His brow creased with uncertainty. “I thought you might like a change of pace, but if you’d rather go somewhere else, we can.”
I smiled and grabbed his hand. “No. I can’t wait to see it.”
Instead of the usual SUV, there was a black truck waiting for us. Chris stowed our bags in the back of the large double cab, and we set out.
It was barely dawn when we drove through the city. Chris had been here before so he pointed out places of interest we could visit while we were here. When he said there were over two hundred miles of coastal trails for hiking and walking, I could barely sit still. He laughed and told me he thought I’d like that.
We left the city and drove through several small towns before Chris turned onto a gravel driveway. He stopped in front of a white two-story house overlooking the ocean. The house was hidden from the road by trees, and the view was breathtaking.
I got out of the truck and inhaled deeply of the cold ocean air. The breeze was chilly, but the morning sun felt good on my face.
“What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, intrigued by some peculiar little black and white birds skimming across the water. I couldn’t tell if they were swimming or flying.
He put an arm around me and pulled me close for a quick hug. “Come on. I want to show you the house.”
Grabbing our bags from the truck, he went ahead of me to unlock the front door. I expected to enter a cold house, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it toasty warm inside.
“I called the caretakers yesterday and asked them to get the place ready for us,” Chris explained as we walked through a big eat-in kitchen. “They stocked the fridge and pantry for us, too.”
The living room was nice, and its best feature was the large window overlooking the ocean. There was a fireplace we could use, though the house was heated by a furnace in the basement.
Upstairs, there were three bedrooms and a single bathroom. I wondered aloud how a whole family could get by with one bathroom.
Chris laughed. “Times were different back when this house was built.”
He entered the largest bedroom and laid our bags on the queen-size bed. It was covered with a colorful patchwork quilt that had to be handmade.
My stomach did a little flip at the thought of sleeping in this bed with Chris. I didn’t know why I was nervous, considering I’d been sharing a bed with him for a week. But something about our trip and this room felt different, more intimate.
To hide my sudden shyness, I walked over to the window, which also looked out over the water. The original owners had really capitalized on the location when they built the house.
“How did your parents find this place?” I asked Chris without looking away from the window.
“They took a trip to the island, and they loved it so much they hired someone to find them a house. My mother would have been happy to stay, but there’s not much work for a warrior here.”
“I guess not.”
I’d learned about the island in my studies. It was one of the few places on Earth that was considered Fae territory. No one knew why the faeries had claimed it as their own, but it had been that way for as long as anyone could remember. They seemed to tolerate our people in small numbers, but no vampire would dare set foot on the island.
Chris joined me at the window. “Do you like the house?”
“I love it.” I faced him. “Can we take a look around?”
“We can do anything you want. But first, I’m going to make us some breakfast.”
He took my hand in his, and we went downstairs. Chris cooked while I tried the delicious homemade bread and jam provided by the caretakers. I made a note to thank them and let them know how much I’d enjoyed it.
After our meal, we set out on foot to explore the town. The sky was partially overcast, but the sun managed to break through enough to make it a beautiful day. It could have been raining, and I wouldn’t have cared as long as I was with Chris.
Living in Los Angeles, I’d gotten used to how strangers avoided interacting with each other in public. It shocked me when most people we passed here called out a greeting. I mentioned it to Chris, and he laughed at my amazement that people could be so friendly.
At noon, we stopped into a quaint little coffee shop for lunch, and Chris teased me about all the baked treats I consumed.
“All this fresh air makes me hungry,” I said after I’d eaten two of the little chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. “These are so yummy. You should try one.”
His eyes sparkled with laughter. “I will if there are any left when you’re done.”
When we finished our walking tour of the town, we headed back to the house. We made dinner together, and then we went down to the beach where someone had created a fire pit out of rocks. Chris got a fire going and sat with his back to a small boulder, tugging me down to sit between his legs.
I leaned back against him and sighed happily. This place was far removed from California and all that had happened, and I could feel it working its healing magic on me. “It’s so peaceful here.”
“We can stay here as long as you want.”
I tilted my head to look up at him. “On the beach or the island?”
“Whatever you want.”
He lowered his head, and my breath hitched in anticipation of his kiss. Disappointment washed over me when he playfully kissed the tip of my nose. It was sweet and affectionate, like everything else he did for me, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted him to kiss me like he used to, like he couldn’t get enough of me.
I stared at the fire again without seeing it. What if Chris didn’t want me that way anymore? I knew he loved me and he was even more protective of me now, but I was afraid he no longer desired me. I’d been with the Lilin for almost a week. What if that had changed how Chris saw me?
The fire died down, and Chris stood, helping me up. Hand in hand, we walked back to the house and up to the bedroom we were sharing. I brushed my teeth and then changed into my sleep clothes while he was in the bathroom. It was our nightly routine now.
When he came back to the bedroom, I was already in bed, waiting for him. He turned off the light and got in beside me. Wordlessly, he opened his arms, and I went into them.
“Love you,” he said.
“Love you back.”
I closed my eyes and let the steady sound of his breathing lull me to sleep.
* * *
Chris and I spent the next few days exploring the surrounding towns, getting to know the locals, and not taking life too seriously for once. When you are constantly protecting humans from the bad guys, it’s easy to forget there is a lot more good than evil in the world. Sometimes, you just need to get away from it all to understand that.
When the caretaker heard how much I loved her bread, a new loaf arrived every morning, along with another bottle of what she called bakeapple jam. She laughingly informed me that a bakeapple was a berry, not an apple, and she offered to give me some to take back with me. She looked insulted when I wanted to pay for it, so I didn’t bring it up again.
Every night after dinner, we went down to the beach to sit by the fire. We talked, but only about things we’d done that day or our plans for the next one. Neither of us mentioned what had happened to me, but I could tell Chris was waiting for me to talk about it. On our third night there, I finally found the courage to open up to him.
“He wanted to keep me…as a mate,” I said, never taking my eyes off the fire.
I felt Chris stiffen behind me, but he stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.
“I told him I had a mate, but he knew we’d never…” I cleared my throat. “He didn’t care that I loved you. He said I’d forget you eventually.”
Chris’s chest rumbled angrily against my back.
“I could never forget you,” I whispered.
His arms tightened around me, and he leaned down to press his cheek to mine. “I know.”
I took a deep breath. I had already told him I’d been locked in my room most of the time and that I’d mostly seen Adam at dinner with the other girls. Now that the time had come to tell him the rest, I couldn’t seem to find the right words.
Chris rubbed my arms. “You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready.”