“Road trip,” Nick said instantly. “I’ll take you. No World’s Biggest, I promise.”
“I meant something like a job,” Raluca said. “Not a vacation.”
Nick laughed. “I know. The idea is that while you’re on the road trip, you figure out what you want to do.”
Journey nodded. “Nick’s right. The traditional American way to find yourself is to go somewhere else, to get a new perspective. But it doesn’t have to be a road trip. You could travel the world.”
“I already did that,” Raluca said.
“Join the Marines,” Ethan suggested.
Rafa snorted. “Navy SEALs beat Marines.”
“PJs beat SEALs,” said Shane.
Destiny rapped her teammates on the head. “PJs and SEALs don’t take women. Anyway, if you want a military career, the Army is obviously the best.”
“She doesn’t want a military career,” Nick said, saving Raluca from having to find a polite way to say so. “Get a grip.”
“It is an American tradition,” Hal pointed out, flipping a steak.
Fiona set down her cocktail. “You’re all missing the obvious. Go to college. Take different courses. See what appeals to you. Once you get a sense of that, if it’s something that needs a degree, you’re already on your way. If not, you drop out and do whatever it is that you want. It’s traditional, and unlike everything else that’s been suggested, it’s something Raluca might actually enjoy.”
“I would enjoy the road trip,” Raluca said, unable to resist coming to Nick’s defense. Then she added, “But college is an interesting idea. Thank you, Fiona. I will think about it.”
***
After the party ended, Nick and Raluca were left alone in their new home. They’d walked the guests out, so they were in the living room. The apartment seemed very quiet after the noise and chatter of the party. And after being with so many people, being alone together felt very intimate.
“Sorry about the non-proposal,” Nick said.
Raluca smiled. “I truly do not care. As I said, we had already made our vows. The wedding is a formality. However, I should like a proper one. It will take some time to plan...”
“Yeah, you do that part. Have fun with it. I’m fine with anything, so long as you’re there. Just like our new apartment.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “Want to try out our new bed?”
“I would. And I have something else I would like to try out, as well.”
Nick’s breath caught at her words. “A new position?”
“You shall see,” she teased.
Raluca gave a startled gasp as Nick pounced. He swept her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She lay back, enjoying his strength and grace, especially after all the days he’d spent in bed with his leg in a cast. But he walked without a hint of weakness, and carried her as if she weighed nothing.
He pivoted as they came to the doorway, making sure he didn’t knock her feet into the frame, and his black hair fell in tousled locks across his forehead. She raised a hand to toy with it, tugging lightly. It was so soft. Raluca never tired of touching it.
“I love how you play with my hair.” Nick bent his head, and she obligingly ran her fingers through it.
Then he laid her down on the bed. It was king-sized and luxurious, with four polished wooden posts and a canopy. It had been Raluca’s choice, but she hadn’t had to do much persuasion once she pointed out that since they both had shifter strength, a smaller or less sturdy bed might break beneath them.
Nick stood at the end, waiting, his green eyes gleaming with curiosity. But when Raluca did nothing but lie where he had placed her, teasing him with her silence, he took off his boots, then sat on the bed and began to undress her. She shivered with excitement as he removed her shoes, briefly cupped her feet in his strong hands, then unzipped her dress. She wriggled out of it and draped it over a nearby chair, then lay back again and let him take off her bra and panties.
The air was cool on her bare skin. Her nipples hardened as Nick reached out toward them, before he even touched them. But she made herself put her palm against his chest, holding him away. “Not yet.”
Raluca took a moment to savor the sight of him fully dressed in black jeans and black leather jacket, leaning over her naked body, before she said, “For what I want to do, you must be nude.”
His grin was more hungry than playful. “I’m going to like this, aren’t I?”
“We shall see.”