either,” she said softly.
We were silent for a few minutes as we got closer to the house.
“What are they doing?” she asked when we were near enough to see the possessions had set up one of the cabanas, brought out one of the double-wide chaise beds.
“I wasn’t ready for the night to be over,” I confessed. “Wanted more time with you out here.”
There was such pleasure in her eyes it warmed my heart, stirred up the feelings I felt whenever I was with her.
“Care to join me?”
“I’ll follow you anywhere, Talon.”
And that … I was fairly certain my heart might’ve actually missed a beat that time.
*
Braelyn
Dinner had been a pleasant surprise, but this…
When we returned to the house, it was to find one of the cabanas had been set up, this one with heavy, gauzy curtains that were pulled back. The torches remained, positioned far enough away to make an intimate setting. But it was the rose petals that were strewn along the sand and across the blankets that were laid out on an enormous thick-cushioned chaise that looked as though it would serve as a bed.
Taurus stepped forward, holding out a glass of champagne, which I took, thanking him with a smile. He then offered one to Talon before moving out of the way.
I followed Talon, my feet sinking in the sand as we stepped into the cabana, then reclined on the layers of pillows on the bed. I was careful to brush off my feet, not wanting sand to get into interesting places.
“Why’d you do this?” I asked, curious.
“Because I want to spoil you.”
I stared at the smooth lines of his face. He was perfect in so many ways. I knew that sounded corny, but it was how I felt. I might’ve been naive in many ways, but I was smart enough to know he had plenty of flaws. Didn’t change how I viewed him. With every minute I’d spent with him over the course of the month, I’d learned so much about him. Not everything was expected, but it was now understood. Not many would approve of Talon’s lifestyle, his proclivities, but I accepted them because they were what made him who he was.
A man to be respected.
A man to be revered.
A man to be loved.
I opened my mouth to tell him as much but swallowed the words. I wasn’t sure Talon was a man who wanted to know he was loved. He held himself apart from everyone, created his own world that revolved around him, but still managed to be separate. I was scared to say something that might push him away.
Talon’s hand lifted, his thumb brushing over my cheek. The torch light bounced off his copper skin, and I got lost for a minute, my heart swelling until I thought it would break right through my sternum.
“I love you, Braelyn.”
I lost all feeling in my limbs. Absolute pleasure consumed me, making me numb to everything except for the warmth that filled me.
“It might seem too soon to say,” he continued, clearly not realizing I was dizzy from happiness.
“No,” I said in a hoarse whisper. “Not…” I shook my head.
He took my glass, set it aside with his. “I’m sorry, Braelyn. I didn’t—”
I shut him up by plastering my mouth to his then crawling over him.
“I love you, too,” I mouthed against his lips.
I felt the shift in him, the way his arms tightened around me as though he’d needed to hear it. For the first time in my life, I felt completely whole. As though my heart had only been formed halfway and now it was complete.
“I’ve loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you,” he whispered, rolling so that I was on my back, his enormous body hovering over me.
I touched his face, felt the tears forming. “Happy tears,” I explained.
He smiled and it was like sunshine in my veins.
“Let me love you, Braelyn.”
I would never tire of him saying such lovely words. Certainly never tire of the way he caressed me as though I was the most important thing in the world. It didn’t take long before the few clothes we had on were discarded, tossed aside so heat could meld with heat.
Skin to skin, heart to heart, I held on to Talon when he filled me, not only with his body but with his love. It was everything I’d ever imagined the fairy tale to be and more. So much better, actually. Nothing in my life had ever felt