Page 94 of Ren: Warlord Brides
“Well, all’s well that ends well, and it made me think about where we were four years ago.”
“On Rolusdreus.” His tone implied it was obvious, and he did not understand.
“Emotionally. Pashaal wanted to rattle my cage—”
“You were in a cage!” He surged to his feet, knocking the chair back. Mittens hissed and dashed away to the safety of her cat cave. He tossed a distressed look in Mittens’ direction but remained in place.
“A metaphorical cage. I know my temper is not the best. She wanted to get me angry, so I’d blab about the chip or say something to really get myself in trouble. All I had to do was stay calm, and it was the hardest damn thing I’ve ever done, but I did it.” Emry grinned. “I couldn’t have done that four years ago. Do you know how many good jobs I’ve lost because I couldn’t keep a lid on my temper? So many.”
He picked up the chair and sat back down. “That is good. Many warriors must learn to control their tempers and remain calm in the heat of battle. Acting rashly can lead to misfortune.” His face flushed, as if remembering an embarrassing detail. “This is something I must learn to master myself.”
“So I thought about where we were four years ago—metaphorically. This is me,” she pushed a container of spicy salsa to her right. “And this is you.” She pushed the container of the sweet not-salsa verde to the left.
“Incorrect. I am red. I am this one.” He pointed to the red salsa.
“It’s not about color. Fine.” She swapped out the green salsa for a mild red salsa. “This is you, red, but not spicy. And this is me, full of heat and anger.” She tapped the spicy salsa.
“Another metaphor.”
She questioned the impulse that prompted her to share this, but she was committed. “So here I am, four years ago, all full of anger. Too angry to talk with you and work out a solution. And there you are, no anger in you, not willing to fight for me.” She paused, worried that she offended him, but he leaned closer, intrigued. “You had to make hard choices back then. It was an impossible situation.”
“I could have fought for you.”
She shook her head. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. You made the right call, even though I was too angry to see it. But here’s the thing.” She pushed the containers closer together. “You got angry, and you got out. And I mellowed, I guess. I learned to listen and not let my mouth run away from me.”
Another push and the containers were together in the center of the table. “And now we’re here, in the middle. Together. I like being here. I like you.”
He looked up, delight on his face. “Yes? My memory may be faulty, but I recall that you love me.”
“I love you,” she said with no quip, no sarcasm, no roll of the eyes. She loved him.
“That is fortunate because I love you and I am happy to be in the middle with you.”
“Well, it took us long enough to get here.”
Chapter 23
Ren
He enjoyed lingering over the meal with his mate and the easy conversation they shared, but his eyes kept straying to the bed. While he had been alone with his mate in their cabin on his ship, he had been aware of their lack of privacy. The soundproofing in the cabins left much to be desired, so he merely slept with Emry tucked up next to him.
He was not interested in sleeping.
“Tired? I see you eying the bed,” Emry said, then yawned. “It’s been a long day.”
“You should have a shower.”
Her nose wrinkled. Adorable. “You saying I stink?”
“I am saying that theJudgmenthas an unlimited water supply.”
“Water?” She perked with interest. “A real water shower? Not a sonic or steam thingy?”
“A shameful amount of water.” At first, the unrestricted use of water shocked him. Water was so precious where he came from. Life depended on it. To use it for waste or cleansing seemed decadent and depraved.
“The stall is big enough for two,” he added.
“Sold.” Emmarae left a trail of clothing on the way to the cleansing room.
