Page 59 of Curses & Cold Brew
“Is that . . . what you want?”
“No,” I admitted instantly.
A small smile tipped her lips. “Me either.”
Something warm bloomed in my belly at that. “Can I say something that might be a little . . . much?”
“Is it that you want to start up our own detective agency? Because I do have a real job, actually.”
“No, not that.”
“Okay, then what?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “You terrify me. Or rather, the way you make me feel terrifies me. I know demons don’t do happily-ever-afters. I’d resigned myself to the fact that women want to be in my bed and nothing more. I was okay with it. Being unloveable?—”
“You aren’t unlovable,” Iris cut in. “Far, far from it.” She hopped up from her perch and moved to stand between my legs, draping her arms around my shoulders. “You won’t judge me for admitting the way you make me feel terrifies me too?” she whispered, her eyes searching mine with all the vulnerability I couldn’t show. She let out a soft laugh. “Look at us, both terrified we feel more for the other, that the feelings won’t be returned, that we’ll end up hurting each other . . .”
“At least we’re not alone in that,” I murmured, sweeping a hand down to the small of her back and gathering her closer. “I just know that if you and I take one more step forward, it will change everything within me forever.”
“I think you’re worth risking my heart for,” Iris whispered, and my throat constricted with emotion. “I think—Iknow,” she corrected, “that you’re worth it.”
“I love you.” My lips clamped together the second the words left them. I left that proclamation just hanging there between us.
I couldn’t believe I’d done it.
I’d said it aloud.
Holy shit.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
But her hands cupped my cheeks, and she pulled me into a kiss, murmuring against my mouth, “I love you too.”
Disbelief coursed through me. I didn’t think I’d ever be worthy of someone like her, but I couldn’t deny the look in her eyes—the truth in them. She loved me. She loved me just as I loved her.
“I think I’d like to be changed forever by you too,” I whispered, and her eyes misted with tears that matched my own. I dipped a finger into the collar of her sweater. “So, I guess there’s only one last thing to deal with.”
“How to incorporate this little vampire-staking sketch into the Halloween Festival?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” She snickered. “What else do we have to contend with?”
“Our deal. You still owe me a proper date.”
“We carved pumpkins. We spent the night together. We just trapped and killed a vampire with the entire town.” She swept a hand toward the graveyard. “That didn’t qualify as a date?”
“Nope.” I let out a throaty chuckle. “I want you to be very sure that this is what you want before we go on our first official date.”
“I do,” she said instantly, and that glowing, golden warmth coursed through my veins again.
“You better be sure,” I insisted.
Her lips curved. “Why?”
“Because when I call in our deal, love, I’m never letting you go.”
30
