But despite his noble intentions, I doubted it would be easy.
Two red-tailed hawks, flying overhead, drew my attention, their magnificent wings lifting them higher as they rode the air currents, giving me a personal show in the sky.
Tilting my head, I watched their airborne acrobatics and found myself drifting deeper into the water. “Beautiful,” I murmured, soaking in the ambience of my surroundings and wishing I could somehow fly.
“Indeed, you are beautiful.” The sound of Zane’s voice sent my heart soaring, giving new meaning to the concept of flight.
I turned. He was already reaching for me.
Oh, yes. With Zane I could find a way to fly, without ever leaving the ground.
Chapter 5232
Several long kisses later, we found our way out of the water to a blanket Zane had spread by my towel. We dropped in unison, landing on its sun-saturated softness.
He pulled me close.
Resting my head on his chest, the late afternoon warmth erased the remaining moisture from my skin, adding to the fire already kindling inside me.
I trailed my fingers over his mouthwatering six-pack, afraid I might drool as I anticipated my mouth exploring those perfect ripples. His skin, so smooth, felt like silk under my hand. He groaned and twisted a strand of my damp hair around his finger, tugging gently.
Despite our rising intimacy, I sensed him holding back. Something was bothering him, even now, with our bodies pressed together. Whatever it was would continue to haunt and harass until we exorcised it from his mind.
Respecting his privacy, I made no attempt to infiltrate his thoughts, waiting instead for him to take the lead and open up.
His jaw clenched and his muscles tightened. He pulled away, and propped his head on his hand, allowing him to gaze down at me.
The golden flecks, expanding through his irises, were confirmation of his increasing hunger. Yet his tension was plain, evidenced by the hand resting on my bare hip, trembling just enough for me to notice.
My mate was beyond self-assured, especially in the art of seduction. The strain he was exhibiting had nothing to do with any shortfall in that area.
With this realization, a knot of fear tightened in my stomach, squelching my desire, and freeing a barrage of menacing uncertainties.
Another secret, something left to reveal; that had to be it. But what?
We’d bared our souls during the first hour of our drive, committing to keeping nothing hidden from the other, no matter how uncomfortable confessing might be.
I guessed if I wanted to share one final revelation, I could mention my ill-fated vow to Valamir. But I’d come to the conclusion that that particularly annoying promise was mine to deal with alone.
The Master Vampire had helped us overcome our enemies. And he continued to prove himself useful by tracking Martin and the missing coins.
If I told Zane now, he’d spend all his time worrying about me and would end up confronting Valamir. It seemed unfair to burden him with something that could happen years down the road.
I’d tell him when the time came to fulfill my vow. Until then, it seemed irrelevant in light of everything else. I didn’t want to think about it either. The implications were too terrifying. Valamir could request anything of me, and I’d be forced to oblige. Considering how bad he wanted my blood …
“I need to tell you something,” Zane started, sending another jolt of fear down my spine. I hadn’t realized how wound up I’d become thinking about my own predicament.
Rolling onto my side, I faced my mate. “I knew you were upset. You know you can tell me anything. I mean it.”
“My Princess, always perceptive and gracious. Thanks for staying out of my head. I just needed a second to piece together the puzzle floating around in there.” He tapped the side of his head, smiling, but the attempt to lighten the moment didn’t quite reach his eyes.
I ran my hand over his shoulder and down his arm, distracted, as always, by his sculpted muscles. “I’m no mind reading bully,” I teased, holding his gaze, and hoping to inspire confidence.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled. “Okay, here I go. First, you know I love you, right?”
“Ye-s-s-s …” I narrowed my eyes, suspicion overriding my fear. This wasn’t good. We were dealing with a major revelation here. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. My mom always believed denial was bliss. Maybe she was right.
“I have one last confession to make. On our wedding night, when you were so intoxicated …”