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“It’s going to be fine,” I whisper. “You aren’t alone. We’re all here for you. There’s no way he’s taking you or Amy anywhere.”
She nods, her throat working as she swallows. “Thanks.” With a breath, she forces another smile and claps her hands. “Okay, I’m all dressed for a fun game night at home. What about you, Ames? You ready to take a bath and get in some cozy P.J.s?”
“No bath,” my niece says, shaking her head so hard her pink sleep cap falls off, revealing her tiny horns. They’re adorable, actually, fitting right into her dark nest of silky curls. It’s such a shame she has to hide them because of other people’s fears about demons. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing inherently “evil” about the demon people; it’s their culture that’s toxic. Selling your own children into slavery in order to gain status and treating human women like shelter dogs who have no choice whether or not they’re “adopted” by a demon man are cultural problems, not genetic ones.
Casey props her hands on her hips. “Yes, bath. You didn’t take one yesterday. And little girls with stinky feet never win at basement bowling. That’s a fact.”
“No, no bath,” Amy says, squirming off Sophie’s lap and dashing into the kitchen with a high-pitched giggle as Casey chases her across the room.
“I’m going to get you Stinky Toes,” Casey says, making Amy laugh harder as she’s captured by her mama and swung in a circle while Casey kisses her belly.
Heart aching, I turn and hurry upstairs, praying I have moments like that one to look forward to with my own daughter. I pray Nightfall will be a safer place for all our children by the time she’s born, and that her father will come around to the idea of spending time in the house with us instead of outside lurking in trees and dark corners…
Hustling into my room, I close the door behind me and open the window, crossing my arms over my chest as an icy breeze blasts in. “Baron,” I hiss, jumping half a foot into the air as he murmurs from the shadows under the eaves, “I’m here.”
“Crap, you scared me,” I say, pressing a hand to my chest. I lean out, frowning as I see him crouched in the darkness below one of Mama Spider’s giant webs. “What are you doing? I thought you were going to check on a book at your place?”
“I was, but I…” He pauses, seeming to consider his words before he adds, “I was concerned for your safety and thought it best to stay close for now.”
“Then why didn’t you come inside?” I ask. “Why the lurking and sneaking?”
“I’m not lurking and sneaking. I’m watching. And waiting.”
I tilt my head to one side and arch a challenging brow. “You can’t watch and wait inside with the rest of us? What are you expecting? An air assault? Because to my knowledge, demons can’t fly.”
His lips thin. “Not all threats come from the outside.”
My stomach flips and my skin goes cold. “Come inside,” I whisper. “Talk to me.” He hesitates and I insist, “Now, Baron. If there’s danger in this house, I need to know about it. And so does Blaire. If her wards aren’t keeping trouble at bay, adjustments need to be made. Fast. For all we know, there are already demons in town, looking for Casey and Amy.”
I step back and he swings inside, moving his giant body with that easy grace that always amazes me a little. And makes me want to touch him, even in moments like this. My body just feels better when it’s close to his body.
So, once I close the windows and the curtains behind him, I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my cheek on his chest as I whisper, “But thank you. For wanting to protect me.”
He gathers me close, pressing a kiss to the top of my head that I feel all the way to the tips of my toes. “Always. You’re on my list, Wonderfully.”
I tip my head back to meet his gaze. “Your list?”
“The list of people I would die for,” he says in a voice so deep it makes his ribs vibrate against mine.
My forehead furrows. “What about people you’d live for? Can I be one of those instead?” I ask, emboldened by the perfect day we spent together and the reminder that life is dangerous and fleeting.
Even when there aren’t demons running around, you never know how much time you’ll have with the people you love. That’s why I try to treasure every moment and never put off until tomorrow something that needs to be said today.
And there’s only one thing that always needs to be said…
“I’m falling in love with you,” I add, my throat squeezing tight as Baron winces, as if the words cause him physical pain. But I don’t back down or pull away. I mold my hands to the thick muscles on his back and correct myself, “No, that’s not true. I’m not falling in love with you. I’m in love with you and have been since that first night at your cabin.” He starts to speak, but I cut him off. “And don’t tell me I don’t know you or that one night isn’t enough or that I’m just smitten because you were my first.”
His jaw drops, and I curse beneath my breath for letting that part slip out.
I lift a hand, my fingers spread wide. “It’s not a big deal. Seriously. I mean, it is a big deal because it never felt right to do more than kiss a man before you. And that’s huge. But I don’t regret it for a second. It was wonderful and perfect, and it wouldn’t have been that way with anyone else. This connection between us is special.”
He shakes his head, looking even more miserable than before. “Goddess, Annie. If I’d known… I would never… I should never have touched you.”
“Stop it. Seriously. Don’t you see how ridiculous you’re being,” I say, my chest aching. “How can you live in a world filled with magical creatures doing magical things and not believe in the most magical thing on the planet? Love can work miracles, Baron. That’s not an opinion; it’s cold hard fact. Scientists have proven that love reduces anxiety and stress and can even strengthen the parts of the brain that control our response to pain. And Blaire and Darcy have proven that fated mates are a real thing.”
“An exceedingly rare thing,” he says, his features a mask I can’t read.
“Okay,” I say, pressing my chest even closer to his. “So maybe we aren’t fated mates. Maybe this is just regular, everyday love. The kind that makes you feel like you have a cozy fire burning in your chest and the whole world seem jam-packed with beauty and hope.” I reach up, cupping his stiff jaw in my hand. “The kind that makes you lurk outside windows and break all your rules.”
