“I’ll never love another the way I love you.” He drops to a knee. Grasping my hands, he bows his head and presses my knuckles to his brow. “The first day I met you, you did so much more than pull me out of the water. You gave me something to look forward to. You didn’t judge me. You became my sanctuary, my happy place. I crave your company and your attention, and I feel like I might die if I had to go the rest of my life without you.”
Whoa. Talk about intense. “Why didn’t you tell me how you feel sooner?”
“I didn’t know you love me. I’ve always sensed your affection, even known you desired me, but I thought your feelings might fade with time. But after what you said earlier, I know you want to be my mate.”
I chew my lip. “I’ve honestly never considered the possibly. In my mind, you’re already spoken for.”
“Fuck that, Quinn,” he responds gruffly, lifting his face. “The only person who owns me is you.”
Kirian’s still kneeling in front of me, and the scene is surreal. I’m in a castle with the man of my dreams. He looks good enough to lick and knowing what his lips taste like only makes me want him more.
When I remember the way his tongue stroked mine, I get all tingly. My lips buzz with anticipation and I grow hot between my thighs.
Abruptly, Kirian stands, and when he picks me up, I let out a surprised squeak.
“We’re not flying again, right? You gotta give a girl some warning first.”
“No more flying today.” Smirking, Kirian walks into the second room where I see a gigantic four-poster bed made from dark wood. The same blue velvet from the couch is draped over the top, and the mattress is covered by a white comforter and furry white pillows.
And we’re headed straight for it.
Kirian dumps me on the soft surface. My butt sinks in before I feel it firm up while conforming to my shape. Like it’s alive.
“What kind of mattress is this?”
“It’s made from the feathers of a goose that lays golden eggs.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am. No pulling of your leg,” he teases, grabbing my foot to unlace my sneakers. One by one, they hit the floor. His boots join them before he climbs on the bed, stretching out next to me.
Lying on his side, he props his head up with one hand. It makes his bicep bulge, and the shirt is so loose it falls down far enough for me to see his nipple.
We’ve never been in a bed together before. We’ve shared the same blanket in my treehouse, but that’s not the same.
This feels intimate.
Real.
Kirian’s scent is stronger here. After all, it’s where he sleeps—maybe even naked. Leaning down, I discreetly sniff the pillow.
Ah. Fresh fallen leaves and crisp autumn air mixed with a hint of pine. The best smell in the world.
Kirian’s fingers touch my knee, and the rough callouses on his hand tickle my skin. Holding my breath, I watch those thick digits skim up my thigh. He idly fiddles with the frayed hem of my shorts, seemingly unaware of what he’s doing to me.
God, he turns me on so much.
“In the past thousand years or so, I think the only time I’ve missed my sight was earlier today when you got the best of Gia. To see her face…” He chuckles. “The rule about gift giving—I told you that so long ago. How did you remember it?”
My voice is quiet when I confess, “Don’t you know I hang on your every word?”
Kirian’s face gets serious as he hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me closer. “Marry me, Quinn.”
“I can’t say yes to that.” Like he said—a verbal agreement is binding.
“Then don’t right away. Think about it. Stay with me for a year.”
I make a grumbling noise. “Do I have much of a choice?”
“It would be difficult to find a way back now,” he admits. “Another portal won’t be available until my next birthday.”
“How will I explain that to my parents?”
“You’re forgetting something very important.” He gently bops me on the nose with his finger. “A day in your world is a year in mine. Mere seconds have passed there since you’ve been here. You’ll age at the same rate you would on Earth, which means you won’t look older when you go back. As far as your parents are concerned, you’ll only have been gone for a night.”
If being in Valora causes me to age more slowly, then that means… “You mean to tell me I could live here for, like, twenty-five thousand years before I die?”
“Probably longer. Thirty thousand years is the full lifespan of the fae.”
“Will my ears get pointy?”
“Eventually, but they’ll change back if you go home.”
“When I go home.”
“Whatever,” Kirian huffs, sounding very human. “Come on, Quinn. What do you have to lose?”
He’s right. What do I have to lose? A day. Literally. I can spend twelve months here and my family would be none the wiser. My resolve is crumbling.
Then he adds, “Please. Please, Quinn.”
I can’t resist when he begs, and he knows it.
“Okay, I’ll stay on one condition.” Kirian’s eyebrows raise, and I continue, “We try to find the witches or any witch that can give you some answers.”
“Fine.”
He agreed way too quickly. I feel like he knows something I don’t. So I tack on, “And we can’t get married until we find some information of use.”
A few foreign swear words burst from him. Although I don’t know what he just said, I know it’s in the old fae language and it isn’t about rainbows.
“Don’t be rude.” Laughing, I push his shoulder. “When was the last time anyone searched for the witches?”
His lips twist as he thinks. “About seven hundred years ago.”
“What?!” I yell, and he winces.
“I called off the mission. It was a pointless waste of resources. My men were getting injured or losing their lives venturing into dangerous lands.
