shock.
What just happened?
She was still thinking about it when Luc brought her a glass of lemonade from the kitchen. “Thanks,” she said, bringing it to her lips for a slow sip. As she calmed, she thought over the situation, and something ridiculous struck her.
“You were hiding. In my bushes,” she said.
He nodded seriously. “I was stalking you.”
She let out a laugh and then covered her mouth. “Oh my gosh, why on earth were you doing that?”
“I wanted you to know I wanted you. That you weren’t a one-night stand,” he said.
She looked him over and noted the little bits of shrubbery stuck to his shirt and pants. “How long were you there?”
“A few hours,” he said with a shrug. “The right amount I guess.” He cracked his knuckles together. “I had no idea that was going to happen, or I’d be staying in your bushes day and night.”
“Or you could stay inside with me,” she suggested.
He gave her a small smile. “I’d like that.” He walked over and pulled a chair next to her, looking pleased with himself. “I didn’t beat the crap out of him; did you notice that?”
“I did,” she said. “I was pretty impressed.”
“I know,” he said. “But seriously, are you okay? Because I also wanted to talk to you about last night, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure,” she said, her heart pounding nervously.
He went back to his couch and leaned forward, facing her. As usual, his hair was mussed, and he still looked like the most handsome thing she’d ever seen. “I sent the wrong message last night,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to say I didn’t want to commit. It’s just, for what I am, mating is a very big deal. And I’ve never met a woman I wanted to mate, so I didn’t know how it worked. You’re tempting, and I didn’t want to screw something up.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she said. “What do you mean screw things up?”
“Trap you,” he said. “Mating is permanent.”
She rubbed her temples with both hands. “I don’t know what that means, mating. Are you some kind of animal?”
“Not exactly,” he said.
“Are you ever going to tell me what you are?” she asked.
“I think so,” he said. “When the time is right.” He sat up with a long sigh. “Okay, so from the top… When I came here, I was given a mission. One I didn’t think I could complete.” He touched his necklace. “I was supposed to prove I could care about the human world. I didn’t want to ever do that again. I cared once, and it broke me. It broke a lot of people.” Guilt clouded his blue eyes, and he looked away for a moment before turning back. “So I was planning to just sit here and do nothing and wait for my punishment.”
“What was the punishment?” she asked.
“Oblivion,” he said flatly.
Her heart sank, and her stomach twisted at the thought. “So you changed your mind?”
“I think so.” He nodded. “I mean, it’s scary to care again, but I really do. I care about you… and Bastien. And even some others.” He twisted his fingers together. “I just… I’m bad at it still. When I left last night, I thought I was doing the best thing. I didn’t know what it meant to leave.” He gave her a hopeful look. “But if you’ll let me, I’ll stay tonight.”
She felt hope welling up in her, filling her like a hot air balloon, making her feel floaty. “You want to?”
“Of course I want to,” he said, folding his arms. “I wanted to last night. But as you’ve seen, I don’t always have the best judgment, even when I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“I know,” she said. “I didn’t react the best either.”
They both smiled and then sat in awkward silence together. She took a deep breath. “Well, you were right. He was a creep.”
“Yeah,” he said. “But I could have been better about telling you about it.”
She came over and sat next to him on the couch, and as he put his arm around her, she enjoyed the warm, soothing feeling that
What just happened?
She was still thinking about it when Luc brought her a glass of lemonade from the kitchen. “Thanks,” she said, bringing it to her lips for a slow sip. As she calmed, she thought over the situation, and something ridiculous struck her.
“You were hiding. In my bushes,” she said.
He nodded seriously. “I was stalking you.”
She let out a laugh and then covered her mouth. “Oh my gosh, why on earth were you doing that?”
“I wanted you to know I wanted you. That you weren’t a one-night stand,” he said.
She looked him over and noted the little bits of shrubbery stuck to his shirt and pants. “How long were you there?”
“A few hours,” he said with a shrug. “The right amount I guess.” He cracked his knuckles together. “I had no idea that was going to happen, or I’d be staying in your bushes day and night.”
“Or you could stay inside with me,” she suggested.
He gave her a small smile. “I’d like that.” He walked over and pulled a chair next to her, looking pleased with himself. “I didn’t beat the crap out of him; did you notice that?”
“I did,” she said. “I was pretty impressed.”
“I know,” he said. “But seriously, are you okay? Because I also wanted to talk to you about last night, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure,” she said, her heart pounding nervously.
He went back to his couch and leaned forward, facing her. As usual, his hair was mussed, and he still looked like the most handsome thing she’d ever seen. “I sent the wrong message last night,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to say I didn’t want to commit. It’s just, for what I am, mating is a very big deal. And I’ve never met a woman I wanted to mate, so I didn’t know how it worked. You’re tempting, and I didn’t want to screw something up.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she said. “What do you mean screw things up?”
“Trap you,” he said. “Mating is permanent.”
She rubbed her temples with both hands. “I don’t know what that means, mating. Are you some kind of animal?”
“Not exactly,” he said.
“Are you ever going to tell me what you are?” she asked.
“I think so,” he said. “When the time is right.” He sat up with a long sigh. “Okay, so from the top… When I came here, I was given a mission. One I didn’t think I could complete.” He touched his necklace. “I was supposed to prove I could care about the human world. I didn’t want to ever do that again. I cared once, and it broke me. It broke a lot of people.” Guilt clouded his blue eyes, and he looked away for a moment before turning back. “So I was planning to just sit here and do nothing and wait for my punishment.”
“What was the punishment?” she asked.
“Oblivion,” he said flatly.
Her heart sank, and her stomach twisted at the thought. “So you changed your mind?”
“I think so.” He nodded. “I mean, it’s scary to care again, but I really do. I care about you… and Bastien. And even some others.” He twisted his fingers together. “I just… I’m bad at it still. When I left last night, I thought I was doing the best thing. I didn’t know what it meant to leave.” He gave her a hopeful look. “But if you’ll let me, I’ll stay tonight.”
She felt hope welling up in her, filling her like a hot air balloon, making her feel floaty. “You want to?”
“Of course I want to,” he said, folding his arms. “I wanted to last night. But as you’ve seen, I don’t always have the best judgment, even when I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“I know,” she said. “I didn’t react the best either.”
They both smiled and then sat in awkward silence together. She took a deep breath. “Well, you were right. He was a creep.”
“Yeah,” he said. “But I could have been better about telling you about it.”
She came over and sat next to him on the couch, and as he put his arm around her, she enjoyed the warm, soothing feeling that
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