world? More involved than—”
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands like a traffic cop, grinning a little. “I’m sorry.
You’re doing great, dealing with all of it. But this is a little different.”
“Different how?”
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends before releasing it.
“Different in that it involves our…relationship.”
Relationship? He thought they had a relationship? Rosie tried to squash the flare of happiness that erupted in her chest at his use of the word. Yes, she wanted them to have 82
Seduced and Enchanted
a relationship. She’d fallen for him the second she’d seen him and although she couldn’t—wouldn’t—put her feelings into words just yet, she knew Rio already meant more to her than any man ever had. Still, they’d only met yesterday and relationships didn’t work like that, did they?
For all she knew, Rio might tell her he was going to leave her with Sal to wait for her godmothers’ return. But then he’d practically instructed Lora, Vivian and Fanny to get lost and that he’d take care of her.
Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Rosie said, “Just spit it out, Rio.”
Hands stuffed in his pockets, arms tight with tension, he said, “I’m pretty sure the reason the spell broke when we were together was because we’re soul mates.”
She blinked. “Did you just say…soul mates?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Rosie might be more than a little bit of a hopeful romantic but she was also pragmatic enough to know that most men did not believe in love at first sight or soul mates. Still, Rio didn’t look like he was kidding. On the contrary, his expression was completely serious, not a hint of a smile in sight.
“And by that you mean…”
He stared straight into her eyes. “That we’re meant to be together. I believe we were blood-bound in a former life.”
Her eyes widened until she could feel her forehead scrunching. “Former life?
Blood-bound?”
He nodded solemnly. “Yes. In a former life. I believe if we look, we’ll find a mark on your hand or on your body, some mark you’ve always had, that you thought was a birthmark or a blemish. That will prove it.”
Her head spun from information overload. “What does blood-bound mean?”
83
Stephanie Julian
He paused again and his mouth twisted, as if he wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take what he had to say. “It’s a ritual, a magical ritual that binds our souls together throughout all eternity, ensuring that we find each other in every life.”
Whoa. That sounded…permanent. “And how does this happen?”
“We exchange blood during sex.”
Her mouth opened then closed then opened again. She didn’t have a clue what to say to that one.
Rio’s expression never changed. Actually it was curiously blank. Rosie had no idea what he was thinking. Was he happy about this? Was he pissed off that he’d been trapped by a past self into believing he should spend the rest of his life with her? Did he want to run fast and far and never look back?
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was no proof. “So where would this mark be?”
“Well, it could be on your hands, your chest or…you might not have a mark at all.”
She frowned, her brain at a dead stop. “Why not?”
“If you’d have been a virgin when we first made love, I could’ve cut myself and our blood would have mingled when—”
She held up her hand, blushing irrationally. “Got it.”
Now he smiled, the blasted man. “That’s considered the most preferable way.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I bet it is for the guy.”
“Ah Rosie, what man wouldn’t want to be his true love’s first and only?” His tone was completely sincere.
Well, when he put it that way, she couldn’t hold on to her sarcasm. “So do you have a mark?”
He didn’t speak right away and the pause made her heart beat heavily in her chest.
Then he lifted his right hand, palm up. She wasn’t close enough to really see what he
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands like a traffic cop, grinning a little. “I’m sorry.
You’re doing great, dealing with all of it. But this is a little different.”
“Different how?”
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends before releasing it.
“Different in that it involves our…relationship.”
Relationship? He thought they had a relationship? Rosie tried to squash the flare of happiness that erupted in her chest at his use of the word. Yes, she wanted them to have 82
Seduced and Enchanted
a relationship. She’d fallen for him the second she’d seen him and although she couldn’t—wouldn’t—put her feelings into words just yet, she knew Rio already meant more to her than any man ever had. Still, they’d only met yesterday and relationships didn’t work like that, did they?
For all she knew, Rio might tell her he was going to leave her with Sal to wait for her godmothers’ return. But then he’d practically instructed Lora, Vivian and Fanny to get lost and that he’d take care of her.
Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Rosie said, “Just spit it out, Rio.”
Hands stuffed in his pockets, arms tight with tension, he said, “I’m pretty sure the reason the spell broke when we were together was because we’re soul mates.”
She blinked. “Did you just say…soul mates?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Rosie might be more than a little bit of a hopeful romantic but she was also pragmatic enough to know that most men did not believe in love at first sight or soul mates. Still, Rio didn’t look like he was kidding. On the contrary, his expression was completely serious, not a hint of a smile in sight.
“And by that you mean…”
He stared straight into her eyes. “That we’re meant to be together. I believe we were blood-bound in a former life.”
Her eyes widened until she could feel her forehead scrunching. “Former life?
Blood-bound?”
He nodded solemnly. “Yes. In a former life. I believe if we look, we’ll find a mark on your hand or on your body, some mark you’ve always had, that you thought was a birthmark or a blemish. That will prove it.”
Her head spun from information overload. “What does blood-bound mean?”
83
Stephanie Julian
He paused again and his mouth twisted, as if he wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take what he had to say. “It’s a ritual, a magical ritual that binds our souls together throughout all eternity, ensuring that we find each other in every life.”
Whoa. That sounded…permanent. “And how does this happen?”
“We exchange blood during sex.”
Her mouth opened then closed then opened again. She didn’t have a clue what to say to that one.
Rio’s expression never changed. Actually it was curiously blank. Rosie had no idea what he was thinking. Was he happy about this? Was he pissed off that he’d been trapped by a past self into believing he should spend the rest of his life with her? Did he want to run fast and far and never look back?
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was no proof. “So where would this mark be?”
“Well, it could be on your hands, your chest or…you might not have a mark at all.”
She frowned, her brain at a dead stop. “Why not?”
“If you’d have been a virgin when we first made love, I could’ve cut myself and our blood would have mingled when—”
She held up her hand, blushing irrationally. “Got it.”
Now he smiled, the blasted man. “That’s considered the most preferable way.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I bet it is for the guy.”
“Ah Rosie, what man wouldn’t want to be his true love’s first and only?” His tone was completely sincere.
Well, when he put it that way, she couldn’t hold on to her sarcasm. “So do you have a mark?”
He didn’t speak right away and the pause made her heart beat heavily in her chest.
Then he lifted his right hand, palm up. She wasn’t close enough to really see what he
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