by Brea Viragh
“No, I was mowing the lawn.” He scowled at her. “Yes, I was asleep. It’s seven o’clock in the morning.”
Ouch, yes, she deserved that. “I know you probably don’t want to see me, but do you mind if I come inside?” He hesitated, and she continued a bit playfully. “You aren’t the type of man to leave a woman out in the cold, are you?”
“Sure, play on my hospitality,” he said tentatively. Elon swept his arm out to invite her inside. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Aisanna shivered, more from excitement than anything else. She had so much to tell him, so much he would need to hear. Would want to hear, if everything worked out in her favor. She kicked off her boots before entering the living room and sitting down on the couch.
Elon remained standing, looking disheveled and adorable in his blue flannel pajamas. Blue was his color, bringing out the richness of his eyes.
He scratched the back of his neck and looked at her, making herself comfortable as she shed her coat.
“Aisanna, you know I’m usually happy to see you whenever, wherever. But the last time we were together did not end well for me. You have to excuse me if I’m a little confused. Why would you show up on my doorstep now without calling first?”
“There are some things I need to tell you.”
“And it couldn’t wait? Is this an emergency?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then maybe we can schedule a better time to talk. I mean, come on. I don’t feel comfortable with this right now.”
She held her hands on her lap, openly staring into his handsome, terrible face. “I know there’s nothing I can say to make it better, and I’d take back what I did if I could. I acted like a fool and I know that now.”
“I have to say, you really hurt my feelings. How could you choose him? Especially after the—” He stopped, sucking in a deep breath. “After the night we shared.”
A small blush rose up to color his neck before he could stop it.
“Our night together was beautiful, Elon. And I am sorry. Really. I should never have said such horrible things. It doesn’t help that I was coming from a good place. A place where I wanted to protect you.”
“It’s not your call, Aisanna,” he said softly. “I can protect myself. It’s not up to you to decide how I live my life. You shouldn’t lead me on like that if you aren’t sure."
“I know.”
“You shouldn’t have let me believe I was special to you. You should have been more considerate of my feelings, which I’ve always been open about.”
“I know.”
“And you shouldn’t have—”
“Elon, I know!” She cut him off before he reached the end of his harangue. “Sit, please, and let me tell you why I’m here.”
A sane man would have told her to get out. Stood firm in his resolve. But this was Aisanna. It always came down to that. She was Aisanna Cavaldi, and no matter what she said, what she did, he would love her until death drew the last breath from his body.
“Of course.” He sat next to her, resting his hand loosely on hers. “Go on.”
She turned her palm under his and squeezed. “I came here to tell you I am sorry. For everything. I am truly sorry.”
“You’re sorry.”
“Yes. For leading you on and treating you like you don’t matter,” she reminded him. “Because you do matter, Elon. You matter to me very much.”
“Don’t say these things to me.” Sweat beaded on his brow despite the comfort of his house. It made him nervous when she spoke like that. Too long he’d waited to hear those very words. And now they hung in the air between them and he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Dared not believe. “Not if you don’t really mean them.”
Aisanna drew on her magic, the integral part of her always there beneath the surface. It imbued her with warmth and certainty. She spoke to him as she conjured, her voice light and her power flowing forth. “For years I thought I was unable to love, unable to give myself to anyone or touch the heat of passion. I’ve had many things happen to me lately. Things that shook me down to the core. I walked the precipice of life and death. My sister was hurt and has possibly succumbed to evil. And through it all, I saw your face, like morning’s light shining down to break through the darkness.”
“You saw me?”
“Yes, silly, I saw you. I realized something about myself through it all. I realized that I can love. I do love. I love someone very special.” A single tear slid down her cheek, though not from sadness.
When she separated their palms, it revealed a single black flower. Velvety petals unfurled from a neon-blue center flecked through with yellow. The pistils glowed with internal energy, like a universe held within.
“Just like this flower, nothing and no one like him exists in this world. He is unique and perfect.”
“And who is this man?” Elon asked, bringing her gaze back to his.
Aisanna met his eyes and smiled. “He’s you.”
He swallowed hard. “Please, I can’t take any more games. If you’re toying with me, then tell me now and save me the trouble of depression and therapy.”
“This is not a game. Not an illusion.” She stood and drew him up with her, bringing his hands up to cup the flower. “I love you, Elon Fayer. I may not have known it at first, but I know it now. I know it with the blazing truth of a thousand suns. And it scares the hell out of me.”
“You love me,” he repeated.
“Yes. I love you.” She brought his hand to her cheek until the blossom was cupped between them. “We’re stronger together than we are apart. I was too afraid, drowning in fear from the thought that she might use you against me. She knows what’s in my heart. I couldn’t think clearly.”
“You think you can save me?”
“I think we can save each other.”
At first, his eyes were blank with forced indifference as he took her in. There were bruises on her face. A lump on the back of her head and dirt smudged across her nose. Soon understanding blossomed and flashed across his face. He exhaled loudly and crushed her to him, burying his nose in her hair. Unable to do anything except murmur her name.
She tightened her grip in return.
“Well, that’s a damn good thing,” he told her. “Because I have been in love with you since the first day I met you.”
“I know. Oh, believe me, I have known. I only regret it took me this long to come around.”
His arms felt so good around her. Warm, comforting, safe. She could handle anything with those arms there to hold her at the end of the day.
“I’m not afraid anymore, Elon. I’m tired of feeling terrified and pathetic. I know what real madness is, and now I have the will to fight.”
“You know I’m going to have to pay you back for making me suffer.” He stroked her hair. “Damn, woman.”
“I’m bad, I know.” She chuckled as he bent to kiss her, cupping her face in his hands. Their future together stretched out before them in glorious color.
“If we end up having kids—” He ignored her choked intake of air. “—then there’s a fifty/fifty chance our children will have magic.”
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself there, mister. But yes. If we have a girl, she’ll be a witch, like me. A boy wouldn’t inherit my magic. Although…” She eased back enough to look at him. “Take a look at my sister Astix. She inherited my father’s magic. Never say never.”
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “Look, Elon, I’ve done things my way until now because that was how I wanted to live my life. I walked the path I chose. I didn’t know then, but I know now that I was waiting for you. And damn if you haven’t complicated things for me, but I’ll never go back. I will never go back to living my life without you, Elon.”
“Good. And you will never have to.”
Everything inside of her welled up and shone brightly. A vast weight suddenly lifted off her chest. She felt like it had been there her entire life, an invisible anchor drawi
ng her deeper and deeper until someone cut the chain and it dropped away soundlessly. Her chest expanded and she drew in a breath, her head feeling as if it bobbed up toward the ceiling like an over-inflated balloon at a kid’s birthday party.
She took a moment before speaking, to be certain she was calm, leaning against him. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Laughing, Elon drew her into a bear hug, swinging her around until her feet left the floor.
“Put me down before I get sick!” The demand was halfhearted.
Slowly, not wanting to leap ahead when a simple step was warranted, he set her on her feet, watched her lift her head to look at him. Then she smiled, and it told Elon everything he needed to know. “I’m never going to let you go.”
She laughed. “Good.”
“What do we do now?”
“Anything.” She drew up on her tiptoes to touch her lips to his. “Everything. As long as we’re together.”
“You got yourself a deal.”
“Although I should warn you…things are going to get a little bumpy after this. My sister is still out there.” Her face hardened. “I’ll do everything I can to get her back. But I don’t need you to—”
He cut her off. “When are you going to learn? I’m here. Whatever you need. Just take me along and I can handle myself.”
“I’m not afraid anymore. You can handle yourself. And I know, when I’m with you, I’m a stronger person. So we’ll find her.”
“We’ll find her. I promise.”
Elon placed his fingertips over her heart, surprised when his own timed its beats to match. That, he thought, was the truest magic.
THE END
AFTERWORD
Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned to learn about upcoming releases, available titles, teasers, and more. Be sure to check out my other steamy romances HERE.
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The story continues with Karsia and Morgan in In the Dark (Cavaldi Birthright Book 3)
Also by Brea Viragh
Contemporary Romance
The Promise Me series
Hold Me
Touch Me
Kiss Me
Love Me
Heartwood Novels
Sugar and Gold
Your Hand in Mine (coming 2018)
Paranormal Romance
Pike
The Cavaldi Birthright series
Fate Walks (Book One)
Morning’s Light (Book Two)
In the Dark (Book Three)
Twilight Sun (Book Four)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BREA VIRAGH is a contemporary and paranormal romance writer based in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is a proud Gryffindor, a graduate of Brakebills, and a member of Fairy Tail. When she isn’t writing and daydreaming about her newest project, her hobbies include binge-watching HGTV, scouring thrift shops for goodies, and maintaining her alpha status among her boyfriend, puppy, and three cats.
Feel free to stalk her online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads