Time for my own nerve-racking question. “Can you accept everything I told you? That I’ve regressed, I mean?”
“Strangely, yes. I’m just as surprised as you about that. You know I’ve always been fascinated by regression and past lives, and all of my research agrees with what you’ve said, how you’re acting. It’s very clear you’re not lying to me. Even if I didn’t know so much about the topic, I would believe you, because somuchof your behavior, and what you know, finally makes sense.”
My nerves washed away like they’d never been.
“I’d apparently be a horrible spy.” I huffed, rolling my eyes. “I couldn’t keep track of what I’d been told in the first life and whatI should know in this one. I tried. I want it on the record that Ididtry.”
“Uh-huh. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but you’re really bad at it. You knowing which authors were in my library completely destroyed your facade.”
“A fact I now realize. Oops? I can’t honestly regret it, not if it led to this.” Not ever would I regret it.
“There’re parts I’m still struggling with,” Edwin said. “Mostly the fact you were crazy enough to negotiate with angels.”
I shrugged. It hadn’t seemed crazy to me. Edwin huffed exasperatedly.
“James, answer me this time. Am I your other Task?”
“Well, yes. You can see how I couldn’t tell you the first time we talked about it.”
He snorted. “No, it wouldn’t have gone down well. I had a hard time wrapping my head around what youdidtell me. I’m glad you chose to divulge your story in more digestible chunks. Second question. From the way you’ve acted since day one, you have no intention of being quiet about our relationship, do you?”
“Not one whit,” I confirmed with a brilliant smile. “You are mine. The world will know this.”
“I figured.” Edwin hesitated. “James, do you not have any intention of taking the throne?”
“None whatsoever.”
“But don’t you rather need to in order to do all the things necessary to attain Paradise again?”
I shook my head, fighting down the urge to tense. “It doesn’t matter what title I wear. What matters is the work getting done. I was told point-blank I attained Paradise because I saved this country from ruin, and the millions of lives here. I can do it again as a prince and not a king. This time, too, I’ll make sure you’re lead on several of the projects that save lives. Then you can take full credit for the work and come with me to Paradise.”
“Wait,what?” Edwin blurted out.
“You heard me.”
Seeing the gobsmacked look on Edwin’s face, I felt the need to defend myself. “I’m not going without you. No one told me what Task you were supposed to do in this life, but if you’re responsible for saving millions of people, I’m sure you’ll get into Paradise too.”
“And if not, you’ll negotiate it?”
I leaned in and kissed his nose. “It’s fine, I’m sure it won’t come to that. If nothing else, I don’t think keeping you with me will hurt.”
His nose scrunched, his expression one I’d call pouting on anyone else. “Well, hard to argue with you. There’s a lot of fine details I’m missing right now, and I want to go over everything again.”
“That’s fine, I expected it.” I ran a hand through his hair, smiling at him. My Edwin was too adorable for his own good.
I leaned in to kiss him, helpless to resist the urge with him right in front of me. He kissed me back, all while tugging me in closer, the solid heat of him pressed close.
“James,” he murmured, his mouth trailing over my cheek and down. “I need you again.”
“Then by all means,” I purred against his ear, “take me.”
Thirty-one
James
We got averylate start the next morning, having spent the majority of the night until the wee hours making love. Turned out Edwin was insatiable in bed, and I was too weak to resist him. No complaints from me.
Most of the tension that had lived in me was gone now that I hid no secrets from Edwin. Truly, hiding secrets had put me in a wildly uncomfortable position, and I never wanted to do it again. I was also far, far happier than I’d been in nearly a decade. I finally had my Edwin. When I’d woken up this morning, I’d said an immediate prayer of thanks to Vuheia and gotten a warm, motherly laugh back with a whisperedYou’re welcome. Truly, my goddess had come through for me.
