Marcella rested her forehead against his, her fingers still in his hair. "For being you. For making me feel like I'm not alone for the first time in my life. For just understanding how this is a part of me."
"A part ofus," Cosimo stressed. "Once we find the grimoires, I will need another project almost immediately, or I'll drive myself crazy. I was going to teach you about magic, but alas, you have rejected me."
"Cosimo, my entire life's work is on that wall behind me. Everything that I have ever been obsessed over," Marcella said, holding his face in her hands. "But what am I looking at in this room?You. I can't focus on anything but you when we are together. That is why you can't be my teacher."
"I can't help but feel flattered by that," Cosimo admitted, his dragon side preening like a rooster. "I am still going to need a new project."
"You don't want to study all the Medici's magic in the grimoire with me? I might even let your name be on any research papers I decide to publish," she teased, her dark eyes shining. "Your name won't be the first one listed, though."
"Ccomes beforeM," he argued.
"IfCwants to come at all,Mwill be first on research papers," she countered.
Cosimo laughed loudly. "Wicked witch."
"You knew what I was when you fell in love with me." Marcella rested her head on his chest, snuggled into him, and let out a soft yawn.
"Sleep with me tonight," Cosimo begged, brushing his nose against her hair.
"I'm too tired for sex, you insatiable dragon," she replied with a soft chuckle.
"I said sleep. Not sex. I will feel better having you close. It's a dragon territorial thing," he said, choosing to use her words. It wasn't just his dragon. Cosimo was the most relaxed he had been all night, just because she was there.
"Okay," Marcella replied sleepily. "But if your kids complain, I will blame you."
"They are adults. They won't care if we sleep together,tesoro. They will think it's weirder if we don't." Cosimo didn't let her have a chance to change her mind on the matter. He put down his glass and carried her into the bedroom.
"I like these," she said, brushing her hand over the velvet curtains.
"They are new," he replied, placing her on the right side, which he knew she favored, before closing the curtains. He got in beside her and shut them into darkness. Marcella wriggled back against him until he was spooned around her. Cosimo kissed the back of her neck and was asleep before he finished murmuring goodnight.
41
Despite the desire to find the grimoires, Marcella and Cosimo didn't hurry to get out of bed in the morning. She found that morning sex with Cosimo Greatdrakes was almost as good as a double espresso and was still smirking when they finally made it to the library.
As they were about to open the doors, Bridget crashed through them, her eyes and hair wild.
"Good! You're finally awake! I think I figured something out," she declared, waving a handful of printouts at them.
"Did you sleep at all?" Cosimo asked, a touch disapprovingly.
"No, she didn't." Bas stood at the end of a set of shelves, frowning at his mate. It was the first time Marcella had seen him looking remotely upset. "I tried to get her to eat something just now."
Bridget made an erratic gesture with her hands. "I didn't need to sleep or eat. I was working. Come with me. Look."
She grabbed Marcella by the arm and led her through the library to where they had been working. Around the floor were scattered more pages in an order that Marcella could only guess at.
Marcella patted Bridget on the back. "You have been very busy. You want to explain what this is about?" she asked patiently.
The young woman was in a state as she sat back on the floor and started moving pages about.
"Okay, so we are all fixating on Da Vinci, right?" Bridget began, pushing a portrait of the artist on the floor directly in front of her. "I decided to start from scratch with mapping him out, his involvement with the Sforzas and the Medicis over his career."
Cosimo opened his mouth to ask something, but Marcella subtly shook her head at him. Bridget was onto something, and getting interrupted would no doubt throw her off.
Cosimo nodded and whispered something to Bas instead, and the two men stepped out and left them to it.
Bridget didn't notice them go. She started laying out pictures of war machines, cannons, inventions, and artworks.
