Page 54 of The Mating Quest
Saluting, Ryan waited until they were inside, then droveoff.
Ethan locked the condo front door behind them and checked the exterior door by the balcony. He made sure the windows were locked. Ilana flexed her bruisedhands.
“You take the second bedroom upstairs and I’ll sleep on the pullout. You should be close to your sisters. I can keep watch downhere.”
“You needsleep.”
“Yeah, I’ll get it. But I want to be down here, just incase.”
For a moment he was tempted to tell her to join him in the big bed upstairs. Ethan rubbed his bruised cheek. “Yeah, I guess you’re good as a sentry. That was one hell of punch, Mage. Thanks. Goodnight.”
Her grin was still wide as he went upstairs tobed.
Ilana wasgrateful she’d opted to sleep downstairs, for that night the Shadow Wizard visited her. “Come with me,” he toldher.
Next thing she knew, she was standing before a great mansion with pillars and an iron gate. Ilana blinked. “Ah, am Idreaming?”
Caderyn nodded. “In a manner of speaking. I brought you here to my home in Tir Na-nog.”
Ilana’s breath hitched. “AmI…”
“Dead? No. But I must erase your memories after this visit, thus the reason for doing it atnight.”
“Okay. So what’s soimportant?”
He looked a bit sheepish. “I wished to get your opinion on my new home. Your female opinion. You are the only female I know who istrustworthy.”
Flattered she smiled. “Oh?”
“And I wished to get your opinion on my home in case you should dietomorrow.”
Her smile dropped. “Gee,thanks.”
He escorted her up the walkway to the marbled columns. Ilana blinked. “It’s…large.”
“I had a castle of stone, but it was too large and Tristan and the other wizards told me too cold for awoman.”
They went inside the great hall. Ilana looked around with appreciation. She went to an ornamental clock on one fireplace’s mantel and touched thegilt.
“This way,” he told her and waved a hand. They arrived on the second floor. He led her to a spacious bedchamber decorated all in gold and white. “What do you think of this room? It is intended for awoman.”
“It’s lovely. So, you want my woman’s opinion because… hey, are you gettingmarried?”
At her teasing tone he scowled. “Nay. I think not. Tis for femalevisitors.”
“And you get lots of them here. Uh huh.” She grinned. “You’re gettingmarried.”
“Cease this infernal teasing, Ilana. The redecorating is to attract awoman.”
Surprise filled her. “I would think you have no trouble getting dates, bigguy.”
He scowled. “I do not date. But yes, you are correct. I have had many encounters with willingfemales.”
Ilana rolled her eyes. “Sex is not the same as arelationship.”
He seemed to ponder this. “That is what Nikita, Alia and Ciara tellme.”
“The other wizards’wives?”
