He sent me a soft smile, released one of my hands, and ran a finger down my cheek, making me suck in a gasp. “Okay.” He regrabbed my hand and took a breath. “Oakley, you’re… you’re…” He bit his lip, staring me straight in the eye. “You’re my viramore.”
I blinked at him. Then blinked some more, staring into his blue eyes, trying to gauge whether he was telling the truth or just messing with me—which would’ve been super cruel and totally unlike him. But everything about his face, his eyes, the flat line of his mouth, the way he was sweating with nerves, the way he smelled of nervousness, anxiety, and… a little dash of hope, all of it told me he was telling the truth.
Or at least telling me what he believed was the truth.
His viramore?
Roman thought I was his viramore?
I swallowed thickly as I thought about all the things I’d been pushing off as indigestion, coincidence, or the result of my little crush. All the fluttering belly swoops, the tingles every time he touched me, and the ache I felt when he left. I thought about all of it with new eyes.
Were all of those things more than I’d thought they were?
Could it be true?
Could Roman be my viramore?
Holy crapola. My viramore?
Roman thought he was my viramore?
Holy shitballs.
Roman thought I was his viramore.
Was I?
Could I be?
I stared into his blue eyes that were filled with so much knowledge—Mother of Scales, he was old—and I got lost in them for a few seconds. They were just so… pretty, and they came in a super handsome face. A kind face. A face that cared a lot about me.
A face that was all I could think about when we were apart.
The one I dreamed about every night.
The one I thought about kissing—and licking—every time my mind wandered.
The face of the man I’d begun to trust more than anyone else.
I sucked in a breath. “You’re my viramore?”
He sat up straighter and nodded. “Yes.”
“Are… are…” I cleared my throat. “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not just… I dunno, playing a prank on me?” I didn’t think he would do that, but if he’d realized I had a crush, maybe he… no. No, he wouldn’t do that to me. Not to anyone.
He gripped my hands tighter and leaned in. “I know we argue sometimes, but do you really think this is something I would ever joke about?”
“No. Of course not.”
“You’re my viramore, Oak. I… I realized it a few months ago, and I just… I didn’t know how to bring it up. Are you… have you… felt anything?”
