“Why?” I asked.
Jared shifted in his seat. “It wasn’t exactly planned. I feel like I ambushed you.”
“That’s the kind of ambush I don’t mind,” I smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Jared cautiously smiled. “You’re okay, then?”
“I’m better than okay. I’m looking forward to the next ambush, actual y.” I leaned over to kiss his neck, making my way to his ear.
Jared chuckled. “We might not leave the loft for the rest of the summer with you behaving like that.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” I whispered, grazing my tongue along the edge of his ear.
“And when do you plan on getting your things from Andrews? Your mother is expecting you to move back home this weekend. I have quite a bit of work to do, taking down the tech from your room, the hal ….” he trailed off, distracted by my mouth on his ear.
I pul ed back and stared at him for a moment. Before I could verbalize the ingenious idea that popped into my head, a broad smile spread across my face.
“What?” he asked, smiling as wel .
“Since we’re moving my things…why don’t we just bring them here?” I said, searching his eyes for a reaction.
Jared’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “You want to move into the loft?”
I shrugged, unsure what his reaction meant. I wasn’t exactly confident that the offer was stil open. “If it’s okay.”
“If it’s okay? Do you know how happy you just made me?” he said, scanning my face with unconditional devotion in his eyes.
“So that’s a yes?”
Jared laughed out loud, shook his head, and then kissed me enthusiastical y. “That is a definite, without a doubt, absolutely yes.”
I giggled with excitement as Jared pul ed me over to his lap, kissing me with every bit the joy that I felt. In the course of just twelve hours, the last six weeks dissolved as if they’d never happened. Before the nightmare had ended, we’d gotten our miracle. It had turned out that it was up to us al along.
We spent the rest of the weekend moving boxes and smal pieces of furniture. Jared insisted on doing most of the lifting, and I hummed along with the stereo as I unpacked my things. We seemed to only get a few boxes unpacked at a time before we were celebrating my homecoming upstairs, only to come downstairs, unpack a few boxes and start the process over again.
After a heated weekend inside, Jared decided that we should get some fresh air. Monday morning I walked outside to perfect weather. The air smel ed of freshly cut grass and sunshine. I lifted my head towards the cloudless sky, closing my eyes and smiling as the sun filtered through my eyelids.
Jared climbed onto his Vulcan and smiled. “Lil ian wanted me to ask you to dinner. Before you say anything,” he hedged, seeing my shocked expression, “she suggested we meet in a restaurant. She doesn’t want you to feel obligated, but she would like to see you again. She misses you.”
I sighed. “How can she miss me? I assumed the undeserved partial treatment would end after she heard what happened.”
Jared tucked my hair affectionately behind my ear. “She knows what you’re going through, and you’re the only one that knows what she went through. You have a lot in common.”
“We don’t have to go to a restaurant. She can come to our place or we can go over there. I’m not afraid.”
Jared’s eyes poured over my face, wearing a perfectly content expression.
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
His eyes turned soft. “Our place.”
He started the engine and I slipped on my sunglasses, climbing on behind him. The summer air whipped around us as Jared flew down the streets, and I pressed my cheek against his back, feeling happier than I ever had.
We came to a stoplight and Jared rested his hand on my knee. “We can get the rest of your things from Cynthia’s in the morning. And if you want to get some paint, we can do that, too,” he said, trying too hard to sound casual.
I peered around to see his face. “And why do we need paint?”
Jared shrugged. “The loft doesn’t exactly scream cohabitation. If you want to make it your own, we can get you what you need.”
“Aw!” I lilted, making Jared cringe and shake his head.
I tightened my grip and then rested my forehead on his back. He stiffened and I raised my head to see what had caused him to tense. Samuel stood in front of us, massive and dark as night. His arms were crossed over his chest, making him seem even more ominous. I cowered behind Jared, my heartbeat instantly pounding in my chest.
“Hel o, Nina,” Samuel spoke. His expression seemed to soften but his features were so severe it wasn’t as comforting as he might have meant for it to be.
“You must have news,” Jared said.
“I do,” Samuel said, breaking his stare from me. “Shax has received information that Jack had the book secured in a bank that you and Nina alone have access to.”
“This is bad,” Jared said in a low, portentous tone.
“They also know that Nina’s ring has a code embedded in it that they need. There is talk, Jared. They’l be coming for her soon.”
Jared sat for a moment, lost in thought. His head jerked up to look at Samuel. “Not if we give it to them.”
“Jared!” I cried.
He turned to me and touched my face. “Nina, I don’t know why Jack has the book. But it’s not worth your life.”
“You’re assuming Shax wil stop once he has the book,” Samuel said, his voice matching his frightening features.
“How did they come into this knowledge?” Jared growled.
“How else?” Samuel narrowed his eyes. “Humans.”
I began to ask Samuel what he meant, but just as before, the space he occupied lost any memory of him.
Jared revved the engine and flew to the loft. He dismounted and pul ed me off the seat, barely letting my feet touch the ground before ushering me up the stairs.
He kicked the door shut and held my shoulders. “I’m going to figure this out, Nina. No one’s in danger. I’m going to end this, okay?” His words were so fast they blurred together, and his eyes were stormy and tense.
“Okay,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his lips.
He watched me warily when I pul ed away. “Okay?” he asked.
I touched his face lightly with my fingertips. “I couldn’t stay away from you even when I thought I had to. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
Jared’s eyes turned soft, and he lifted my hand with his ring stil in place. “And you keep your promises.”
Chapter Eighteen
Shax
The next morning I awoke in the same state I had the five days before: tangled in sheets, muscles aching, eyes tired, stomach hungry, and everything else in an utter state of bliss.
Jared tightened his arms around me as I stretched. “Why don’t you go back to sleep?” he said, kissing my neck.
I slid my bare leg over his hip. “Why would I want to waste time sleeping when you’re awake?”
He grinned as he ran his hand up my thigh. “Because you’re human, and you need more than two hours of sleep a night. Not that I’m complaining, I just need to quit being so selfish and make sure you get to sleep earlier than six A.M.”