Jinni's Wish (Kingdom, #4)

She giggled. “Poor baby.”


He rested his head against hers and breathed deeply, sharing breath, making her remember all the times they’d done this before. “I missed you, Paz. Every day and every second in it, I ached to hold you. I was so scared you wouldn’t remember me. So scared you’d find this form displeasing.”

She frowned. “Displeasing?” Paz stood and held her hand out to him. “I’ll need to rest some of my weight on your arm, but I want to show you something.”

He held his arm out for her. “Where are you taking me?” he asked as she led him down the hall to bedroom she’d converted into her private studio. Each step was painful, her hips had broken in six places, making the healing long and slow and tedious.

The doctors assured her eventually even the limp would go away, but it could take years.

They got to the end of the hall and she turned the knob. “I’ve sold over two hundred paintings this year.” Steeling herself, she opened the door and led him inside.

Jinni inhaled as his eyes took in the canvas’ covering every square inch of wall and floor. Some were of the stars, a galaxy of them, spun silver in a sea of pink and black. Others were of a lush kingdom far, far away. But all of them held the face of a man she’d fallen madly and deeply in love with. A ghostly image of Jinni staring out of the canvas, keeping her company, always on her mind and in her heart.

He turned to her. “Paz, I--”

“I didn’t forget a single thing, Jinni. I remembered everything.”

His warm hands framed her face and Paz knew there would never be another man for her.

She threaded her fingers through his, clenching so tight she feared she’d break his bones, but more afraid that if she let go he’d leave her again. Maybe it was silly, that fear, and maybe someday it would fade, but for now… she squeezed harder, determined to keep him always with her.

“I didn’t know what I’d say when I saw you,” he whispered and she smelled mint on his breath, the icy rush of it brushed her lips. “If I’d feel the same, if you would.”

Paz couldn’t speak, could only stare and pour her desire and love for him through her eyes.

“I’d thought of so many words. A million, but now only three remain. I. Love.”

“You,” they whispered at the same time.

Dizzy, breathless with wonder, Paz kissed him. Opening her lips to him, breathing in his essence, tasting the mint of his tongue.

His hands were so gentle, so tender, and she melted.

They could have stayed like that all night. Except for the shrill buzz that broke them apart, panting and laughing for breath.

Paz gripped her chest. “My doorbell.”

He nodded, planting one final hard kiss on her. “I hear.”

Jinni held her elbow while she walked, he glanced down. “I’ve seen the scar, Paz. How bad does it hurt?”

The continued buzzing of her door grated on her nerves. Only one person in the world continued to buzz until she opened the door. Leave it to her brother to totally spoil her reunion.

“Hurts a lot in the mornings and at night. But it gets better every day.”

Today wasn’t such a great day though, her right thigh kept twinging with hot and cold bursts of nerve pain. She ground her teeth on her tongue, ignoring it as she finally reached the living room. A few more steps would bring her to the door and then she’d sit for a sec…

“Jinni!” she laughed as he swept her up in his strong arms. Paz patted his chest. “It’s my brother, put me down.”

He quirked a brow. “Then I think it’s time he knows about us, don’t you?”

She smiled. He was right. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, it was definitely time one of the most important men in her life met the other important one. Paz nodded. “Yup, you’re right. Swing me to the right, good sir.”

She held out her arm, waiting until he got her close enough to the knob so she could turn it. The buzzing immediately stopped when Richard took sight of the man holding his sister. Shock flitted briefly through his gaze, quickly replaced by that raised brow and narrowed eyes of a brother wanting to know what a strange man was doing holding his sister so close.

“And just who the hell are you?” Richard asked, and he might have looked ridiculous dressed in a pair of slacks with a frilly pink apron over his shirt, except for the glower that pierced through Jinni.

“Richard!” Paz swatted his oven-mittened hand and he hissed, pulling the cream-colored ceramic pot back, glass lid full of steam.

“Soufflé, Paz, you know they’re sensitive. And who is that?”

Looking up at Jinni’s sharp planes and angles of his profile, her heart gave a tiny pitter-patter. “That’s my…”

“Fiancée,” Jinni said and clipped his head and Paz’s mouth flopped open.

“Fiancée,” she squeaked as Richard’s brows shot up high on his forehead.