Page 39 of Fetch Me A Mate
"You should rest tonight because you've earned it." Twyla pulled on her coat. "Take the advice of someone who's thrown a few gatherings in her time. The dishes will wait. The satisfaction won't."
After Twyla left, Diana found herself alone in the glowing parlor. The fire had burned down to embers, casting dancing shadows on walls that still held the laughter of the evening. Empty plates and glasses dotted every surface, evidence of a community that had gathered, shared, and belonged.
"That was something special."
Diana turned to find Rowan standing in the parlor entrance, hands shoved into his jacket pockets. He'd been so quiet during the evening that she'd almost forgotten he was there. Almost.
"You think so?"
"I know so." He stepped into the room, his presence filling the space in a way that made her suddenly aware of how alone they were. "You did good, Diana. Really good."
"Thank you." She began collecting empty glasses, needing something to do with her hands. "For everything. The renovation, the help, staying tonight to make sure everything went smoothly."
"That's not why I stayed."
The words stopped her mid-reach for a coffee cup. "No?"
"No." Rowan moved closer, close enough that she could see the way the firelight reflected in his pale eyes. "I stayed because watching you tonight... it was like watching someone finally find where they belong."
"And where's that?"
"Here. With these people. In this place." His voice dropped lower. "Being exactly who you were meant to be."
The compliment hit deeper than all the others combined. Diana set down the glasses and really looked at him. Thecareful distance he usually maintained had dissolved, replaced by something warmer, more present.
"What about you?" she asked quietly. "Where do you belong?"
For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then his mouth curved in the smallest of smiles.
"Starting to think I might belong wherever you are."
Her face flushed at his honesty and sudden vulnerability, loaded with possibility and promise. Diana felt her pulse quicken, her empathic gift picking up waves of want and uncertainty from him in equal measure.
"Rowan."
"I should go." But he didn't move. "Let you get some sleep. Big day tomorrow, probably."
"Probably." Diana stepped closer, emboldened by the evening's success and the way he was looking at her. "But not yet."
"Diana."
"Stay." The word came out softer than she intended, but no less certain. "Please. Just for a while."
"That's not a good idea."
"Why not?"
His jaw tightened. "Because if I stay, I'm not going to want to leave. And leaving might not be my choice to make."
The cryptic response frustrated her, but something in his tone suggested bigger forces at work than simple attraction.
"Then don't leave," she said simply. Diana reached up and touched his face, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "Stay, Rowan. Help me put out the lanterns. Have a drink by the fire. Let's be uncomplicated for once."
He leaned into her touch, his eyes drifting closed. "Diana."
"Please."
When he opened his eyes, they'd gone silver in the firelight. The careful control he always maintained had cracked, revealing something wild and hungry and utterly focused on her.
