He could. But I had no idea how to make that happen.
“Well, I’m happy right now with you.”
“But—”
I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. His breath warmed my skin.
“No more excuses for why we can’t be together. We’ve tried all the other things, and none of them has worked. So, I’m going to be with you. I don’t know what the full moon will bring. But if I end up not knowing who I am, I’m at least going to be me while I can. And I feel more like myself when I’m with you, and I know you feel the same way.”
His eyes burned into mine, torn and desperate.
“Jupiter help me, I do.”
He pulled me flush against him, his chest hard and warm beneath my palms. For a heartbeat, he just stared at me, his breath uneven, his eyes playing between caution and hunger.
The world seemed to hold its breath with him.
Then his thumb brushed my jaw, tilting my face up, and his lips hovered—so close I could taste the promise of him.
When he finally kissed me, it wasn’t gentle. It was hungry, desperate, like he’d been holding back for centuries. His mouth claimed mine, heat flooding through me, my heart flickering against its cage as if it wanted to break free.
I melted into him, fingers curling into his hair, his arms tightening around me until there was no space left, no air, no doubt.
When he pulled back, just barely, his forehead rested against mine. Our breaths mingled, shaky and perfectly.
“Demi,” he whispered, as if my name itself were sacred to him. His breath brushed my lips tenderly. “I love you.”
Tears slipped free, and I let them. For tonight, that was all that mattered. His arms tightened around me, steady and unyielding, as if he could hold me together when my very existence was threatening to fall apart.
And maybe—just maybe—in the coming days, those beautiful words would be enough to unlock my heart.
Chapter XL
Demi
Themorninglightbarelyfiltered in through the closed blinds. I stared at Roman while he slept, wrapped in his arms, trying to memorize him. His lush eyelashes, his perfectly sculpted beard framing his chiseled cheeks. The way his lips curved, almost smiling, as he breathed in a steady rhythm.
The last two nights, I hadn’t been able to bear leaving him and Junie. We’d fall asleep in a tangled heap while watching all my old favorite movies late into every night.
I just wanted to hold on to myself while I could. And Roman and Junie were part of that now. A part of me that I’d just discovered—or maybe “remembered” was a better word.
Tomorrow was it for me unless Roman finally recognized me for who I was. I’d tried everything I could think of short of just telling him the truth. I wanted to, but I feared that would destroy any chance we had. So, I just tried to show him how much he meant to me. I put all of me I could into every kiss and every touch, using them to say the things I couldn’t say.
There had been a few times I’d sworn that he, his human side was close, so close, to breaking through to my heart.
Roman must have said he loved me at least a hundred times, like he thought if he said it enough, it wouldbreak the spell I’d cast on my heart. And maybe it hadn’t worked the magic he wanted, but hearing the words was still magical to me.
Roman’s eyes fluttered open, and he pulled me closer, careful not to stir Junie, who was draped across us like a sleepy guardian.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
He brushed his lips against mine but refused to say the morning was good. To him, it only meant we were one day closer to the full moon. One day closer to possibly losing each other forever.
I pressed my mouth to his, willing his soul to recognize mine. The connection was there—stronger than ever—but it still wasn’t enough.
“I want to stay with you here, all day,” he murmured against my lips. “But I have early meetings.”
“I’ll be here when you get back tonight. Junie and I thought it would be fun to camp in the backyard.” I forced my voice to stay light, hiding the emotion that threatened to bleed through. I didn’t want what might be our last day together to be anything but happiness.
