sign his death sentence, he chuckled, taking a step toward her. “Besides, you are far prettier than she could ever be.”
His compliment didn’t register on her face. In fact, her frown deepened. “She’s elegant.”
“Yes, she is very elegant.” He took another step forward.
While he knew tonight with Thalia would be interesting, he was pleased no other past lovers would act in such a manner. Every other lover before Thalia was in a long-term relationship now. And that made him damn happy. He didn’t mind Nexi showing her ownership of him, but he also didn’t enjoy seeing her doubt what they have.
“You slept with her,” Nexi accused.
“I did.” He shrugged and thought it best to admit, “And a handful of others, too.”
Her eyes went huge, a dark red flush creeping over her cheeks. “Oh my God, you seriously need to work on what you say to me. Do guardians have no common sense?” She threw up her hands and began pacing in front of the bed. “Do you honestly think that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No sense ignoring the truth, and now that I’ve discovered you have a jealous side, I do think for my own safety it’s best to be forthright.” He slowly approached her, loving seeing her this way. Nexi had been a virgin when Kyden met her, with very few mortal relationships in her past—and he figured that happened only because Nexi, as a supernatural, wouldn’t have been sexually attracted to mortals when growing up. He suspected she dated humans because that was perceived to be the normal thing to do.
Unable to stand the distance between them, he closed in on her, taking her hand and placing it on his heart. “While others may have shared my body, no one has ever had
this.
” Nexi had stolen that from him. Only her soul could possess it. So giving. So loving. So unselfish. So fiery. “My heart is
yours.
”
She held his stare for a long few seconds, then her eyes lost a bit of heat. “Okay, keep talking, I’m starting to forgive you.”
Case in point, this is why he loved her. The sass, the quick wit, the fire—it all captivated him. She was mentally, emotionally, and stubbornly as strong as him, and he found it thrilling. Pressing her hand tight against his bare chest, hoping she could feel the beat of his heart, he added, “It’s only you, and always will be you, who stays right here in my heart and on my mind
, Álainn.
”
Her shoulders lowered as she exhaled obvious tension, reaching up to run her hands over his quivering biceps from the heat of her fingers. “You should have warned me that Thalia was an old lover of yours before we went.”
“Possibly that might have been better, but…what would have happened if I did?”
Without a single hesitation, she spat out, “I would’ve bitch-slapped that vampire just because your lips—and other parts of your body that we are not going to talk about—have once touched hers.”
“Precisely.” He restrained his chuckle, tapping her nose. “You need Thalia as an ally, whether you like that or not. I wanted you to like her and for her to like you as well. I knew once you met her with more of an open mind, you’d see she has a kind heart and only friendship remains between us.” Gods, this woman warmed him. The way she looked at him with those soulful eyes stopped his world from moving. She also made him rock hard, and he pressed such evidence against her belly. “I knew all of that, because your sweet heart is one of the reasons I love you.”
Again, she heaved a long sigh. “Fine, you’re right—I did notice all of the above. But it also doesn’t mean I have to become BFFs with her.”
“I never said that you did.” Trapped in the passion that burned so brightly between them, he dragged a finger across her cheek, seeing flares of possessiveness dancing in her eyes. “Nonetheless, I didn’t want your first introduction to Thalia to be about what has happened with me in the past.”
“You are
not
allowed
His compliment didn’t register on her face. In fact, her frown deepened. “She’s elegant.”
“Yes, she is very elegant.” He took another step forward.
While he knew tonight with Thalia would be interesting, he was pleased no other past lovers would act in such a manner. Every other lover before Thalia was in a long-term relationship now. And that made him damn happy. He didn’t mind Nexi showing her ownership of him, but he also didn’t enjoy seeing her doubt what they have.
“You slept with her,” Nexi accused.
“I did.” He shrugged and thought it best to admit, “And a handful of others, too.”
Her eyes went huge, a dark red flush creeping over her cheeks. “Oh my God, you seriously need to work on what you say to me. Do guardians have no common sense?” She threw up her hands and began pacing in front of the bed. “Do you honestly think that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No sense ignoring the truth, and now that I’ve discovered you have a jealous side, I do think for my own safety it’s best to be forthright.” He slowly approached her, loving seeing her this way. Nexi had been a virgin when Kyden met her, with very few mortal relationships in her past—and he figured that happened only because Nexi, as a supernatural, wouldn’t have been sexually attracted to mortals when growing up. He suspected she dated humans because that was perceived to be the normal thing to do.
Unable to stand the distance between them, he closed in on her, taking her hand and placing it on his heart. “While others may have shared my body, no one has ever had
this.
” Nexi had stolen that from him. Only her soul could possess it. So giving. So loving. So unselfish. So fiery. “My heart is
yours.
”
She held his stare for a long few seconds, then her eyes lost a bit of heat. “Okay, keep talking, I’m starting to forgive you.”
Case in point, this is why he loved her. The sass, the quick wit, the fire—it all captivated him. She was mentally, emotionally, and stubbornly as strong as him, and he found it thrilling. Pressing her hand tight against his bare chest, hoping she could feel the beat of his heart, he added, “It’s only you, and always will be you, who stays right here in my heart and on my mind
, Álainn.
”
Her shoulders lowered as she exhaled obvious tension, reaching up to run her hands over his quivering biceps from the heat of her fingers. “You should have warned me that Thalia was an old lover of yours before we went.”
“Possibly that might have been better, but…what would have happened if I did?”
Without a single hesitation, she spat out, “I would’ve bitch-slapped that vampire just because your lips—and other parts of your body that we are not going to talk about—have once touched hers.”
“Precisely.” He restrained his chuckle, tapping her nose. “You need Thalia as an ally, whether you like that or not. I wanted you to like her and for her to like you as well. I knew once you met her with more of an open mind, you’d see she has a kind heart and only friendship remains between us.” Gods, this woman warmed him. The way she looked at him with those soulful eyes stopped his world from moving. She also made him rock hard, and he pressed such evidence against her belly. “I knew all of that, because your sweet heart is one of the reasons I love you.”
Again, she heaved a long sigh. “Fine, you’re right—I did notice all of the above. But it also doesn’t mean I have to become BFFs with her.”
“I never said that you did.” Trapped in the passion that burned so brightly between them, he dragged a finger across her cheek, seeing flares of possessiveness dancing in her eyes. “Nonetheless, I didn’t want your first introduction to Thalia to be about what has happened with me in the past.”
“You are
not
allowed
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