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For a few minutes, they sat there together beneath the stars, Darien marveling at the sky while she marveled at him. It was one of those very rare moments when she could get away with watching him without those unnervingly gorgeous eyes catching her. She knew he was fully aware that she was staring; there was nothing that slipped by him. But in that moment, she felt like she couldreallylook at him. Take in all his perfections—yes, perfections, she didn’t believe he had a singleimperfection—at her leisure.

As he put his necklace back on, he said, “Want to go for a swim?”

“I’d love to go for a swim.”

He got up, and she was about to follow when he suddenly scooped her off the chair and threw her over his shoulder.

She squealed, her hair tumbling down his back. “Darien!” she protested. But he was already walking, holding her in place with a large hand on her ass cheek.

Wait.

Oh gods.

“Wait—” Oh gods, he was heading for the pool! “Darien, do NOT throw me in the water!—”

He did exactly that.

She screeched as she broke the surface, water blasting around her.

By the time she came back up with a gasp, he was in the pool, too—swimming toward her.

“Howdareyou!” She splashed him in the face.

He shielded with a hand and let out a low chuckle.

“No sex for you tonight,” she said as he smoothed his drenched hair back.

He arched a brow. “Oh, really?”

No. Not really. Even just looking at him, his muscled arms parting the water as he swam toward her like a shark, had her body warming by several degrees.

She backed up. Up—until her back hit the pool wall.

And then Darien was there, caging her in place with a hand braced on the ledge on either side of her. He pressed a hard kiss to her mouth, then gathered her into his arms, their damp bodies sticking together as he slowly spun her through the water, his hands gripping her by the waist.

“I love you, Loren Calla.” The way he said it—as if they didn’t have much time left—sent a tremor of fear from the crown of her head to the balls of her feet.

She knew why he said it that way, though. So she didn’t question him.

Time was running out for those who were trapped in Yveswich, yes, but it was running out for her, too.Justher—not Darien. She’d see to that. Was working on saving him in every spare second she had.

She draped her arms around his neck and slipped her fingers through the damp strands of his hair, pushing it back from his face in the way she knew he liked. “I love you, Darien Cassel,” she said.

Then she pulled him down to her level and kissed him.

Darien hadtrouble sleeping that night. He was simply too worried. About Max and Travis. About Mortifer. He couldn’t relax.

He felt like an asshole as he kept waking Loren up with his tossing and turning. Eventually, he rolled onto his side and studied her beautiful, sleeping face, watching as the candlelight played with her golden hair and her soft features. As the minutes wore on, his eyelids gradually grew heavy, and he slipped into a light sleep.

When he woke up, no more than one hour later, he’d somehow ended up with his head resting on her stomach, an arm wrapped around her waist.

She was fast asleep, one arm draped across his shoulders, her other hand resting on the back of his neck, her fingers faintly twitching as she dreamed.

It was funny—he was the one who protected her physically, but she was the one who protected him mentally, emotionally. She took care of him in the areas where he struggled to take care of himself. He felt at peace when he was with her, and each day he was blessed to spend with her was a gift.

When he drifted off again a few minutes later, it was to the sound of her precious heartbeat.

He didn’t wake up again after that, and the dreams he had were good dreams, all thanks to the angel who held him through the night. When he was with her, everything felt like it was going to be okay. Maybe not right now…but one day.