Page 135

Adrian pulled back, his forehead falling to mine. His hands gripping my face like it was the only thing keeping him alive. “I don’t care that your lifeline is sealed. Ineverwant to see you hurt like that again.”

“I wasn’t having the best time either, you know,” I teased, which only earned me a soft nip on my lower lip. The depth of his reaction and the panic still threading through his muscles made me add, “I don’t either. Want to see you that way, I mean.”

Adrian ran his hand down the perimeter of my face, settling on my jaw. “I’ll try my best.”

I tapped his chest lightly. “I’m serious. You were the one who came up with this insane plan and then made me fall in love with you. You could at least promise me that you’ll stay unharmed.”

A deep laugh rumbled from his chest. “I’ll stay unharmed.” His hand smoothed over my stomach, catching on the torn fabric and the blood. Adrian’s next breath was a little shaky. “I need to get this blood off you.”

A hot shower was everything I needed. Well, if Adrian was there. “You don’t have to…” I trailed off, not quite wanting to talk about Sebastian or the situation.

Adrian stood with me in his arms, placing me softly on the ground. “I will. Tomorrow. But right now, I’mgoing to make sure my fiancée is healed and protected.”

I tipped my head back to keep his eyes, smiling brightly. “Fiancée, huh? I must have missed a proposal.” I brought my left hand up between us pointedly. “And no ring, either.”

Adrian smirked, then caught my hand and planted a kiss on the back of my palm. “Honey, I’ve had a ring picked out since our first date. It’s yours when you want it.”

Oh, he was serious, which only made me equally want to blush and jump his bones. “Surprise me.”

Adrian kissed me soundly. “Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

And with that, Adrian walked me carefully into his room and into his beautiful bathroom. He slowly, and with a care that made my chest clench, peeled off my ruined clothes. He ran a thumb across the raw, freshly healed skin of my stomach, cursing as he saw the blood staining my skin.

I ran my hand through his hair, right as he placed a kiss to my skin. After a careful, warm shower that chased away the remnants of my nerves—and a mild scuffle that involved Adrian insisting I put a salve on my wounds that smelledhorribleand me insisting I’d be fine with a little sleep—I was nestled under the covers, watching Adrian get ready to join me.

“I like my house, you know,” I said, even as I stared outside at the beautiful, moonlit peaks of Olympus.

Adrian walked out of his closet in nothing but low slung, cotton pants. “I like it, too. Keep it. We’ll use it when Olympus gets too cold for you.”

“I was going to suggest that.” I sat up in bed, trying to hide the wince that my sore muscles conjured. I failed,apparently, because Adrian’s face turned serious.

“Lie down,” he said quietly as he got into bed next to me. I did as I was told—only because it did feel better. Once he was settled, I burrowed into his side as close as our skin would let me. Adrian’s hand immediately settled on my back, swiping in soft, comforting strokes. “You need to sleep. And so do I, unless you want to throw out any more information that might give me a heart attack.”

I readjusted my head on his shoulder so I could look at him. “SayingI love youwas heart attack inducing?”

“Could have sworn it stopped beating for at least five seconds.” Then his hand settled over the wound on my back, twin to the one of my stomach. “A solid minute for this.”

I leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his neck. “Then we’ve both had quite the day.” Adrian chuckled softly. “I love you,” I said,needingto say it again.

The storm in Adrian’s eyes broke to a bright gray. “I will spend the rest of my life earning that. Earning you.” I must have looked about ready to maul him for that raw, honest declaration because Adrian smiled and said, “I love you. Sleep and heal. I’ve got you.”

My eyelids were barely holding themselves open, so I listened, nestling further into his hold and falling into a slumber moments later to the steady beat of his heart.

Chapter 36

Adrian

My office was a disaster. The rug was soaking wet, the hardwood floors bending and warping with water damage.

Wind whipped into the room through the broken windows, making discarded papers float in the air and fall onto my ruined furniture.

Furniture I'd once enjoyed, but now I would be happy to see gone.

Hell, I needed the entire office redesigned. Maybe even moved.

Because there was a blood stain on the floor. Reyna's blood.

Even without it, I would never be able to forget the image of Reyna bleeding and hurt.