Page 77 of Dark Island: Rescue

The reminder of her human vulnerability sent a spike of protective fury through Ruvon. One bad encounter with the wrong person and he could lose her forever.

He wondered if she'd rehearsed those words, used them as an excuse to give herself courage to approach him. The problem was that they had the opposite effect than what Arezoo had intended.

Ruvon's arousal was gone, and anger coursed through him, not at her, never at her, but at anyone who had ever hurt her and would ever dare.

"From a practical standpoint, the sooner you transition, the safer you'll be," he admitted. "I would have suggested getting married as soon as possible, but a ceremony would not abolish your underlying fear. The onlyway to combat it is to get exposed to small doses of intimacy one day at a time."

He sat up and reached for his discarded shirt. Putting it back on helped restore some sense of normalcy, some distance from the heated moment.

"We will progress slowly until you're ready. Really ready. Not when you think you should be ready or when you're trying to prove something."

"Doesn't it bother you?" she asked.

Bother him? It was killing him.

But he'd rather suffer through a thousand years of celibacy than rush her.

"Of course, it bothers me," he said honestly. "I'm not going to lie—it's difficult, but that's my problem to deal with, not yours."

"It doesn't seem fair to you."

"Love isn't about fair." Ruvon cupped Arezoo's face, making sure she was looking at him. "It's about doing what's best for the person you love, even when it's hard."

When they returned to the living room, Ruvon poured them each a glass of water, downing his in one long gulp. His body was still thrumming with unfulfilled desire, and it would take a while for that to settle. Maybe a cold shower later. Or ten.

Arezoo sat on the couch, tucking her legs under her. She looked beautiful and disheveled, her hair mussed from his touch, her lips slightly swollen from their kisses. The sight made him want to pull her back into his arms, but he resisted.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"Now?" Ruvon sat beside her. "Now we set a date for our wedding."

Her eyes widened. "Really? You said that it wouldn't solve my underlying fear."

"It won't, but it's another step in the right direction. The sooner we're married, the sooner we can move forward with everything else."

"I need to talk to my mother." Arezoo bit her lip. "She's going to want a big wedding that takes time to plan."

"How much time?"

"At least three months. Probably more like six if she wants to do it properly."

Ruvon groaned. "Six months?"

"Maybe less." Arezoo reached for his hand. "Amanda is great at organizing parties in the village square. Would you like to get married there? It's not fancy, but all of our friends are here."

"It's perfect, and I bet Amanda can organize it in three weeks instead of three months. The Clan Mother can marry us. She presides over all the ceremonies."

Arezoo sucked in a breath. "Do you think she would? I mean, neither of us is a clan member."

"She would. Annani loves weddings almost as much as she loves the arrival of new babies."

Arezoo chuckled. "One leads to the other."

"Not in this village. Babies are welcome with or without a wedding ceremony."

Arezoo rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. The desire that had beenraging through him earlier had settled into a low, manageable ache.

"I'll talk to my mother tomorrow," Arezoo said. "About the wedding date. I suggest that you stay away from the Pearl for a day or two."