—seared me to my soul. Final y, he spoke.
“Turn around.”
Shivering with excitement, I did as he asked and let him examine my back side. I felt his fingers again, skating over my skin like a warm breeze. He traced shapes at my waist and down to my left hip, beneath the material of my panties.
When he spoke again, I had al but forgotten that there was a reason for my dishabil e.
“He needs the blood of Corruption, Death, Betrayal, Hatred, Envy and Doom to destroy me. He wil use it somehow to invade and vaporize my angelic form. Only one element can protect me and weaken him, but it doesn’t say which one yet.”
I looked over my shoulder again at Bo. His revelation was very sobering.
He stood and I turned toward him.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know how I understand what it means, but I do.”
“And you think Devon and Savannah are two of the people he needs?”
He nodded again. I thought as much, too.
“You know,” Bo said, sliding his fingers around my neck and into my hair. “We don’t have to do this. We could just run away together. We could forget about Sebastian, get married and spend eternity making love on a beach somewhere in a third world country.”
I wound my fingers around his wrist.
“You know we can’t do that. He’l always be looking for you, trying to find you and destroy the only person on the planet that could take his miserable life. This has to be done.”
“What if I don’t care? What if I’d rather risk it and spend as many years as I can with you?”
I smiled.
“You’re not that guy, Bo. It’s one of the thousands of reasons I love you.”
Bo took a step forward, bringing his body into contact with my scantily clad one until he was touching me from nipple to thigh. He wrapped the fingers of his other hand around my neck, rubbing his thumbs soothingly over my jawline.
“Once he’s gone, would you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Run away with me,” he answered, then added softly,
“marry me.”
My heart sped up, thudding wildly against my ribs.
I must be misunderstanding him, I thought.
“What do you- I mean, what are you saying?”
Bo’s eyes bored hot holes into mine.
“I’m asking if you’l marry me,” he whispered earnestly.
I caught and held my breath. A dozen random thoughts raced through my head, but beneath them al , a tril of pure euphoria rang.
I was so happy at the thought of pledging my life to Bo that I was speechless. But in my silence, Bo read a different meaning.
“I know you’re young, Ridley, and that you’ve got a lot of life ahead of you, but we wouldn’t have to do it right away.
We could wait a little while. I just wouldn’t want to wait too long, because if I’m mortal and you’re—”
“Yes,” I interrupted quietly.
“What?” Bo asked careful y, one corner of his mouth curling up hesitantly.
“I said ‘yes’,” I repeated, feeling a radiant smile curve my own lips.
“Real y?”
“Yes, real y.”
Bo’s faced relaxed into a boyish expression of sheer delight that warmed me to my toes. He’d actual y considered that I might say no and the thought of his insecurity made my consent feel al the sweeter.
With one sharp bark of laughter, Bo took his fingers out of my hair and grabbed me around the waist. Crushing my body to his, Bo lifted me off my feet and swung me around.
I tucked my face into his neck to smother the giggle of elation that bubbled in my throat. I noticed that Bo’s scent was stronger than usual and I realized that his blood was warm with happiness, saturating his skin with his unique aroma as it seeped through his pores. Maybe that’s why I always smel ed it so strongly. Maybe I made him happy.
Bo set me on my feet only to scoop me up and carry me to the bed. As he moved, a vision of me dying in his arms crept in to mar our sublime moment. I felt my smile falter for a fraction of a second, but Bo didn’t see it. When he laid me down and stood at the side of the bed, looking down at me with al the love in the world shining in his eyes, I forced my lips up into my brightest smile. I’d be the best actress Earth had ever seen if it meant keeping my troubles from Bo.
There were some things he didn’t need to know, some things he didn’t need to be bothered with, and my impending demise was definitely one of them.
For the next few hours, Bo was like a total y different person. He kissed and stroked nearly every inch of my skin, worshipping my body as if it were made of gold and glass.
He whispered the most wonderful words in my ear, sweet nothings that made my heart swel unbearably in my chest.
He tickled my feet until I couldn’t catch my breath, chasing me al over the bed to continue his torment.
I couldn’t help notice that his laugh was more carefree than I’d ever heard it, his face was more relaxed than I’d ever seen it and his heart seemed happier than I’d ever known it to be. For those few hours, the world outside the four wal s of that bedroom didn’t exist and neither did a future that held anything but optimistic sunrises and blissful sunsets.
We were laying on the bed, talking about that future, the one I was almost certain that I’d never see, when my phone rang. I knew before I picked it up who it would be. It was Savannah and she was ready for me to come get her.
“What did you tel your dad?” I asked.
“I told him that you were out of school for half the day and that we were going shopping and renting some movies for our girl’s weekend.”
“Quick thinking,” I stated appreciatively. “But half a day?
What do you—” I stopped myself before I could finish the question, pul ing the phone away from my ear to check the little blue numbers at the top of the screen. Sure enough, it was already almost lunch time.
“What was that?” Savannah prompted.
“Oh, nothing. So, he completely trusts you to come over here and spend the weekend in a house without adult supervision?”
“Ridley, I’m a blind girl. How much trouble can I real y get into?”
I snickered.
“He obviously has no idea.”
She chuckled, too. “Obviously! I’l see you in a few minutes then?”
“I’m on my way.”
We hung up and I looked over at Bo. He was on his side, lounging casual y on the velvet duvet, watching me with eyes that turned my guts inside out. I was very sad to see our playful, enchanting morning come to an end. I had no doubts, though, that I would treasure the memory of it for as long as I lived, however many days, years or decades that might end up being.