Didn’t he want her anymore? He told her he loved her. How could he let her leave without . . . without what exactly? A proposal of marriage? An invitation to move in with him?
Besides, what would her answer be if he did ask either of those questions? Her heart beat painfuly in her aching chest. She realy didn’t have to think about it. Yes would be the answer to either, but apparently, she wouldn’t have to worry about giving an answer in the first place.
She sniffled as she packed her things. Why couldn’t she have met him under normal circumstances? They could have dated, gotten to know one another, stayed in touch easily. But nothing was normal about Kish, and she liked that about him.
She only wished that she didn’t live hours from him.
Long distance relationships had huge failure rates.
After she finished packing, she sat on the edge of the bed. Lucy promptly rested her chin on her lap and softly whined. She knew Georgia was upset, and Lucy hated it when Georgia was upset. Fortunately, that wasn’t very often. Unfortunately, this was probably the most upset she’d ever been since she’d gotten Lucy. She stroked her fur gently.
“It’s okay, girl,” Georgia whispered.
“Why are you crying?”
She nearly tumbled off the bed when she jumped at the unexpected sound of Kish’s voice.
“Damn it! Kish, stop doing that. Seriously. You are going to give me a heart attack.” She placed her hand over her racing heart.
He took her hands in his then knelt in front of her before wiping the tears from her face with his thumb.
“Why are you crying?” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Did someone hurt you?”
She nodded.
“Who?” The fury was evident in his tone.
“You.”
“What? How?”
“Did you mean it when you said you loved me?”
He squeezed her hands. “I would never lie about something like that, and I wouldn’t lie to you at al.”
“Then why were you sending me away? Don’t you want to see me again?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I want to see you again, Georgia. My life would never be the same without you, sweetheart.”
“Why didn’t you ask me to stay?”
“How can I ask you to give up your friends, your home, your life for me?”
“I wouldn’t be giving up my friends. They’d just be a bit farther away from me. And my home? To tel you the truth, since I met you, my home would feel empty without you. My home, my life? Is with you now as far as I’m concerned.”
“Are you saying that you’l stay with me if I ask you to?”
“Are you asking me to?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
“Then yes. Of course, I’l stay with you! I love you.” She smiled.
He framed her face and kissed her, but the kiss ended much too soon for her liking when he stood and puled her up.
“I think we need to tel Henry and Joey that they wil be going home alone today.”
“I think we do.” She laughed when he picked her up and spun her around.
Three hours later, Kish and Georgia said good-bye to Joey and Henry. She could tel they weren’t completely pleased by her decision, but at the same time, they were happy for her. She made arrangements with them to take care of her house until she could get it up for sale. She’d toyed with the idea of keeping it, but in the end, decided it didn’t mean that much to her since she now had Kish.
Henry and Joey promised to pack her clothes up and ship them out sometime next week.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Georgia?” Kish asked.
The uncertainty in his voice tugged at her heart.
Would he ever believe that she would never leave him, that she would never change her mind about how she felt about him?
“Absolutely.”
She reached for him, tugged him to her, and kissed him.
He growled. “We need to get back home before I take you right here in the truck.”
“It’s been a long time since I made out in a vehicle.
Takes me back to my teenage days.”
“I can’t remember that far back, but I think I’d like very much to make out with you in the truck.”
She started to giggle until heat shot low in her bely.
She was more than wiling to make out with Kish anywhere, any time. “Exactly how old are you?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
She frowned. “I think I do.”
“How about if we save this conversation for another day? Right now I want to get you home and into my bed.”
“Deal, but don’t think I’l forget.”
He started the engine, backed up, then started forward.
“I have no doubt that you won’t forget.”
She snuggled up to his side, getting comfortable for the long drive back. They’d left Lucy at his house, as there hadn’t been room for her with Joey and Henry both. “I’l never get used to how warm you are.”
“Sure you wil. One day you may be this warm.”
She closed her eyes and began to drift off, her heart content, her body relaxed against the man she loved. “Maybe.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too, Kish. Forever and always.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Six months later . . .
Kish and Georgia sat on the front porch of Kish’s house—their house. She’d moved in six months ago and had never looked back, never had one single regret. The balmy air of the summer night swam around them.
“I’m scared, Kish.” Georgia whispered past the lump in her throat.
“I know, sweetheart. But I’m right here. I promise after the first time, when you change it’l be a piece of cake.”
Two nights ago, Georgia had agreed to let Kish change her, and tonight was the ful moon. He’d told her that her first shift would be brought on by the ful moon, but after that, she could shift whenever she pleased.
She’d sensed
