andEmmentalto that, and a cashew chocolate cookie,” he said into hisPalm. “I’llcomm later about dinner.”Pausethen, “Great.Myappreciation.”
He tossed hisPalmcasually to the irreplaceable silver-gilded black nightstand and turned back to me.
“Okay,Lesendre’sandBenninden’s, maybeIlove you just a little bit because you’re super farging rich and titled so you can order your aide to bring us the city’s finest food we’ll be eating in a castle while we have a sex-fest,”Iadmitted.
