Ivor scooted closer and slowly pressed their lips together. “I like waking up with you,” he whispered.
“I can stay awhile.” Rowan leaned back to gauge Ivor’s expression at his offer. “I don’t have a job or even really a home to go back to. I could maybe afford a small vacation, stick around a few more days.”
“A few more days is not going to be enough.” Ivor propped his head up on one hand, his hair still draping his face. “What will you do?”
“Start applying at other restaurants, but my town is really small, so there won’t be a lot of options. Luckily, most know that I was behind the popular desserts, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
Ivor smoothed his hair back over his shoulder, still studying Rowan. “What if you applied to restaurants here in Seattle?”
Rowan’s belly flipped at the thought of Ivor wanting him around permanently. He suddenly needed to know if the incubus was feeling even part of what Rowan was already feeling for him. “Are you asking me to move here? For you?”
“I am.” Ivor touched his face, then traced his thumb over Rowan’s bottom lip. “Rowan, I’m in love with you. If you decide to move back to Canon Beach, I will follow—if that’s what you want.”
Rowan sat up to stare at Ivor. “You’d leave this job you love? Your best friends and all those colleagues you obviously care about?”
Ivor sat up and shifted to face him. “I would. But I do think you’d have better opportunities to shine here in the city. Is working at a restaurant what you truly want?”
“I’d actually prefer to have my own bakery, to tell you the truth.”
“Then that’s what you should do. You should follow your dreams.”
It hit him—what Ivor had said—and his heart swelled in his chest as he stared at Ivor. “Wait, you love me?Love melove me? Really?”
Ivor grinned. “Yes, Ilove youlove you.”
“I didn’t expect for you to feel the way I do, so it didn’t sink in at first.”
“Are you saying you feel the same?”
“Oh my god, yes! It’s crazy, I know. To fall so hard for someone in less than two weeks, but I felt something the very first time I saw you, and it’s just gotten stronger and stronger. And it’s not just that the sex is… Well, it’s phenomenal.”
“Ooh, I like that word.”
“I fell for you before we even first kissed. The way we can talk, and it feels like we’ve known each other for years. The way you set everything else aside to protect me. I know we still don’t know each other well, but I’d like more time to change that.” He knew he was rambling, but the giddiness over Ivor’s words and feelings had him nearly shaking with excitement. “I could move here. I mean, not into your place obviously because that would be crazy, but if I find a job, I could maybe afford something. I’m sure it’s expensive here, though.” He chewed his lip. “Oh, maybe I could find a room to rent!”
“Rowan,” Ivor said softly as he shifted until his back was to the headboard, then reached out to pull Rowan over to straddle his lap. “It would not be crazy if you stayed here with me. I meant it when I said I love you.” He cupped Rowan’s face. “There’s more to this. So much more.”
“Like what?” Rowan whispered.
“You aren’t drained of energy when we make love.”
“I know, I told you I wasn’t. Even after last night, I was fine.” He winked. “You did check me over to make sure—which I thoroughly liked, by the way.”
“For preternaturals like me, that means something very important. It means you’re my soulmate. Do you know what a soulmate is?”
“I know what I’ve read in my books about them. Two beings who fate deemed perfect for each other. You’re saying that’s what I am?”
Ivor nodded. “I suspected right away because my reaction to you was so strong and over the last couple of weeks, I’ve grownmore and more sure of it. Having sex with you made me know for certain.” He took Rowan’s hand and placed it on his chest. “I can feel your emotions inside me. I’ve never done that with anyone else.”
“I feel that, too. I thought it was just my overactive imagination.”
“While I love that imagination of yours and really do want to hear about some of these fantasies you have, that’s not what it is. We’ve bonded, and Xavier can perform a ceremony that ties us together for life. Rowan, you’ll live as long as I do.”
Wonder made him hold his breath. The thought of having so long to be with Ivor filled him with awe. “That’s wild.”
“It means we will have all the time in the world to get to know each other better. I’d truly love it if you spent that time here with me.”
“You want me to move in here so soon?”
