Chapter 23
Cecilia didn’t question Hank’s assumption that she’d go home with him. Where else would she go? Her hotel room was wrecked, and the idea of finding another one just left her cold. She didn’t want to be alone; she wanted to be with him. And the minute she stepped into his apartment, she knew this was the place for her.
Zen peace, plants everywhere, and the scent of him clean and strong. His personality and his quiet pervaded everything and that was just what she wanted right then. Well, that plus him with her. Safe, not in a war, and holding her through the night.
Her breath caught at the thought of that, of living here with him. She’d need an office for her work, but his quiet presence would be everywhere and that would fill a well inside her that she hadn’t even known was empty until a couple days ago. Eventually they’d have a nursery for their child, probably at a new place. Somewhere near a park where a little girl could run wild or a boy could jump from trees into his father’s arms.
The image ached in her heart. She wanted it so desperately that her eyes searched out the window for the nearest patch of green. Hank was setting her luggage down next to his bed, but he heard her breath catch. He turned to her, a question in his dark eyes, and she swallowed.
She had to talk to him. She had to tell him the truth about their bonding, but she didn’t want to risk losing him. What if he found out that their bond was fake? That it would disappear in a couple days? Would he wait out the time and then set her free? On paper they had nothing in common, but she couldn’t believe how well she fit with him. When she got intense, he kept her centered. When she was attacked, he kept her safe. When she was afraid, he was there, even in her thoughts. And when magic happened anywhere in her life, it was because he was with her.
What if he took that magic away? What would she do then? Her life before meeting him seemed so empty and dull. She was still fighting her fears when he stepped right in front of her. He entwined his fingers with hers and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“It’s okay, Cecilia. You’re safe here.”
“I know.” He always kept her safe.
“Whatever you have to say, I can take it. It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”
Would they? Together? God, she hoped so.
He pulled her to sit on the bed. It was so tempting to just lay down. She’d sink into the mattress, he’d wrap his arms around her, and she’d have him for a little bit longer. But when she started leaning toward the pillow, he touched her chin.
“We can sleep now. God knows you need it. But will you sleep well? Can you tell me—”
“The poison in the water lasts about two days in the body.”
He stared at her, and no wonder. She’d just blurted out a random fact like it was the end of the world. It was, but he’d need to understand the rest. “This crap they put in the water…it doesn’t just make shifters aggressive. It heightens all their emotions. Anger becomes fury. Joy become ecstasy.” She swallowed and forced the next words out. “Attraction becomes bonding.” She touched his face. “Your connection to me, this deep need…it’s not magic. It’s biochemical. And it’ll go away…” She shrugged. “Pretty soon now, I think. I know you haven’t had any city water since we met, but you drank it before, right? Before you knew about the taint.”
Her words came out very fast. It was the only way she could tell him that he wasn’t in love with her. That what he felt wasn’t real. Because, damn it, whatshefelt was vividly real. She wanted to spend her life in his arms. She wanted to have his babies. And she wanted to sleep beside him every night and wake to his smile every morning.
And why the hell was he just sitting there staring at her when her world was ending?
“Hank?”
He touched a finger to her forehead, spinning it in circles at her temple. “Your brain is working very fast right now, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“You’re thinking all sorts of things.”
She nodded. Of course, she was. She’d just told the love of her life that his feelings weren’t real.
“Cecilia, I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?”
She nodded.
“I haven’t had Detroit water for years. I hate the taste of it in anything. I use bottled water for everything except the shower.” He touched her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “The poison doesn’t go in through the skin, does it?”
“No. You have to drink it, and not just a little bit.”
“I guess I’m in love with you for real then.” He stroked his thumb across her lips, making them plump with a tingling fire. “I love you, Cecilia. It’s not biochemistry. I don’t even think it’s the magic. It’s real love because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“I am?”
He chuckled. “You make me smile.”
She reared back. “That’s it? You’re in love because I make you smile? Why aren’t you married to Comedy Central, then?”
