Page 15 of Aaron (Dresden Pride #1)

“I don’t care for it either. I don’t mind a glass of tea once in a while, and I don’t drink hot tea.

But I do drink a great deal of milk. Two gallons a week when I don’t have cereal.

Then it’s more.” She said she wasn’t a big fan of tea either, hot or cold, but she liked water.

Just plain water without lemon in it. “I read once about lemons that they use for water and tea. It says that the bar usually has them, and they’re not very clean.

You have no idea who has sliced them up or even if they have washed their hands when they’re making drinks. So I avoid them at all costs.”

“That’s disgusting.” He agreed with her and started to clean up the mess they’d made with their sandwiches.

He handed her the second bottle of water that he’d brought up for himself, and she thanked him.

“What do we do now? I’m assuming that there is something that binds us together other than sex. ”

“Sex will bond us. Just being a couple has given you magic and myself more. Not that I use it all that much. Being a detective, some of the things that I have are useful for me, but for the most part, I just ignore it unless I’m alone.

But not even then so much. I don’t want to be caught using whatever I have because I forget about it.

” She asked him what he’d noticed that she had.

“I’ve only known you since we were mates, so I don’t know what you could do before.

I was going to ask you about your ankle, and you have answered that for me.

You’ve not once said it was hurting you like before.

I can only assume is that I healed you with some of my magic. ”

“Now that you mention it, it doesn’t hurt at all. Not even when I bend my toes.” She showed him her toes wiggling, and he laughed. “What’s funny? I’m sure you’ve seen toes before.”

“Not with bright yellow paint on them.” She hid her toes under the blanket, and that made him laugh all the harder. “You don’t have to hide them, I’ve seen them now. Your toes are cute. So tiny. Mine are huge in comparison. I love them.”

They exchanged information like they’d had an accident and were swapping information on their driver’s licenses. He knew her birth date and where she lived, as well as that her parents were alive. She had two brothers that she didn’t care for but never saw, so it didn’t matter.

He told her how he had one set of grandparents and that she’d met his grandda and that his grannie ruled the house where they lived. He told her about his parents and brothers and what they did for a living.

They talked well beyond the time for him to leave, and she gave him such joy that he was happy that she was his mate. They seemed to have a lot in common, too, like food. She liked her food spicy hot, and he did as well. However, he didn’t care for desserts, and she loved cupcakes.

“It’s the frosting-to-cake ratio that I love.

There is so much more frosting on a cupcake than there is on a cake.

And what girl doesn’t like frosting?” He told her that he preferred fruit over sweet stuff, and then she made fun of him.

“You’re like a kid that likes his grapes cut in half, I bet. Just so you don’t swallow them whole.”

“I prefer them cut up, yes, but only because they last longer that way. There are more halves than wholes that way. Also, I like my strawberries cut up without the stem on them before I will eat them. I’m guessing you like to pull one off the vine and eat it like a savage.

” She laughed so hard that he knew he was going to love the sound for the rest of his life.

“Also, I forgot about this. When I have to have dessert, I prefer vanilla ice cream over any other flavor. It’s just perfect that way. ”

“You’re a dork.” She laughed again so loudly this time that one of the nurses came in to see what was going on. “We’re just getting to know one another. That’s all. Just having a bit of fun at the others’ expense.”

“Well, can you keep it down to a general laugh? We have other patients who need their sleep.” The nurse looked at him. “Your brother is in the hospital. I can give him a call if you want to see him when he’s finished.”

“That’s all right. I need to be getting home anyway.

I have to work in the morning.” He stood up and looked at Mac.

“It’s been great getting to know you. I don’t know when I’ve ever had so much fun.

I have an hour for lunch, and I’ll bring us something to do with pasta tomorrow if I’m not busy.

I’ll make sure that you know when I’m working. ”

“All right. I’d like that.” He nodded once and started for the door.

The nurse went out ahead of him, and he was glad that she wasn’t there to hear what Mac said to him when he was leaving.

“Don’t let anyone else fall into your lap again, Aaron.

I only just figured out that I’m a jealous person. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

“I’m yours forever.” He wanted to kiss her goodnight, but didn’t want to ruin their evening together. Going down the hall to the elevators, he was nearly inside the big cavern when he realized that he was in love with the woman who had fallen on top of him.

Driving home, he was nearly to the house when his dad contacted him. It was late, so he was worried about what he had to say to him. When he asked if he’d figured out that they were mates at last, he told his dad that he not only was her mate but he was also in love with her.

“Well, of course you are. It happens fast for us. Like no time at all, I knew I loved your mother. And it’s been the way it’s been ever since.

I love her a little bit more every day.” He said he’d never been in love before.

“Ah, son, you have no idea what that does for my heart. One of my sons has found his mate, and I couldn’t be happier. Good for you.”

He told his dad what they’d talked about, leaving out the part where she’d been there to investigate Alaric for now. Instead, he told him how much they had in common and the things that they didn’t have in common. He even told him how he thought that he’d find that her ankle was healed completely.

“She’ll have to wear the cast for a bit longer, however.

We can’t have people realizing that she’s been healed because she has a tiger mate.

” He said that he’d pamper her a bit more if she left it on.

“You do that, son. Yes, you have fun with that, and I’ll be a happy man.

I’m off to bed now. I just wanted to find out if you had cleared things up between the two of you. I love you. Good night, son.”

“Good night, Dad. I love you too.

Pulling into his space at the complex he lived in he decided that it was time for him to get a house.

He had a mate now, and the one-bedroom apartment wasn’t large enough for him, much less his mate as well.

Tomorrow, when he had a break, he was going to see what he could find in the way of housing.

He thought that they could have fun finding a house together.

She’d no doubt have an opinion on one that they got.

And he’d give her whatever she wanted in the way of…

well, everything he thought. He’d give her the world if she wanted it from him.