never forget the promises we made each other.” He turns sober. “I waited for you, this year, at her grave. We promised we’d meet there one day.”
“I forgot. Logan, I thought you were gone forever. They told me…”
He sits up straighter, his expression hardening. “Yes?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I mumble, staring at my hands. “I don’t want to talk about them.” My father and Adam both lied to me about Logan. What else have they lied about?
His big hand closes over mine. “I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”
I meet his eyes, that clear ice blue. “I would’ve come to the grave if I’d known you were there. Logan, I would’ve run to you.”
He swallows. “Even though I look like this?”
“Yes. I don’t care how you look. It’s you.” I cover his scarred cheek with my palm. “It’s always been you.”
After a moment, he clears his throat. “I know today isn’t actually your birthday. You were so sick, I wanted to make sure you were feeling well enough for—”
“For what?” I interrupt, eager for a Logan-sized surprise.
“Patience, kitten,” he gives me a mock stern glance.
I giggle, but inwardly shiver. Logan the Dom. So sexy.
“I have another gift for you. If you’re feeling up to it.”
Squee! “Why wouldn’t I be up to it?”
A sexy frown. “I was rough with you last night.”
Just like that, my bottom remembers how sore it is. I shift a little, but can’t stop my grin. “Worth it.”
He looks about two seconds away from making me bend over for inspection, so I add, “I’m fine. Really.” I cover his hand in mine. I’m wet at the thought of inspection, but I want my present more.
“Very well,” he sighs, and produces a blindfold from his pocket.
I cling to him as he carries me down several flights of stairs. The castle no longer feels drafty. “It must cost a mint to heat this place,” I say out loud.
He chuckles. “Worth it. I never want you to feel cold. Now,” he sets me down. “Stay right here. No peeking.”
He leaves me shimmying with excitement, dancing in place. The light hits my face and I turn towards it. I shimmy more vigorously.
“You’re too cute,” he murmurs, coming behind me and undoing the blindfold. “Ready?”
He whips the cloth away, revealing a narrow room with floor to ceiling shelves. Full of books, of course.
“A library!” I twirl slowly. So many books. “You can’t give me an entire library.”
Logan chuckles softly. “Can’t I?”
I grin at him over my shoulder, and keep exploring. At the end of the room, a fire crackles, surrounded by heavy leather armchairs. Perfect for a winter’s night in.
“Logan, this is too much.”
“Then I’ll wait to show you the rest of your gifts.”
“Like what?” I’m being shameless but I can’t help it.
Fortunately, he thinks it’s cute. “I was going to let you have the lab, too.”
I press my hands to my mouth. “Logan…” I shake my head. “It’s too much.”
“You’re worth it. This is what I always wanted to give you, Daphne. This is why we had to wait.”
“How did you get this castle, anyway? You said you inherited it from your predecessor. But did you actually find your family?”
He turns, hands in pockets “No. Not my family. My mother was poor, as you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I thought you might have…found your father.”
“No. After I nursed myself back to health, I looked for a new partner. A successful businessman reached out to me, actually, desperate for someone to help. He had an autoimmune disease similar to Battleman’s. I tried some experimental treatments and extended his life by several years.”
“So he gave you a castle.”
Logan shrugs. “His wife had died a decade earlier and they had no heirs. He brought me on as a partner in his business, I helped expand it—”
With the help of my father’s patents, I almost say, but bite my tongue. We’ve come so far in the past few days. I don’t want to break the spell just yet.
“—One thing led to another and…” he shrugs again. “Castle.”
“Just like that.”
My dry tone makes him grin. “Just like that. Do you doubt me, kitten?”
“No.” I retreat until my back hits the shelf. He looms over me, one arm over my head, so he can cage me against the bookshelf.
“I just…we didn’t have to wait. I know you wanted to…prove yourself or whatever,” I flap my hand, my voice faltering as his eyes glint. “but you were it for me. It was always you.” I twine my hand