She took his hand and kissed the palm. “Let’s go. Soon as we get done dealing with stupid Justine and all the stupid problems she’s caused.” She frowned. “Unless the cabin’s a dilapidated mess by now. After all, it’s been a long time.”
He waved that away. “There’s a caretaker that keeps up the property. I sank some money into some renovations not that long ago. Every once in a while they ask if I’ll rent it out, but then I think again about going up there, so I always tell them no.” He smiled into her eyes. “We’ll go as soon as we can.”
She smiled back. “You can relearn how to fish, and I’ll eat them.” She frowned. “Wait, let me revise that. You can relearn how to fish and clean them, and I’ll cook and eat them. How’s that?”
He laughed. “You’ve got a deal.”
Then his smile faded. “This time we’re going to do it right. We’ll learn how to be with each other again, and we won’t let anybody else come between us.”
Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss on his shoulder. “And we’ll make love in front of the fireplace all night long. I’ll take a pile of books that I’ve been meaning to read forever.”
“I’ll watch sports on TV,” he said.
They looked at each other. Grinning, she shook her head. “No, you won’t.”
Chuckling, he replied, “You’re right. I probably won’t.”
Stroking her thigh, he thought ahead. He needed to contact the caretaker to make sure the cabin was cleaned. Maybe they would also stock the kitchen with food.
He knew that he and Melly were glossing over many challenges. The truth was, many people were going to dislike their liaison now – just as many as had disliked it before. Some people in the Nightkind demesne would be looking to take advantage of a closer relationship with the Light Fae in Southern California, but several would oppose it. Saboteurs were likely.
But they would make it work. They had to make it work. As he had said before, he would fight the world for her. He might not be able to leave the Nightkind demesne, but as long as Melly could tolerate that, they could make a life for themselves.
His new phone buzzed. Giving her a quick kiss, he eased away, and they both climbed to their feet. He dug into his pocket, pulled out the phone, and checked the screen. Xavier had texted him.
He told her, “Xavier’s downstairs.”
She nodded, looking unsurprised. Moving quickly, they both cleaned up. Julian straightened his clothes, while she dressed again. Just as he was about to open the door, she paused.
“You go ahead,” she told him. “I have something I need to do first.”
His mind had leaped ahead to the search, so he kissed her. “Join us when you can.”
She nodded. He left, loping down the stairs. It was past time to locate and stake Justine, so they could get on with their lives.
As soon as Julian had left, Melly walked over to the armchair and collapsed into it. As she did so, the metal shutters on the bedroom windows quietly eased up, revealing the bright, sunny day outside. The shutters worked as discreetly as the rest of the household. Julian had a full house of attendants, but they were well trained and unobtrusive. The only attendant she had seen so far was Gregoire.
Now that she was alone, without the buffer of Julian’s powerful presence to focus on, all the many emotions she had been avoiding came crashing in.
Desultorily, she inspected the food tray again and nibbled on cheese and a few grapes as she worked to collect her thoughts. While she appreciated everything Julian had said earlier, she honestly didn’t know if she could look Bailey in the face without plunging into a heated confrontation.
And she didn’t have time to reflect and settle on a course of action. Bailey was due to arrive within the next half hour.
At least, Melly could settle one question right away. Taking her phone, she tapped out her mother’s number.
Tatiana answered on the first ring. “Melly. Are you all right? Has Bailey arrived?”
“No, not yet. She’ll be here soon.” Melly was gripping the phone too tightly again. “Mom, I have to ask you something. I know it’s going to seem like it’s coming out of nowhere, but… did you have anything to do with Julian’s and my breakup?”
“Did I what? I would never do anything to hurt you like that. If I felt like you shouldn’t have been with Julian, I would have told you so directly.” Her voice hardened. “He isn’t trying to claim such a thing, is he?”
“No, not at all.” Tatiana was not above manipulation if it suited her purposes, which was why Melly had to ask her, but it was really good to hear the sincerity in her mom’s voice. Relief made Melly feel lighter and more clearheaded. She rubbed her forehead. “We recently discovered some things, and I just needed to ask. I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings.”
“Don’t concern yourself with that. What things did you discover?”