She slid her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “I wasn’t sure.”
* * * * * * * * *
Brianna drew back to look up at him. He was the man for her and she’d been wanting this level of commitment with him for months. Yet now that it was here and that she would be this close to him, even binding herself to him, she trembled.
“What is it?”
“I’m overwhelmed and suddenly I’m nervous. We’ve never done this before.”
His gaze softened and he nodded. “I’ve got this.” He released her, but took her hand in his, then opened the front door.
Brianna stepped inside a room lit like something out of a fairy tale. Candles flickered all around the space, champagne and strawberries waited on the coffee table along with a beautiful spray of roses in a vase, and rose petals littered a soft gray carpet. Adding the final touch, a fire burned in the hearth.
The furniture was modern with wood accents, lots of leather as well, very male and very Yolen.
She took it all in, her gaze drawn to the fire. She moved toward a chaise covered with a soft sable-like fur. She touched the throw and put a hand to her chest. She felt so much in this moment, mostly a deep sense of gratitude that she was here, with Yolen and that he’d completely opened his heart to her.
He moved to the far side of the fireplace, then turned to face into the room. He lifted a hand, gesturing to the opposite, paneled wall. “And what do you think of the artwork I purchased recently. I’d really like your opinion.”
She turned and blinked, unable to believe what she saw. “You bought them? You were the anonymous patron?” The trio of cityscapes, of how she envisioned the transformation of the tougher elements of Cameron, adorned the long wall leading into the dining area. The mounting of the paintings showed professionalism. “You had help with this.”
“Absolutely, I did. The gallery owner brought his crew in, set up the lighting, everything.”
She remembered her earlier anger toward Yolen, thinking that while Keynes had purchased one of her landscapes, Yolen hadn’t bought so much as a framed print.
How wrong she’d been, since instead, he’d paid a fortune for the three that held the most meaning for her. Now they were here, in the home she would share with Yolen.
He held his hand out to her and when she moved forward to settle her fingers in his palm, he guided her to stand in front of them. “The moment I saw what you’d done, I had to have them. I can’t explain it, but what I feel from these paintings is the actual future of Cameron. All three speak to my heart, what I love best about our world, and about our city.”
She slid her arm around his waist, her heart full of her love for him. In that moment, she understood their deeper connection, that each felt a powerful commitment to the city they inhabited.
He held her close as they viewed the paintings together. “The fae part of me came alive when I created these cityscapes. I painted them with the same kind of love you hold for Cameron. Sometimes, I feel as though the city lives inside me.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
For a long time, she stood with him just looking at the paintings and in a way communing with the future.
Finally, he turned to her, holding her loosely in his arms, which allowed her to look into his eyes. “I want to do this right, Brianna, so I’m asking you formally, will you bond with me as my blood rose?”
Once again, her heart swelled with emotion, with her love for him, for all the ways she valued him. That he would ask, just to make sure, made her all the more willing. “I will.”
He kissed her, his familiar lips soft on hers. She let the moment happen as her mating vibration came to life, responding to the strong pulses that emanated from deep within him.
As she related in a realm way to all that he was, she sensed the new layer of his strength, that he had truly accepted and embraced his mastyr calling. He felt complete to her now, born anew with power and purpose.
She gripped his arms as he deepened the kiss, his telepathic voice, overlaying her thoughts. I love you so much.
And I love you.
His tongue searched her mouth, moving in and out slowly, the promise of things to come.
Love rose like a powerful wave within her. She moaned, kissing him back, clutching his shoulders, his arms, his back. She wanted him to feel all that she was feeling, how much she loved him.
Brianna. His voice in her mind sent a fire raging through her. He drew back and held her gaze. “You’re like a storm in my soul right now. My mating vibration is so ready for you.”
“Mine as well.”
His gaze softened yet again, as love shone in his eyes. He guided her toward the fireplace, then in a swift, easy motion, stripped off his long-sleeved shirt.