“Perhaps we should slow down,” he suggested.
“Fuck that! If anything, we should hurry this up. You never know when we’ll be interrupted again, or when the world will end.”
He captured her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Even if the world ends, you and I will remain. Hell is in another dimension altogether.”
“But we would need to get there in time, right?”
The amusement-laced affection in his smile reassured her despite all those out for her blood.
Nadia sighed in momentary relief, but the very real fear of being parted from him for good existed. Call it a premonition, but she didn’t have a good feeling about their long-term relationship.
“I sense it, too.” His expression was as solemn as it had been when he told her of Dina and Raz’s fate. Now, she understood his look for what it was—caring too deeply.
“Everything I’ve been taught about religion makes you out to be the bad guy. But I’ve yet to see it, Luc. You’ve only been kind and fair.”
“I was evicted for rebellion. Rebellion doesn’t equate to evil. That’s merely a human spin on it. We are all made up of good and evil, Nadia. All of us. Compassion and a sense of fairness keep people in line. No one can say I’ve not been fair. I give everyone a chance to prove their worth first.”
“One and done? What if I fail your rigid rule?”
“I will always make an exception for you. Always.”
She caressed his jaw, marveling at the sharp angles of his chiseled face. “You really do love me. Why? What makes me different from anyone else? Is it because I’m the triscelene?”
“I cannot say it isn’t, but your uniqueness runs deeper. Your caring for an alley cat, your unending optimism, and your willingness to see the good in others—how easily you befriend people—they’re all traits to be admired.” He kissed her gently. “Yet you’re so much more. You have a keen intelligence and willingness to bend, to learn, to make the lives of others easier if you can.”
“You haven’t known me long enough to see all of those qualities,” she argued.
“I have been able to read your mind from the moment we met. You were uncomfortable on behalf of our lazy barista, and you were willing to sacrifice your desire to share a coffee with me so he wouldn’t be scolded or fired. Am I wrong?”
“No.” Had all that gone through her mind, or was it the feelings he tapped into?
“Both.”
“It’s disturbing when you pluck thoughts from my brain,” she complained.
“You did the same, pet. When I was held captive.”
His lips never moved, yet she’d heard him all the same.
“Did you plant your reply, or did I hear it without trying?” Nadia asked curiously.
“I opened my mind for you to hear me. You’re able to do it effortlessly. The reason you haven’t before was because I keep my thoughts guarded.” He trailed his fingers over her collarbone and down her décolletage, then brushed along the edge of her bra. “But when I was in that blasted cage, all I thought about was you. Perhaps it forged a link.”
“Perhaps.”
“If you wish, and if you’re able, I will teach you how to read the minds of all creatures.”
“I can do that?”
And was it something she wanted? Was it wise to hear what others thought of you?
“I believe it’s highly likely. And yes, want is another matter.” His hand dropped to her belly, and his fingers dipped into the waistband of her panties. He smiled when she gasped. “Speaking of desires, shall we continue?”
“Yes, please.” Her voice was breathy, but held conviction. So what if their first time together was against a wall in a dank catacomb? Anywhere with him was magical.
“Are you sure you don’t want a romantic setting?” he asked.
His consideration melted her heart.
