Promise

'Hmm?'

I almost didn't ask…it would be embarrassing if he didn't feel it, too.

'Um, do you still feel that electric current between us? It seemed like you did before, when we first got together, you know….'

He chuckled. 'Definitely.'

'Do you know what it is? I mean, is that part of…you? Who you are?'

He didn't answer at first, seeming to be thinking about it. 'I honestly am not sure. I think it's part of who we are…but I haven't figured that one out yet. But I like it.'

'Yeah, me, too,' I said with a grin. 'Are you glad it's all out now? I mean all the secrets? Because I am. I like being able to finally talk about it.'

'Now I know you love me, yes, I am. I knew it had to happen and part of me couldn't wait to tell you everything. Do you remember when you threw the dart at me?'

I giggled. 'How could I forget? I was mortified!'

'I saw it coming as soon as you let go. I could have plucked the dart right out of the air before it got close.' He snapped his fingers in the air as if grabbing an invisible dart.

'Why didn't you? I was so humiliated!'

He chuckled. 'You were adorable. And that's why I didn't. I decided in that moment your reaction to super- human reflexes could be worse than to my ability to heal, since you can do that, too. So I made the safe choice. But you didn't even notice.'

'I did notice the hole in your skin was pretty tiny, but I didn't know what would've been normal. I generally don't throw darts at people.'

'Just me, huh?'

'Yeah, you're special.' I giggled again, giddy from exhaustion. 'But you didn't say anything about healing then.'

'No, I let it go. I decided it was too soon. And I haven't said anything since then because I've been afraid I'd lose you forever and I didn't know if I could handle that.'

It was ironic how I'd been feeling the same way and my secrets were nothing compared to his. I realized how difficult it must have been for him, not just tonight, but since the day we met.

'I love you, Tristan,' I whispered.

'I love you, too, ma lykita ,' he murmured into my ear. He kissed my hair and I felt myself relax into him and let sleep take over.

Chapter 13

The next month blew through like a fast-moving hurricane, with school, helping Mom at the bookstore, finals, the holidays and Tristan swirling around me. I hardly had time to take care of necessities, like sleep, let alone write between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I didn't even feel the void in my life as the manuscript waited patiently on my computer. There was too much going on and my brain was too full to think about that whole other fictional world.

It felt like a strangely normal life, putting aside all the peculiar things. Sometimes, especially when I was alone in bed at night, I'd think about what Mom and Tristan had told me. Questions floated lazily in my head just before I'd crash from exhaustion. I usually forgot them by the time I had the chance to ask. Mom shut me down on the few I did ask her—they weren't relevant enough for her to give me answers. Tristan was more open, as long as they were about him, but not about his horrible past and definitely not about the Daemoni. Because of his willingness to tell me so much, I opened up to him, too. We started building a real relationship.

On the Sunday before Christmas, finals out of the way and only the holidays to worry about now, Tristan and I went for a ride on the Harley to Gasparilla Island. We hadn't been there since that one extraordinary weekend that now felt like a lifetime ago. It wasn't quite the same as I remembered—like anything you hold in your memory as a special treasure, built up over time and looked forward to with great anticipation, it's never quite as special as the first time. But it was still a favorite place. The air was cooler than it had been in October and the breeze stronger. We didn't dare kick off our shoes and walk on the cold, wet sand. So when we stopped to enjoy the view, we watched from our perch on the bike, my body leaned against the back rest and Tristan's against mine, my chin resting on his shoulder.

'So, I was thinking…,' he started to say as we gazed over the beach.

'Uh-oh,' I teased. 'That can be dangerous, you know.'

'Hmm…I'll try not to hurt myself.'

I smiled at the thought of this genius hurting himself because he was thinking too hard and skimmed my lips across his cheek.

'You're trying to distract me,' he murmured.

'Maybe.'

'Seriously…I've been thinking about what to get you for Christmas.'

'Ah. It's less than a week away, you know. You should have started thinking a long time ago.'

'I did, as soon as I realized you and Sophia celebrate Christmas. I think I have the perfect gift, but I want to know what you want, just to be sure.'

'I have what I want right here.' I ran my lips over his cheek again.

'Hmph. I'd like to give you something you can keep with you to remind you of me when I'm not around.'

'Like I can ever forget you.' I kissed his ear and he sighed. 'Well, before you do hurt yourself over this, I need to tell you the house rules. We only give gifts to each other that have significant meaning. So they can only be something we, ourselves, love dearly and are willing to give to the other, or something we've created with thought and love. Does that make it easier?'

'Hmm…then, yes, it's perfect.' He relaxed. 'Any other rules I need to know about?'

I told him the traditions Mom started when I was young.

'Huh. That's interesting. I thought Christmas was about Santa Claus and presents and watching football on TV.'

I chuckled. 'Not the way we do it. So, you game?'

'Definitely. It sounds…fun.'

I kissed his cheek again and then brushed my lips down along his jaw line and back up to his ear.

'Thank you for today,' I whispered. 'I needed it.'

'It's not nearly over. I'm taking you someplace special for dinner.'

'Oh,' I said, stiffening. 'I should get home to change then.'

'No, not necessary. You're fine…well, maybe overdressed.' He smiled.

I furrowed my brows. I wore a long-sleeve cotton shirt and jeans. How special can this place be? When we returned to the Cape, he didn't take me home. We traveled on unfamiliar streets lined with royal palms and obnoxiously huge houses with canals in their backyards. I hadn't been in this part of town, so I had no idea where we headed. We came to the end of one of these streets and I knew the beach and the Gulf spread beyond the other side of the foliage lining the dead-end. He pulled into a wide, private driveway leading to a large, concrete- and-glass structure overlooking the water.

'This looks fancy. You said I was over dressed,' I whispered when he cut the engine to the bike.

He chuckled. 'This is my house, silly.'

My mouth dropped. He'd never brought me to his house; we'd never had any reason to come here. I'd imagined he lived in a small, bachelor-pad type of place…like where a twenty-year-old college kid would sleep and shower because he was never home for anything else anyway.

The entire lower level appeared to be nothing but garage from the outside, with four full-size overhead doors. Tristan poked some buttons on a keypad by one of the doors. The door opened as he came back to the bike and started it up. We pulled into the garage and parked next to the crotch-rocket.

'Holy crap, Tristan.' I giggled, nearly at a loss for words as I looked around. 'This is… outrageous .'

'I told you I like toys.' He laughed and closed the garage door while I walked around, admiring the