Page 130 of Bound
The only one I want is her, but even having her this close is torture. My fire writhes under my skin in agreement.
“No. I’m fine.”
She peers at me. “Gage—”
“You’re leaving tomorrow?” The words are out of me before I can stop them.
“Well—”
“You’ll be glad to be home, then. I’m sure. The cities are hard on the Fae. And flying?” I try to make light of it all, but my words come out stilted. “Never been my favorite thing.”
“Mine either, but—”
“I hope your stay wasn’t too bad, all things—”
“Gage,” she snaps, hands going to her hips. “Would you shut up for a second and let me speak?”
I stare at her.
She waits, perhaps seeing if I will interject again. But that one blast of her iron-laced temper has left me speechless with need.
“Thank you for agreeing to take everyone to the airport,” she tells me. “It means a lot.”
My nod is shaky as I dig my fingers into the bark behind me.
“I know Bran is nervous after everything that has happened, but this will give him a bit of peace.” She sighs. “I will miss him. But—”
“What?” The word is barely more than a breath of air.
Her lashes lower. “I have asked Lord Alport to allow me to stay in Lock Lake for a time. I do not know if it will be permanent, but I would like to spend time with Nisha and Lilah. To see more of the human city.”
My world tilts. “You’re staying? In Lock Lake?”
Why is my heart beating so fast?
She eyes me. “Branwen agrees that our lack of knowledge on what occurs in the human world has left us vulnerable to attacks like the one we suffered. We want to know more. More about the threats, but also the good things.” Her little hands bunch in her skirts. “I am being named Ambassador between the Tennessee Sith and Lock Lake.”
“Congratulations,” I croak.
Her face colors in the dimness. “Well, I wanted to check on you is all.” She turns to storm off and I lunge, grabbing her arm.
Her skin is even softer than I remember. Warm.
Damn it.
“Amoret, wait.”
She rounds on me with a glower. “I have waited, Gage. Days since we got back. I hoped you would come to me. So we could speak and work through … whatever is between us now.”
“I was working.”
Some of her anger fades. “I know,” she says, softer now. “The others told me. And I understand that. But Branwen told me you came and saw him last night when you got back. I was across the hall, Gage. You never came to me.”
I let her go. “I came to you. The first night we got back. Your room was empty.”
Her lips part and then her laughter rips through my chest like a gunshot. “Oh, gods.” Shimmering tears trail down her cheeks and I stare at her. “No. I’m not staying in the manor. I moved into the colony house the first night we got back. I knew I would stay. Even if things did not …” Biting her lip, she gazes at me. “Even if things between us never resolved.”
“So you’re telling me, you’ve been across the hall from my suite for the last four days and said nothing?”
