Isa looked down, uncertain how to accept his adoration. Old feelings welled up inside her, fears of being looked at but not truly seen.
“Not that I cared. Seriously.” His fingertips brushed her cheek in a way that was almost reverent. “I fell in love withyouwhen I could not even see you.” His hand slipped down behind her neck and moved closer. “To be completely honest, I can’t even fully see you now since it’s still dark.”
She closed her eyes as his other hand looped behind her neck, his thumbs tracing the bottom line of her jaw. His gentle touch helped to dissipate the tension of her past emotion. She felt treasured by him in a way warmed her from the inside out, bubbling up feelings that she had only ever dreamed of experiencing.
“Do you remember what we dreamed?” he asked.
She smiled at that, opening her eyes to look into his. “Yes, something about fiery eyes and disagreements.”
“I want to add an item to that list.”
“What item would that be?”
His face was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath, reminding her that he was very much alive. “It would be easier to show you rather than tell you.”
“Show me then,” she whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders to stabilize herself as she stood up on tiptoe.
He closed the distance between them, dropping his lips to meet hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him, responding to his kiss.
He shifted his head back, breaking their contact. “How do you feel about this addition to the list?” he asked.
She tilted her head to the side. “I’m not sure yet. I’d have to think about it. Maybe we should do it again to help me decide.”
He growled, deep in his throat, as his hands left her neck and dropped to her waist. Holding her tightly, he kissed her again.
With a smile at his possessive response, she brought her hands to his face, holding him in place and willing him never to leave.
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs startled them, and they quickly jumped apart as the door inside the tower room opened. A breathless Blanca stepped into the room, holding the lantern at waist height.
“Milady,” she said, “did you find—” Her words stopped abruptly as she watched the strange young man follow Isa through the tower window.
“Yes,” Isa replied. “I did!”
As they explained what had happened to the surprised woman, Isa took advantage of the lantern light to study his face. His hair was quite dark, falling almost to his shoulders. His eyes were brown, flecked with gold instead of yellow. And his eyebrows—thick, dark, and just a touch unruly—reminded her of the beast.
Blanca burst into tears at their explanation, and Isa moved forward instinctively to comfort her. But before she could reach the old woman, Aden had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
“Come, come,” she said, standing back and drying her eyes. “We must tell Luca before he falls off the roof in search of you.”
“Now that I’ve seen your face in the lamplight,” Aden whispered to Isa as they followed Blanca down the stairs, “I’ve decided that your eyes are even more fiery than I had imagined.”
“Are you sure you weren’t just seeing the actual flame of the lantern reflected in them?” Isa teased, even though her heart fluttered at his compliment.
“Oh,” he replied. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll just have to stare at them all day tomorrow in the daylight to make an informed opinion, then.”
Chapter 32
Isa found herself staring shyly at the handsome young man sitting next to her during the morning meal.
She knew he was the same, but his transformation had been so dramatic. He felt like a stranger. She wanted time to get to know this new person, same though he was.
“Has anyone seen Warrior?” Aden asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Isa shook her head. His human eyebrows were as dark and bushy as his beastly eyebrows had been. The sameness of them comforted her, reminding her that he truly was the same person. His dark black hair fell to his shoulders in a tumbled mess.
He had worn his hair tied back at the ball, but Isa found that she preferred it loose, as it was now.
