He kisses the back of my hand. “Then I’ll find another way to save you.”
He strokes my hair and then closes his eyes. I do the same, knowing that sleep will find me fast. I’m too tired to fight it. But it doesn’t stop my brain from torturing me one last time with words that I could swear Nyx speaks into my mind, even though I know it’s not possible,“Always so selfless. Always the martyr. You’d do anything to save others. But who is going to save you, love?”
Chapter 20
Lumi
Lips brush against mine the second my eyes open. As if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like we’re an old married couple kissing good morning to one another.
“Morning, Lumi, don’t overthink,” Ambrose says gently.
“Morning,” I mutter back, my lips still tingling from where he kissed me.
“I love listening to you sleep. And getting the tiniest glimpses into your dreams. They say that mates can walk in each other’s dreams together. Maybe we’ll be connected enough to do that soon. What did you dream about last night?”
My eyes widen as I stare at him. He’s not the least bit phased by what happened last night. Not upset that I stopped things. That I probably gave him the worst case of blue balls. And not only that, he’s acting like we are closer than ever.
“Um…” I rattle my head, still spinning with haziness about what I dreamed about.
Dark shadows, icy cold breath, the piercing pain of fangs sinking into my flesh, while never feeling safer than in his arms. I dreamed about him. Not you.
But I don’t tell Ambrose that.
I blink. “I’m not really sure. Just that it was pleasant.”
“Good, I dreamed about you.”
I force a smile, but when he smiles at me, it’s genuine. He should be so easy to fall in love with. He’s good to me. Kind. Sweet. Caring.
He took ownership and fixed his fuckup. And all he wants is what’s best for me. He’s not even jealous that I still have feelings for a man who has moved on to the true love of his life. And he knows that to break the curse, he’ll have to get me to fall in love with him again, all while I get him to hate me. He’s the real martyr.
I start to move and feel the covers shift. Ambrose’s eyes travel over the silky lace of the light blue nightgown I’m wearing with longing heat in his eyes. As I move to get out of bed, he takes my hand in his and kisses my palm.
Tingles once again trail over my skin, and my body instantly reacts despite my own feelings. Like I can’t control my body’s response to his touch, it reacts anyway.
I frown.
“What’s wrong?”
I study him a second. Then another. “It’s your magic, right? That’s what I’m feeling?”
He takes a second, like he doesn’t want to respond. Then nods. “Do you not want me to use magic to make you feel good?”
“No, it’s fine. I just needed to understand.” Before I can take another step, I hear a loud knock on the door.
“Lumi, you still alive in there?” Kael asks.
I rush to the door and throw it open. “I’m good,” I say with a smile.
He looks me over, takes one whiff of me, and then a knowing smile lifts on his own lips.
“Thank gods, now come on, Riven made breakfast,” Kael says, slinging his arm over my shoulder. He looks back playfullyat Ambrose to see his reaction to him touching me, and from his laughter, I can tell that it must have bothered Ambrose.
I, on the other hand, am not in the mood for explaining what happened last night. Let Kael think what he thinks. I let him lead me downstairs, my mind whirling and my stomach growling for food.
“Here, have my plate, Lumi. I can hear that stomach growling from across the house. I don’t know what you and Ambrose got up to last night, but it’s left you starving,” Brax says, shoving a plate of food in my hands.
I don’t protest. I take the food. I need the food.