He smiles. “Now we get in the bathtub and clean you off, and then I’ll make you something to eat.”
“No, I mean…” Fuck, I can’t fathom not sharing openly with him, not after what we just experienced together. “I don’t think I can go back to my life after you, Connor,” I say softly. “I’m trying to picture what happens next. Do I go back to my apartment in the Bronx? When we leave here, we’ll have to go our separate ways, at least for a while.”
“Why?” he rumbles.
“Because we’ve known each other for less than a month. Because I have a home and a career and so do you. Because it’s not like we’re married.”
“What were you going to do before?” He runs his fingers through the water, not looking at me.
He means what did I plan to do if I married Roman. “Well, I had plans to let my lease lapse.”
“Then do that. Let the place go. Move into my Manhattan apartment with me.”
“But…”
“Marry me. If you want to be married the human way, we’ll do it.”
I think about it, how crazy it all sounds, how anyone might cringe at how fast I’ve moved with Connor. How I don’t give a damn.
“Okay,” I say softly, offering him an intimate smile.
“Okay what?”
“Okay, I’ll marry you and move in with you.” I laugh at the absurdity. Oddly, I have no qualms about this plan.
His mouth spreads into a smile that takes over his entire face. “Problem solved.”
“Wow.” I stare at him for a second, taking him in. “Ididn’t know how the mating sickness was weighing on you. When you smile now, it’s like...”
“I’m not in pain anymore.” Slowly he sinks into the warm water, then helps me in and settles me against his chest, tucking my head under his chin. The silky feel of the water, the heat, his skin, all feel like a balm for what’s been broken in me the past year.
I close my eyes. “Neither am I. It’s so strange. All of this feels like the most natural thing in the world. Shouldn’t I be more worried about taking this step? I’m beginning to think your dick is magic and you’ve fucked all my apprehensions out of me.”
He barks a laugh I feel against my cheek. “Well, my dick is magic, but I think what you’re feeling is our mating bond. Don’t be surprised if you experience other changes.”
“Like what?”
“Difficulty being apart, especially during my alignment. Extreme jealousy if you see me with another woman?—”
“Why would you be with another woman?” I ask, suddenly feeling a wave of that jealousy.
He laughs. “I do run a restaurant.”
“I’m a fan of an all-male waitstaff.”
“You won’t say that once you meet Carmen. You’re going to love her.”
I turn my face to kiss along his neck, feeling more alive than I’ve ever felt before, and in that perfect moment thinking about nothing else.
Chapter Twenty-Four
CONNOR
Once I finally get Fiona dried off and back in my bed, I curl around her, exhausted. There’s nothing I’d enjoy more than celebrating our mating all night long, but it’s been weeks since I had a full night’s sleep due to the mating sickness. Tomorrow will be better. Now that I’ve claimed Fiona as my mate, I’ll never have to suffer the effects of mating sickness again. My mind immediately jumps to the Oracle. I’ll have to ask her to bless our union so that I can bring Fiona to Cardinal Island.
I frown. I angered the Oracle when I took Fiona. I pray to the creator that when she sees how this has all worked out, she’ll forgive me. Mason’s ascension is next week. I’ll see her then and plead my case.
“There’s something I don’t understand,” Fiona says.
