All words were lost to them. They were swept into a storm of colors and overwhelming emotion. They devoured each other and returned new, polished versions of their previous forms.
Breathless, he yanked the thin blanket over their bodies and curled himself around her back. His arm securely holding her against him, Burke vowed to never let her go again.
His lips pressed against her cheek and the two of them sank into a calm and well deserved sleep.
CHAPTER 14
“I dislike that woman,” Wren muttered as she and Burke threaded through the many halls of Haven. “She thinks far too highly of herself.”
“Technically, she is a god.”
“She definitely isn’t.” She rolled her eyes.
“She and her family created all the magical creatures inside us.”
“And we are their hosts. Without us, they wouldn’t even be alive!”
“Without humans, they would have another world to exist in with their original bodies intact.” He bumped his finger underneath her jaw. “Your history lessons were sorely lacking.”
She grumbled but didn’t say a word after that. She liked having the magical creatures inside of her. E was the best thing for her. But it still made her angry when they were yelled at for doing the right thing.
“Do you think she was really angry?” Wren asked. The meeting with the Five had gone horribly.
They had been yelled at multiple times for their behavior. Wren had clenched her jaw so hard that she had nearly torn a muscle during the proceedings. They tore Burke apart as they questioned every action he had made since finding her. In her opinion, Burke had acted perfectly honorable the entire time.
The Five argued that he had been poor at his job and nearly caused the end of the entire world. Although this was an accurate description, Wren preferred to see the good side of it. She was tired of people being angry at Burke. Perhaps she was a little too protective of him.
“She was angry.” He shrugged. “But she’s always angry.”
His hand pressed against her lower back, and he steered her towards a door she hadn’t noticed. Wren appreciated the movement. He was always gentle with her because he knew if he tried to force her to do anything, she simply wouldn’t do it. He was becoming much more efficient at making her a willing participant in his schemes.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“A surprise.”
“After that meeting, I don’t think I want any more surprises.”
“I think you’ll like this one.”
Just before he opened the door, he turned his back to press against the wood. The concerned look on his face made her pause. Now she was suddenly nervous about what she was walking into.
“Do you like it here?”
“What?” she laughed. “I suppose so. It’s not my home, but it’s possibly the next best thing.”
“Could you learn to like it just as much as your Juice Bar?”
“Everything’s different, Jiminy. It’s not bad or good. My life at the Juice Bar was singularly selfish. Everything I did was for me. The place was built by my own hands, and it had become a safe place. Haven will become the same thing. It’s just not the one I built.”
“Do you want to share it with me?” he asked her quietly.
“Share what?”
“Your life.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You aren’t asking me to-”
“No, no. I’m not rushing anything.” He stepped forward to hold her hands in his. “I want a life with you. Every moment we have spent together has been filled with destruction. First, I was attempting to blackmail you into working for the Five. Then, I was chasing after you. And then Malachi. I want a chance to get to know you.”
“You know me better than any other human,” she interrupted. “You were in that shop watching me for so long you must have picked up on a few things.”
“I want to know you more than I already do,” he clarified. “I want to know what flavor of toothpaste you like. I want to know what you look like waking up in the morning. I want watch you dream both in your head and out. I want to know the real you that no one else has seen before.”
Wren’s heart filled with hope. That was the emotion that his man had always brought her. Hope for change and difference even when she was frightened of what change meant. “So what are you asking me, Jiminy?”
“I want to live with you. Here.”
“We already live in the same building.”
“I want to open my drawer every morning and see your socks next to mine.”
“I don’t wear socks,” she whispered as she stepped closer to the heat of his body. “I prefer to be barefoot.”
He shook his head at her and curved an arm around her waist. “Then I’m going to force you to start wearing mine so that we can share a drawer.”
Wren reached up to press a finger against his lips. She meant to silence him, but found herself distracted by the bow of his upper lip. Her finger followed the line as his mouth curved into a smile.
“Just stop talking,” she said as she grinned up at him. “You know I’m going to let you move in with me.”
“Who said I’m moving in with you?”
“I’m not giving up my space. I just repotted the hyacinth.”
His hand flattened against the door and gave it a shove. It opened to reveal an apartment she had never seen before. An apartment that appeared eerily familiar to one that had meant so much to her.
“Jiminy,” she whispered as she stepped into the door, “is this what I think it is?”
He was leaning against the door jam with a decidedly smug expression on his face. “Welcome home.”
And it was her home. Every little detail wasn’t exactly the same, but this was the same place she had lost. The plants were all there hanging in the corner. The brick walls were in much better condition. Her bed
