Page 82 of The Call of Crimson
“Do you flirt this way with all your conquests?” I blurt out.
Ayden’s face turns uncharacteristically serious, almost heartbreakingly so. “You arenota conquest, Breyla. You are my future wife and queen.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
He exhales, defeated. “Only with the stubborn ones.”
“And does it work?”
“Typically,” he admits. “I’m not accustomed to having to try this hard if I’m being honest.”
I shove the last bite of my dish into my mouth, savoring the tangy sauce as I lick it off my fork.
“Maybe you should try less.”
His dark brow quirks in question. “You want me to try less to woo you?”
“If I must marry you, I want to know the real you, Ayden. I don’t need over-the-top flirting, I need authenticity.”
I don’t know why I'm telling him how to win me. Maybe because something deep inside says he needs to hear it.
His brow furrows, expression shifting into something sincere. “I can respect that, but I don’t think I can turn off the flirting entirely,” he admits. “That’s just part of my personality at this point.”
I chuckle, tearing into the cinnamon roll and popping a piece in my mouth.
The spicy sweetness melts across my tongue, and an involuntary groan of satisfaction slips free.
“I think your eyes just rolled back into your head,” Ayden teases, laughing boisterously.
I flip him off. “Is all the food here this good?”
“Pretty much, though her pancakes are only okay.”
“I heard that, you liar,” Esme calls from across the room.
I continue devouring the cinnamon roll as Ayden and Esme banter back and forth. Esme threatens to revoke his table privileges unless he takes it back.
I chuckle at how easily he rolls over and submits to her after that.
“So tell me,” Ayden says as the laughter dies down. “How exactly didAurelius,of all people, win your heart?”
I nearly choke on the last bite of the gooey delicacy. “You really want to know?”
“I may regret it,” he says, grinning, “but yes.”
I debate how much I really want to divulge about our relationship. It feels violating, in a sense, exposing that part of myself. But I told Ayden I would give him a genuine chance, and if I’m expecting transparency from him, I know I must give a little in return.
“To start with,” I say slowly, “Aurelius doesn’t flirt. The closest he comes is whispering filthy things in my ear and throwing daggers.”
“Dear gods,” Ayden snorts. “Are you telling me fighting is your foreplay?”
I laugh, throwing my head back. “Something like that.”
“If you want the truth, though,” I continue, “Aurelius understands me. Better than most. He was there through the worst moments of my life, but he never coddled me. He knows when to push, when to call me on my bullshit, and when to pull me back from the edge.”
Ayden nods, quiet now, truly listening.
“I can’t tell you how he came to know all that, but he does. He’s always been unapologetically himself and never shied away from what he wants. He never tried to overshadow me; he only ever made me stronger. Standing beside him felt like... standing taller.”
