My wife.
Those words, and in his deep voice, stir my soul and warm the corners of my heart.
I search his eyes, loving how the mingle of moonlight and the poolside lights give him an otherworldly look.
“I’m not your wife yet, so they can live,” I answer as nonchalantly as I can, trying to hide the effect of his words on me.
“From the moment you entered this house, you were my wife, married or not. So they better not look at what’s mine if they want to live.” He’s smiling as if he’s talking about something simple, but I know he’s serious.
I chuckle and he catches my face, looking at me now as if he’s inspecting me.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you laugh.”
Really? I would never have noticed if he hadn’t pointed it out.
“Maybe it’s because you seem less evil. You’re also naked. Aren’t you worried about the guards seeing you?”
He gives me a wolfish grin. “They know not to look when I’m out here. Now, back to you. What’s going on with you, Valkyrie?”
What do I start with?
I’m not going to talk about Gytha and look like I need Desmier every time I have a run-in with her. I also don’t want to think about him being with her—which I hope he wasn’t. So I think of the safe things we can talk about and start with those.
“Where were you?” My voice is meek and mellow. Different from how I thought I’d sound if I ever asked this question.
“Working.”
“So late?”
He leans in and kisses my forehead. “Yeah. I have a million and one things to do.”
“Why do you have to work so much? And all the time?”
His expression becomes lighter as he looks deeper into my eyes. “Do I sense that you’d like me not to work so much?”
“Well, I thought it’s odd if you’re going back to sea soon. Aren’t you?”
Something dims in his eyes, and he glances down for a second. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“When?” All these long weeks have passed, and he’s never said.
“I’m not sure yet. Things have to be running smoothly here before I leave.”
I decide not to ask when he’ll be back as I already look a little clingy for bringing up the topic. I definitely won’t ask about Gytha going with him.
I guess things will be like when he was gone to L.A. Just longer. And worse. When he was in L.A., we hadn’t gotten this close.
I don’t even know why I’m worrying over that because I don’t know what this thing is between us. The only thing I know is what I shouldn’t want it to be.
“I don’t think that’s what brought you out here though, is it? Ehlga said she heard you screaming like you were having a nightmare. Another one.”
“I didn’t know she was awake.”Or that she could hear me. God, that’s so embarrassing.
“She’s up sometimes at this hour, baking.”
“Oh.”