Page 25 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)

They ended up in the gardens as the afternoon sun began to soften. The view was spectacular—the city stretching to the ocean, mountains rising in the other direction. Arezoo stood at the railing, wind playing with the loose strands of her ponytail.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said. "I had a great time."

"This is just the beginning," Ruvon said. "There's so much to see in Los Angeles. Museums, theaters, beaches, and mountains. We could explore something new every week for years and not run out of places."

"Years," she repeated.

"Too much?"

"No." She turned to face him. "I like it. The idea that we have time. That there's no rush."

They found a bench tucked into an alcove of the garden, surrounded by lavender and rosemary. The herbs scented the air, and bees hummed lazily from flower to flower. Other visitors wandered the paths, but it felt private in their sheltered spot .

"I've been thinking." Arezoo leaned against him. "About us. About what this is."

Ruvon's heart rate spiked, but he kept his voice steady. "What have you concluded?"

"That I don't know the rules, and that's okay." She looked at him. "We can make our own."

"We could do that, but your mother might have something to say about that."

Arezoo chuckled. "She sure will, but then I'll remind her how awful our old ways were. My father was ready to sell me—literally sell me—to whoever offered the best price. I'm not going to respect traditions that didn't respect me."

"Then we make our own way."

"Exactly." She smiled. "I like your courtship idea, actually. It's old-fashioned but in a good way. Like we're choosing to honor each other instead of following rules someone else made."

"I want to do this right," Ruvon said. "Whatever that means for you. For us. You make the rules, Arezoo."

"It's simple. Respect, honesty, patience." She paused and tilted her head. "And maybe more kisses. Fenella did predict lots and lots of kisses."

"Did she?" His voice came out a little rough.

"Mmm. And her visions are never wrong."

She was looking at his mouth, and he was definitely looking at hers, and the space between them seemed to shrink without either of them moving.

"Arezoo," he said.

"Yes?"

"I would very much like to kiss you."

"Finally," she breathed, and then her lips were on his.

This kiss was different from the others. Less tentative, more certain. She tasted like coffee and cardamom, and when her hand came up to rest against his chest, he was pretty sure his heart might explode.

When they parted, both breathing hard, she smiled. "We are getting better at this."

"Practice makes perfect?"

"Then we should practice more." But she settled against his side instead, her head on his shoulder. "Tell me something about yourself that I don't know."

"Like what?"

"Anything. A dream. A fear. A secret."

He thought for a moment, his arm coming around her automatically. "I want to build something. Not just maintain other people's security systems but create something of my own."

"What kind of something?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe a tech school for kids who've escaped bad situations and need to learn a craft, a skill." He felt embarrassed suddenly. "It's just an idea."

"It's beautiful." She tilted her head to look at him. "You'd be good at that. Patient. Understanding. You know what it's like to need a second chance."

"Maybe someday."

"My turn," she said. "I want to go to university. Study literature or maybe psychology. Understand how words work, how minds work. How people heal."

"You'd be brilliant at either."

"Vrog says I should start at a community college. They are much easier to get into and not as intimidating as universities."

"You'd do well in either. You're one of the smartest people I know."

She laughed. "You need to get to know more people."

"I know exactly the right number of people," he said. "Quality over quantity."

"I'm nineteen years old."

The non-sequitur made him pull back to look at her. "I know."

"Do you? Really? Because sometimes I think you forget and think that I'm younger than that. You're so careful with me, like I might break. "

"I don't think you're fragile," he protested. "I think you're incredibly strong. But you've been through a lot."

"And I'm healing. But I'm not made of glass." She sat up straighter. "I know what I want."

"What do you want?"

"Freedom to make my own choices. Someone who sees me as a person, not a project or a possession." She met his eyes. "You give me all of those things."

"I want to give you so much more."

She smiled. "I hope you do, because I want a future with you."

His mouth went dry. "I want a future with you, too."

She took a breath. "I'm not saying now. I'm too young, you're right about that. But someday, if we are still together, I would want to make it official."

"Arezoo." He turned to face her fully, taking both her hands. "I'm ready to take that step today."

She laughed nervously. "Not yet."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box. "Don't panic. This is not a ring. Just something pretty that I got for you on a whim."

Her eyes sparkled with interest, but she didn't reach for it. "It's not my birthday."

"I know, but it's our three-month anniversary."

"Is it? "

He nodded, even though that wasn't why he had bought the bracelet.

"I didn't get you anything. I didn't even realize it has been three months."

"You've given me a kiss." He opened the box and pulled out the bracelet. "I knew I had to get it for you the moment I saw it."

She gasped. "It's beautiful."

"Can I put it on your wrist?"

Nodding, she extended her hand.

When he closed the clasp, Arezoo dangled the little book charm in front of her eyes, looking delighted.

"I think this deserves at least one more kiss. Probably two."

He leaned in, and she took it from there.

This kiss was slower, sweeter, full of unspoken promises and dreams just beginning to take shape. When they parted, Arezoo's cheeks were pink and Ruvon felt like he could fly.