Ana opened her mouth to explain herself again.
“Like I said,” I stopped her before she could say anything, “there is nothing you could possibly be hiding that would diminish my respect for you. If you’re worried about a physical relationship, then put your mind at ease.”
Reaching up to her face, I traced the shadow of her cheek with my thumb. “As much as I want you, and make no mistake, I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything, we have a long, long life ahead of us, Ana. And I am a very patient man. I’ve waited centuries to find the woman of my dreams. I can wait a little longer.”
Anamika gave me a probing look, like she couldn’t believe what I was saying though the truth stone hanging around her neck glowed, validating the things I was promising her. Finally, she nodded. “Very well. We will…practice at romance. I’m certain I can build up a tolerance for it if we proceed very slowly. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” I smiled, thinking of how I’d like to begin courting, no, training Ana in romance. Now I just had to figure out a way to help her build up a tolerance. Ren would have laughed at a woman learning to tolerate me. I shook my head. Only Ana could be practical and alluring and frustrating and innocent all at the same time.
“Do you need to rest?” she asked.
I scrubbed at the bristle on my cheek. “It couldn’t hurt. I’d like to eat, at least.”
She waved her hand and we disappeared, rematerializing not at our mountain home but in the jungle next to a running stream. Kneeling next to the water, she scooped up several mouthfuls. I followed suit and found the water clean and delicious and freezing. If the tiger inside me hadn’t kept me warm, my fingers would have been numb from the water. “Where are we?” I asked.
“Near our home. I did not wish to go there yet. There are too many…”
“Too many people around,” I finished.
“Yes.”
I understood. What had transpired between us felt new and tender. Being around others would diminish it in some way. She used the power of the amulet to heat the area around us and channel the distant Golden Fruit to create a meal. It felt like I hadn’t eaten in ages. I couldn’t help but notice the addition of cotton candy and popcorn. I introduced her to pizza, cheeseburgers, churros, and root beer floats.
Ana liked the ice cream but not the root beer. After tasting them all, she created her preferred meal, roast venison with vegetables and hot, thick bread slathered with butter, preserves, and honey. Her choices filled the belly in a much more substantial way than the fluffy cotton and sugary treats from Kelsey’s time. We both ate and drank heartily and then our exhaustion pulled at us.
When the remainder of our dinner disappeared into the ether, she fussed around a bit, looking for a spot comfortable enough to sleep in, and created thick bedrolls. Camping with multiple soldiers and even me was something she was very used to, but I could tell she was nervous this time.
While she was at the stream, I fingered the leather collar Kelsey had given me so long ago. I smiled fondly at the memory. Slowly, I ran my thumb over the buckle and then undid the clasp. For a long minute, I sat there holding it and looking at it, thinking about what it represented. Just as Ana returned, I slipped it into our bag, finally closing a chapter of my old life.
Ana kept glancing at me as she shifted around, getting comfortable, probably wondering why I was smiling like a cat who’d gotten into the cream. I’d been serious when I said we could go slow, at a pace she controlled. I had absolutely no expectations of her. Being close to Ana was enough.
The air around us was warm, enough so that we didn’t need a fire or more than a thin blanket. I lay near her but not next to her with my arms beneath my head, but neither of us could settle into sleep. After too many minutes of strained tension between us, I took tiger form. Chuffing softly, the night air ruffling my fur, I ambled over to her.
After pressing my nose to her arm, I slumped down behind her back on my side and stretched out my legs in the opposite direction. A moment later, I felt her shift and she wrapped her arms around my body, stroking my side. Her scent surrounded me and after she whispered good night, I fell into a deep relaxing sleep, not even realizing that I’d begun purring.
The next morning, she was up before me and poked my tiger back with her boot. Languidly, I rose and stretched each one of my legs and yawned toothily. She looked fresh and clean, as if she’d just bathed and made new clothes. I headed over to her and rubbed my side against her long legs. She trailed a hand along my back, and I turned and headed back the other way, relishing the feel of her legs until she yanked on my tail. Ana laughed and I liked the sound enough to ignore the insult.
I switched to a man, wrapped my arms around her waist, and said, “You look well rested.”
“I am.” Squinting in the bright sun, she lifted her hand and stroked my cheek. “I think I preferred the scruff,” she said.
“Did you?” I said, grinning. “I thought you would rather my cheeks be jowly.
“No, not at all,” she said, her thin eyebrows raised. “I actually like my men to be pockmarked with dry, scaly skin and drooping, saggy chests, with skin as pale as sour milk. It’s very unfortunate for me that you appear to be robustly brawny, with bronze skin covering taut muscles.” She pinched my arm and sighed. “Couldn’t you at least have an overbite or perhaps a receding chin?”
“I’m afraid not,” I laughed. “I do have a few scars I could show you though.”
“That would make me feel better.”
“See? You didn’t even need a lesson in flirting. It came naturally to you.”
Ana blinked. “That was flirting?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “You mean I can mock you and you enjoy it?”
“It depends on how you do it, but yes.”
Seemingly pleased that she’d passed her first lesson in romance, she asked if we could visit Kadam. Both of us were worried that we’d messed up the list by going out of order. “Did you bathe?” I asked as we prepared to leave. “The water is freezing.”
“Not exactly. It is something new I can do. I’ll have to show you later.”
I snapped my fingers. “I think I already know. You did something to us in the third temple, the one made of gold. It was like getting dry cleaned.”
“Dry cleaned.” She said each word slowly. “Yes, I supposed such a definition would work. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes. Take us back to our home in the future,” I said. “It must be during the time before we met him at the temple where we fought. Just after that, he’s—”
“He is dead,” Ana says softly. “He told me of it once when I was very young. I thought it was a story of another man, but it was about himself.”
I put my arm around her and she leaned into me. When we disappeared, she phased us out of time so that we couldn’t be seen. The scents and sounds of the house were familiar. Nilima was cooking something, and Ana and I snuck pastries, glistening pieces of tropical fruit, and I snatched a jar of peanut butter from the cupboard along with two spoons.
When my old self came in and kissed Nilima on the cheek, Ana took my arm and drew me away, whispering a warning not to come into contact with myself. I was already way ahead of her. We sat in the dining room, where we could see everything but weren’t likely to be bothered, and ate our stolen breakfast. Ana’s eyes widened when she tasted peanut butter for the first time. Kelsey came in and filled a plate, followed by Ren.
“Is he around this morning?” Ren asked. Everyone knew who he was talking about.
“He had another late night,” Nilima said. “He’s sleeping in.”
“It’s not like him to distance himself so much,” a worried Kelsey added.