After hours — many hours — of dancing with Ezra, he had walked me to my tent, but when he had come inside he clearly read it on my face after he asked to stay the night. I hadn’t been ready to have another night with him yet. Although, I had explained to him when a look of barely banked frustration had passed over his features, I only wanted to think about it for the evening, think it through rationally and not make the decision when my hormones were raging. Because they had been. Practically howling for me to wrench the sexy-as-hell Vampire into my bedroom and let both of us ravish one another, do as we plainly wanted. Our eyes were damn near glowing with need. Ezra had stood frozen for a good minute after my explanation then, with the barest of nods, left my tent without having to be asked.
Now in the early morning light, my soul was warmed. That was not normal. No, I was in no way ‘normal’, but I had found a semblance of peace. My husband was making me…happy.
And I wasn’t going to let a bogus Law keep me from happiness. I wasn’t going to live in fear of it anymore. This time, I would do it right. Even if I was sticking my middle finger up at the Law, I wasn’t going to be clumsy enough to be caught again. So extreme secrecy, utter discretion as Ezra had stated, would be a must. I truly believed both of us to be jaded enough individuals to pull it off, no one better suited to do so.
Pouring two cups of coffee in to-go cups, I actually felt their warmth against my palms as I exited the red tent and headed toward Antonio’s. In fact, I felt the cool breeze whipping through my coat, reminding me that winter wasn’t too far off, although the wind didn’t currently bother me, Mysticals able to handle colder climates better than Coms. Hell, I even noticed the Mysticals around me rather than being completely oblivious to them when I knew no danger lurked close by.
A breeze brushed my hair forward, instead of backward as it had been doing on my trek, so I murmured, “Good morning, King Zeller.” Nostrils flaring, I grinned. “Are you stoned again, or is that the remnants of a bender?”
“Good morning to you, too, Queen Ruckler.” Ezra stepped up beside me, his dark silver robe billowing out behind him, his black and red hair spiked to perfection as he smoked a cigarette, attention forward to where we walked. “As for my sobriety, there was this most sensual woman I danced with all evening that teased and taunted me until she had me so worked up, it was either get stoned, have sex with someone else, or beat the living shit out of someone when she turned me down.” His lips quirked around his cigarette, taking a drag. “So, to answer your question, what you’re scenting is from last night since I chose option A, and I’m now sober.” He blew the smoke high above our heads as he paused for a long moment. “Now that I have answered your question, will you be so kind as to answer mine from last night?”
I stated simply, “The answer’s yes.”
He stilled for a moment, and I kept walking.
A few beats later, he was walking by my side again. “Of course it is.”
I chuckled quietly. “Your arrogance is astounding.”
He shrugged a shoulder, taking another drag. “If you had said no, I would have found a way to make you say yes.” His smoke blew up and away. “And you know it.”
Possibly, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “The girls must have been falling all over themselves for you growing up. I bet all you had to say was,” I deepened my voice, “You, girl! Yes, you. Please me.” I grunted. “Now!” I paused. “Ahh, that’s nice. Now, be gone with you!”
Ezra choked on his inhale, coughing hard, then his laughter boomed loud and clear.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, a tiny smile gracing my features. “It’s a sad day when you know you’re right.”
Ezra continued chuckling, his eyes squinting at the corners as he peered down at me. “It was a bit longer than ‘ahh, that’s nice’.” He grinned. “I believe they said that a few times before I did.” He tilted his head back toward the sky, staring at it, quiet. “Life isn’t shit right now.”
“No, it’s not,” I said softly, my soul warmed.
He sighed and glanced to where we were walking. “Where are we going?”
“Antonio’s,” I murmured. I lifted the coffee cups in my hands. “I’m going bearing gifts, so when I yell at him for keeping me in the dark for so long, he won’t be grumpy.”
“Ah,” Ezra chuckled, “coffee, so you can bawl him out and he’ll stay silent.” His head tilted back and forth. “Nice tactic.”
“Thank you.” I pointed at Antonio’s tent. “That’s my stop.”
Ezra flicked his cigarette. “Do you mind if I go with you? I have a few questions about my dad I’d like to ask him.”
My lips trembled, and I couldn’t stop the grin. “Too afraid to ask Daddy Zeller?”
Ezra rubbed the back of his neck, but he didn’t flinch from my gaze. “I figured I could have some background information before I actually speak with him.”
My grin didn’t die. Men will be men. “Sure. You can come with me.”
Ezra nodded, looking only vaguely uncomfortable. “Thank you.”