eyes and saw that it was, but that it was a big deal for her. She truly did like jewellery. She looked bewitched by the ring as her glowing eyes fell to it again.
“It is yours, even if you only wear it when you’re not working so you won’t be in danger of destroying it.” He wanted to groan when she flicked him a heated look, one that said her phoenix fire didn’t only try to manifest when she was in the middle of a fight. He offered the ring to her, hoping to keep them both on topic and out of bed, because they really did need to get back to the vampire’s bastion.
She sighed at it and then at him. “You really want me to have it?”
He nodded. “With all my heart. It has been in my family for generations, and in my possession for centuries. It’s the only thing I have left of my family.”
She cast another look at it, this one far more assessing, a hard edge to it.
He knew what she was thinking. “She would have worn it, but I feel you are the one it was always intended for. It belongs on your finger, Mackenzie. You’re my ki’ara. My mate. My heart. The only female in this world I want and the only one I will ever need.”
Her eyes misted and the feelings he could detect in her were as deep as the ones that filled his soul, so he let her off for casually shrugging and affecting a very blasé air, trying to cover how much the ring and his words meant to her.
“I guess I could wear it from time to time. Since you asked nicely.” She was quick to make a grab for it, snatched it from his fingers and brought it close to her face, staring at it as if she were under a spell.
He made a mental note that she really liked shiny, pretty things. She would have the finest jewellery, whatever her heart desired, and he wouldn’t complain if she wanted to strut around his quarters wearing nothing but her jewels.
She gave the ring a pained look and mumbled, “I want to wear it, but I’m afraid I’ll melt it.”
When she pouted, he took the box from her, slipped the ring from the velvet and took hold of her left hand. He slipped the ring onto her middle finger and, gods, it fitted perfectly. It really had been made for her.
Just as he had been.
Her brow furrowed as she gazed at the ring, admiring it, her feelings running through him and telling him how much she loved it and how touched she was that he had given it to her. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to it, and she nudged him out of the way with her other hand.
“I can’t see it.” She smiled wickedly when he mock-frowned at her. She sighed and canted her head. “Just let me stare at it a little longer and then put it away.”
A little longer was close to what had to be fifteen minutes. Eventually, she blinked and snapped herself out of her trance, and huffed as she removed the ring and offered it to him.
“Keep it safe. If you lose it, I’ll kill you.” She scowled at him and her emotions said she was serious.
He placed the ring back in the wooden box. “I haven’t lost it in over two thousand years, I’m not going to lose it now.”
Her eyes widened. “We going to talk about the fact you just admitted to being really old?”
“No.” He took her hand and sent the ring away, back to the safe where he kept it with his other prized possessions. He tugged her to him and kissed her, hoping to distract her and stop her from asking how old he was. When he was sure she wouldn’t mention his age, he drew back and gazed down at her. “Ready?”
“Ready,” she breathed against his lips, pressed her curves to his and threatened to have him forgetting the meeting they had left hours ago, one that was important.
His instincts growled that only Mackenzie was important.
The sensible part of him pointed out that was the reason they had to return. Mackenzie was important, only his role in life extended beyond pleasuring and satisfying her. It involved protecting her too. He had to deal with the witch, removing that danger from her life.
The darkness purred in response to that, thoughts of dealing with the