“SomeoneWhoCares”—ThreeDaysGrace
Iwoke with a start. Nico’s arm reflexively tightened around me. With a sigh of relief, I relaxed when I realized it had only been a dream and I was safe in bed with the man I loved. Though I was having a hard time shaking off the dream of the wolf with silver eyes.
Holy shit. I love him. Not that I should be surprised. In the back of my mind, I knew I’d loved him for years. Stubbornness and fear had kept us apart, but no more.
It had shaken me to the core when I had that dream that Nico had been shot. When he didn’t show up at my apartment, I called my brother. Imagine my surprise when he said he was sending Phoenix for me and to pack a bag for a few days. I’d never told a living soul about my dreams, so I didn’t know how to tell my brother I’d known something was wrong.
There was a knock on the door, and Nico stirred behind me.
“Who is it?” he called out in a voice rough from sleep.
“It is Madame Laveaux. Open the door. You must hurry!”
We both jolted out of the bed. Immediately, I missed the heat of his bare chest against my back.
Not bothering with a shirt, he padded barefoot to the door. With each step, I admired how his jeans sat low on his hips. He glanced over his shoulder as I was pulling one of his T-shirts out of the drawer and over my head. It fell nearly to my knees, and he smirked.
He’d barely gotten the door open before Madame Laveaux barged in and barked, “It’s time.”
“Time for what?” I asked in confusion as my gaze flickered from her to Nico and back.
“You must decide,” she said to me as if I had any idea what she was talking about.
“Decide what?” I asked, baffled at the wizened woman glaring at Nico with her arms akimbo.
“Youstillhaven’t told her?” she questioned with a huff.
Imagine my surprise when I saw my big, burly man appear chagrined and drop his gaze. Then again, Madame Laveaux had always had that effect on people. No one wanted to cross her out of fear that she might curse them. Those of us who knew her well simply respected the hell out of her and, along with a tiny dose of fear, did our best not to piss her off.
“Told me what?” I said in exasperation as I threw my arms out.
Madame Laveaux sighed as she shook her head. “Leave it to a man. I should’ve spoken to you myself. I’ve known you since you were little, chasing after the Ogun and Jude in your little pigtails.”
Nico had the balls to give me a playful grin at her mention of me in pigtails. I rolled my eyes, and he snickered.
“This is not a laughing matter!” She propped her fists on her hips and glared at Nico.
“Okay, look,” I finally said. “I have no clue what’s going on, so will someone please quit beating around the bush and tell me what you’re talking about?”
“I have brought the ingredients with the exception of the two most important,” she began. “Nico was supposed to talk to you to see if you were willing to commit to him.”
I choked, and he helpfully patted my back.
“Commit?” I believed we were pretty damn committed to each other, but was she talking about us gettingmarried? And what the hell did that have to do with the price of tea in China?
She sighed. “Jasmine. Do you love him? If so, I have a solution to the interference of his gift in your relationship. However, if you have not been able to heal your heart, it will be not only dangerous, but unadvisable.”
“Madame Laveaux, you can’t put that kind of pressure on her,” Nico argued with a furrowed brow. His sleep-tousled hair flopped in sexy disarray over his forehead and covered one deep brown eye.
“No, Nico, it’s okay. I should’ve told you before, because when I thought something had happened to you, I was beside myself with worry. When we went to bed, I was so thankful you were alive, but I realized I could’ve lost you without telling you how I feel. I do love you, Nico—more than words can say. Not that this was how I planned on telling you.” The last bit I muttered.
Mouth hanging open, he stared at me blinking for a moment before his face lit up and a smile brightened the room. He pulled me to him until my massive baby bump was sandwiched between us.
“You love me?” he asked with that wicked, wicked gleam in his eyes that matched his naughty grin.
“Yes,” I boldly admitted.
“Well, hot damn. Because guess what? I love you too.”