Tabitha had laughed too when he said it and the memory of his kindness still warmed her.
She gave her sister a sincere stare. "Don't you think I know that I don't belong with this man? I really, really don't. To me fine dining is slurping down oysters and drinking beer out of a bottle. To him it's a fifteen-course meal where people actually put the napkin in your lap for you and reset the silverware between every course."
"And yet you're still here."
"And I don't understand why."
Amanda smiled gently. "All I ever wanted was a nice, normal life with a nice, normal man. Instead, I end up with a husband who used to be immortal who has friends that are gods, demons, and animals that can take human form. And I don't even know how to begin to classify Nick. Let's face it, I'm married to a man who gave me a daughter who is able to talk to animals like Doctor Dolittle and who can use her thoughts to move just about anything in the house. And you know what?"
"What?"
"I wouldn't trade it for all the normality in the world. Love isn't easy. Anyone who says differently is lying to you. But it is worth fighting for. Believe me, I know, and that's why I'm here. I want to meet this man and see if there's any way I can soothe over Kyrian enough to where he can at least say Valerius's name without rupturing a vein."
Tears blurred her vision as Tabitha pulled her sister into another hug. "I love you, Amanda, I really do."
"I know. I'm the perfect twin."
Tabitha laughed at that. "And I'm the psychotic one." Stepping back, she took Amanda's hand and led her into the house.
Amanda gave a low whistle as she came inside and looked around the elegant interior. "Very nice place."
Otto stepped into the foyer to shake his head at them. "Kyrian will stroke if he ever finds out you were here."
"And you'll be limping if you enlighten him," Tabitha said.
"Don't worry. He won't hear it from me. I'm not that stupid." Otto headed for the door. "I'm off to meet up with Kyr and Nick. We're going to get together tonight and do some patrolling of our own and see if we can run some of these bastards to ground."
Tabitha nodded. "You guys be careful."
"You, too." He inclined his head to them, then left.
"Why don't you wait in the library?" Tabitha said. "I'll go see if he's up yet."
Amanda nodded.
Tabitha sprinted up the stairs and headed to Valerius's room to find him still asleep in his bed.
She lifted the silk sheet up so that she could nip his hip with her teeth.
He made a sound of pleasure before he rolled over onto his back.
Tabitha's breath caught in her throat at the sight of his nude body. She could stare at this man all day or night long.
She particularly loved the area of his body where short crisp hairs ran from his navel to his groin. Unable to stand the temptation, she bent over him and nibbled the little hairs there.
His cock hardened. He placed his hand gently on her head. "You certainly know how to wake a man up happily, don't you?"
She laughed at that before she lightly nipped his skin, then pulled away. "I need for you to get up."
"I am up," he said, glancing down to the part of his body that was standing at full attention.
"Not that," she said, rolling her eyes. "My sister is downstairs and she wants to meet you."
"Which sister?"
She gave him a meaningful look.
His face went ashen. "I can't meet her?