Robert. I
don’t deserve you.”
He backed her into the wall, his lips
trailing over her ear. “Don’t ever tell me that again, Liz. You
deserve the very best, and you will always own my heart and soul.
His lips descended on hers, and she melted into him.
* * * *
Tremaine stood at his window, watching
Robert and Liz talk up in her room until hands disappeared under
clothes. At that point, he needed some air and went for a walk.
He made it down to a diner where Preston sat
alone, staring at his plate. Tremaine stepped into the diner and
took a seat across from the young mage. “You okay?” He asked.
Preston looked up, his pale blue eyes
narrowed. “Can I ask you something?”
Tremaine nodded. He had a feeling about
where this was going.
“Why is it, after every summer of proving
ourselves, and especially Liz’s character, Robert and I were told
that we’re to watch over her and keep her from making a mistake,
like she’s on an unofficial probation?”
Tremaine glanced out the window. “Maynard
has suspicions about where Liz came from. He has no evidence, and
he’s wrong. I’ve tried my damnedest to keep this from happening,
but I can’t change the inner circle, no matter how much I try.”
“It’s not fair.”
He let out a heavy breath. Even Draecyn was
upset with the way things went after her final test. “Did you know
that Liz nearly killed Maynard? They matched her with him, and she
channeled a storm into her spell. The instructors had to pull out
all the stops to shield the prick from being fried.”
“No one but his equally slimy son, no one
would have missed Maynard.”
Tremaine snorted. “Look, keep doing missions
the way you always have. Eventually, I hope they see.”
“That is horse shit. She’s the only reason
we always succeed. I still think you plan it that way.”
He nodded. “She’s always been my first
priority. Can you blame me?”
“No. Robert says the same thing. In all
honestly, I don’t want to see anything happen to her either. I
don’t see why she has to keep proving herself like this.”
“She doesn’t know. It would be best to keep
it that way for now.
Preston groaned. “Yeah, don’t worry.”
Tremaine looked out the window.
“So what brings you in?” Preston asked.
He looked back. “Did you know Robert
proposed to Liz?”
Preston’s mouth fell open. “Did she actually
say yes?”
“No, but they seemed to have come to an
agreement.”
Preston slid back in his seat. “I may need
to sleep on your couch or something.”
Tremaine chuckled. “Anytime, Preston,
anytime. Just try not to tell me what’s going on over there. I was
fine until I saw the way they were kissing. It was a sight I didn’t
need to see.”
He still wasn’t sure she was old enough to
be with a man. He’d never really considered her a woman until he
saw her meet Robert’s kiss with her own passion. If Robert wasn’t
so perfect for her, he might have had an argument.
Liz would always be his girl to protect, to
keep safe. Seeing her that way, made him realize she was all grown
up and needed to find her own way. She was in love with Robert, and
Robert would never let anything happen to her.
It didn’t mean Tremaine wouldn’t watch from
the sidelines to keep her safe. He would always put her first.
Preston scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Yeah, well I got an eyeful I never intended to get when she woke
up screaming.”
Tremaine sat up. “Nightmares?”
Preston nodded. “Yeah, you could hear the
terror in her voice. I thought something had happened, but Robert
was rocking her as he tried to calm her down. Neither of them had a
stitch of clothing on.”
Tremaine shook his head, trying not to think
about that. “There’s an image I can live without.”
Preston snorted. “Yeah, me too, because if
they weren’t so perfect together, I might want her as my own. That
would screw with my reputation, because I’m not ready to settle
down with
don’t deserve you.”
He backed her into the wall, his lips
trailing over her ear. “Don’t ever tell me that again, Liz. You
deserve the very best, and you will always own my heart and soul.
His lips descended on hers, and she melted into him.
* * * *
Tremaine stood at his window, watching
Robert and Liz talk up in her room until hands disappeared under
clothes. At that point, he needed some air and went for a walk.
He made it down to a diner where Preston sat
alone, staring at his plate. Tremaine stepped into the diner and
took a seat across from the young mage. “You okay?” He asked.
Preston looked up, his pale blue eyes
narrowed. “Can I ask you something?”
Tremaine nodded. He had a feeling about
where this was going.
“Why is it, after every summer of proving
ourselves, and especially Liz’s character, Robert and I were told
that we’re to watch over her and keep her from making a mistake,
like she’s on an unofficial probation?”
Tremaine glanced out the window. “Maynard
has suspicions about where Liz came from. He has no evidence, and
he’s wrong. I’ve tried my damnedest to keep this from happening,
but I can’t change the inner circle, no matter how much I try.”
“It’s not fair.”
He let out a heavy breath. Even Draecyn was
upset with the way things went after her final test. “Did you know
that Liz nearly killed Maynard? They matched her with him, and she
channeled a storm into her spell. The instructors had to pull out
all the stops to shield the prick from being fried.”
“No one but his equally slimy son, no one
would have missed Maynard.”
Tremaine snorted. “Look, keep doing missions
the way you always have. Eventually, I hope they see.”
“That is horse shit. She’s the only reason
we always succeed. I still think you plan it that way.”
He nodded. “She’s always been my first
priority. Can you blame me?”
“No. Robert says the same thing. In all
honestly, I don’t want to see anything happen to her either. I
don’t see why she has to keep proving herself like this.”
“She doesn’t know. It would be best to keep
it that way for now.
Preston groaned. “Yeah, don’t worry.”
Tremaine looked out the window.
“So what brings you in?” Preston asked.
He looked back. “Did you know Robert
proposed to Liz?”
Preston’s mouth fell open. “Did she actually
say yes?”
“No, but they seemed to have come to an
agreement.”
Preston slid back in his seat. “I may need
to sleep on your couch or something.”
Tremaine chuckled. “Anytime, Preston,
anytime. Just try not to tell me what’s going on over there. I was
fine until I saw the way they were kissing. It was a sight I didn’t
need to see.”
He still wasn’t sure she was old enough to
be with a man. He’d never really considered her a woman until he
saw her meet Robert’s kiss with her own passion. If Robert wasn’t
so perfect for her, he might have had an argument.
Liz would always be his girl to protect, to
keep safe. Seeing her that way, made him realize she was all grown
up and needed to find her own way. She was in love with Robert, and
Robert would never let anything happen to her.
It didn’t mean Tremaine wouldn’t watch from
the sidelines to keep her safe. He would always put her first.
Preston scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Yeah, well I got an eyeful I never intended to get when she woke
up screaming.”
Tremaine sat up. “Nightmares?”
Preston nodded. “Yeah, you could hear the
terror in her voice. I thought something had happened, but Robert
was rocking her as he tried to calm her down. Neither of them had a
stitch of clothing on.”
Tremaine shook his head, trying not to think
about that. “There’s an image I can live without.”
Preston snorted. “Yeah, me too, because if
they weren’t so perfect together, I might want her as my own. That
would screw with my reputation, because I’m not ready to settle
down with
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