Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“You do belong here.” Cian’s hand comes up, catching mine. “You belong with us.”
Had Beck been the one saying it, his hand would have curled over mine possessively and I would feel his need. There’s nothing dark about Cian. He’s being kind. He’s a lovely, sweet reflection of the man I’m coming to know.
“Of course I do.” I use my free hand to pat his shoulder and he sighs again, a sound of contentment before he turns back to the fire and lets me return to my task.
We’re quiet for a moment, the comforting crackle of the fire the only sound between us. Cian seems perfectly content to let me pull and tug on his hair until it’s smooth.
“There.” An unaccountable feeling of accomplishment flows through me. “That’s much better.”
Cian turns and I have to catch my breath. He’s incredibly beautiful, his face a mixture of sharp lines and sensual planes. The firelight softens him, or perhaps it’s simply a function of Cian’s own personality. “Thank you, lady. You are very generous. If there is any fashion in which I can repay your kindness, you have but to let me know.”
The idea that Cian is child-like flees in the wake of the look on his face. He reaches out and takes my hand in his, drawing it up to his mouth. For a second, I think he’ll politely kiss the back of my hand, a genteel gesture. Instead, Cian flips my hand over and kisses my palm, a deeply sensual action I can feel all through my body.
Nope. Not a child.
His lips curve up, and his eyes are hotter than the fire. “I can think of a few ways to express my appreciation.”
“Uhm, I’m good. I was happy to do it.” I feel caught by his eyes.
“I will be happy to thank you. Why don’t we go back to my room? It’s not far. I’ll have the servants bring wine and we can get to know each other better,” Cian says with a heartbreakingly sexy smile.
“That should be interesting.” Dante’s sarcasm breaks the spell, and I pull my hand away. “Can we all agree I will not be playing the role of servant?”
Cian’s expression turns confused, and he looks at his cousin. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on the Vampire plane. Where’s Beck?”
And we’re right back to bonkers. “He’s getting ready to cook dinner.”
Which I think means he’s actually murdering dinner. I’ve been asking to help all day but was happy he turned me down for this particular task.
Cian seems pleased with the idea. “Good. Then there’s time for a nap. I find myself quite tired. I’ll just lay down for a while.”
He curls his body up and lays down right there on the floor, his head nestled on my lap. He cuddles up like a big, gorgeous cat eager to find warmth, and in seconds his breathing takes on the steady rhythm of sleep.
“It’s his superpower.” Dante crosses one leg over the other and relaxes as though he’s settling in. “He always could sleep anywhere, anytime. Although now that’s pretty much what he does. You’ll have to train that out of him. He can be lazy. The good news is he also got all the obedient genes. Not for anyone, of course. Both brothers are stubborn, but Cian can be led by the right person in a way Beck can’t. He’s far more easygoing.”
I’m not sure anything about this can be classified as easy. “He can be lazy because Beck probably won’t let him do anything.”
Dante chuckles. “No, sweetheart. That rule only applies to you. I think you’ll find Beck expects Ci to work as hard as he does. He’ll leave his brother explicit instructions on everything he’s supposed to do. Not that he always follows through, hence the garden being in the shape it’s in. Ci usually enjoys farming and working with plants. And kids. I hope the school isn’t in the same shape as the garden.”
“Well, he seems very sick so he probably shouldn’t be working.” He’s far thinner than his brother, though there’s still a lean strength to his frame. I find myself stroking his hair. I can’t quite help myself.
“Being up and about will help him,” Dante explains. “I think it will be easier now that you’re here. Once you’ve bonded, it won’t be a problem anymore. You’ll see.”
I still don’t understand the bonding thing, though I know I have a connection with Beck. Will having a connection to Cian be twice the frustration? “Sure.”
Dante sits up, leaning toward me. “That doesn’t sound good. What happened to the woman who was excited about taking down her man?”
I shake my head. “She’s not gone. I’m just starting to understand that the job might be harder than I thought.”
“You’re starting to worry about handling two men? Don’t. Cian will be a breeze. I know he’s a mess right now, but you’ll adore him. Everyone does, and that’s why Beck will be the hard case. Imagine always being the bad guy. People walk in and are always attracted to Cian because he got all the light.”