Page 30 of Demon Daddy’s Nanny (Demon Daddies #3)

30

EVA

I stand at the window of Ridwan's chambers - our chambers now after months of spending nights together - watching golden sunlight spill across New Solas's crystalline spires. My fingers trace the intricate patterns carved into the windowsill, each whorl and curve a reminder of the opulent world I've stepped into. A world that still feels like an elaborate dream I might wake from at any moment.

The sheets on our bed still carry his scent, that mix of smoke and citrus that makes my heart race. My things have found their way between his - my worn leather-bound recipe book beside his military texts, my simple cotton nightgown draped over his silk robes. The contrast is stark, a visual reminder of the gap between our worlds.

"You're doing it again." Annalise's voice cuts through my thoughts. I turn to find her leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in that way that makes her look so much like her father.

"Doing what?"

"That thing where you stare off into space and wonder if you're good enough for him." She pushes off the door and strides into the room, her movements carrying that natural grace she inherited from both parents. "It's getting old."

"I wasn't?—"

"Please." She drops onto the velvet chaise by the window. "I've watched you two dance around each other for months. Now he's finally stopped being an idiot, and you're still second-guessing everything."

Heat creeps up my neck. "It's not that simple."

"Actually, it is." She leans forward, silver eyes glinting. "He loves you. You love him. The rest is just details."

"Details like the fact that I'm human? That everyone whispers behind their hands when I walk by?"

“None of that matters. You’ll see.” A wicked smile spreads across her face. "Be ready for something dramatic."

"What does that mean?"

But she doesn’t answer as she saunters out the door, that mischievous grin still playing on her lips.

“Annalise!” I dart after her, but she’s already gone.

Sighing, I shake my head and decide to head out to the gardens. But what I see gives me pause.

I follow the winding path through the gardens, my footsteps quiet against the smooth stone. Lanterns float above the hedgerows, their golden glow catching on dewdrops and making them shimmer like fallen stars. The sweet scent of night-blooming flowers fills the air, heady and intoxicating.

My heart skips when I spot Ridwan by the fountain. He cuts an imposing figure against the mist, wings half-spread and catching the light. His jaw is set, shoulders rigid with tension I rarely see in him these days. Something about his posture makes my stomach twist.

Water trickles behind him, the sound both soothing and somehow adding to the weight of this moment. As I draw closer, his golden eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that steals my breath. He reaches for my hand, and I notice the slight tremor in his fingers as they close around mine.

"I had planned to do this properly," he says, voice rougher than usual. "But Annalise reminded me that you are not xaphan. That you deserve something meant for you."

I stare at our joined hands, his bronze skin against my pale fingers. Questions crowd my throat, but I can't voice them. The air feels charged, like the moment before lightning strikes. His thumb traces circles on my palm, and that simple touch sends sparks racing up my arm.

The lantern light catches the scar on his cheek, throwing it into sharp relief. His other hand clenches at his side, and I recognize the gesture - it's what he does when he's wrestling with words he's not sure how to say.

My heart pounds so hard I wonder if he can hear it. Whatever this is, whatever he's about to say, feels monumental. Like standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing the next step will change everything.

My breath catches as Ridwan drops to one knee. The mighty xaphan warrior, who commands armies with a look, who strikes fear into his enemies' hearts, kneels before me - a human baker. In his palm rests a ring of dark metal, swirling with inlaid gold that pulses like captured starlight.

"I want you." His deep voice resonates through my chest. "Not as something hidden. Not as something temporary."

Those golden eyes bore into mine with an intensity that roots me to the spot. Gone is the careful mask he always wears, the walls he built after losing Sera. For the first time, I see him completely exposed - vulnerable in a way I never thought possible.

"Eva." My name falls from his lips like a prayer. "I have lived so many years thinking duty was enough. That love was something I’d failed at once and could never have again." His free hand catches mine, and I feel the slight tremor in his grip. "But you... you crashed through every defense. You made me remember what it means to feel."

The lantern light catches on his wings, turning them to molten gold. A muscle works in his jaw - he's struggling to maintain his composure, to lay bare these feelings he's kept locked away so long.

"I love you." The words come out rough, almost desperate. "I love your strength, your fire. The way you challenge me, the way you see past all my failures." His thumb traces circles on my palm. "I want to bind our souls together, to share everything I am with you. I never want to face another day without you by my side."

The scar on his cheek catches shadows as he swallows hard. This proud, powerful man is offering me his heart, his very essence. His wings curl forward slightly, as if trying to shield us both from the world, creating a private space where only this moment exists.

"Be my mate," he whispers. "Let me give you everything I am, everything I will ever be."

Tears blur my vision as I stare at Ridwan, my heart threatening to burst. Before I can even form words, a flash of gold streaks from behind one of the garden columns.

"Say yes already! I helped plan this, and if you make him get all awkward for nothing—" Annalise bounces on her toes, her wings fluttering with barely contained excitement. Her silver eyes sparkle with mischief and joy.

Laughter bubbles up from my chest, breaking the heavy tension of the moment. Of course she was behind this. The way she'd been grinning earlier, those cryptic words about something dramatic - it all makes sense now.

Ridwan's shoulders relax slightly, though he remains on one knee. A ghost of a smile plays at the corner of his mouth as he looks at his daughter. "I thought we discussed patience."

"I was patient! I waited like... thirty whole seconds." Annalise throws her hands up. "And you were taking forever to get to the point. I had to listen to you practice this speech for days."

Fresh laughter spills from my lips at the image - the mighty Ridwan rehearsing in front of his teenage daughter. Warmth spreads through my chest. They'd planned this together, father and daughter conspiring to create this moment. For me.

Annalise steps closer, her usual sharp edges softened by genuine happiness. "I helped pick the ring too. Well, sort of. I told him the one he originally chose was terrible." She wrinkles her nose. "It looked like something a stuffy old Praexa would wear."

"Annalise." Ridwan's tone carries a warning, but his eyes shine with affection.

"What? It did!" She crosses her arms. "This one's much better. More Eva."

My heart swells. This fierce, sometimes prickly girl who'd slowly become like a daughter to me had helped craft this moment. She'd wanted it to be perfect - for both of us.

I meet Ridwan's intense golden gaze, my heart thundering against my ribs. "Yes," I breathe, the word carrying all the love and certainty I feel.

In one fluid motion, he rises and pulls me against his chest. His wings sweep forward, cocooning us in warmth and golden light. The ring slides onto my finger, its metal cool but quickly warming to my skin. The inlaid gold swirls pulse in time with my racing heart.

His lips claim mine, deep and steady, pouring years of longing and promise into the kiss. Heat floods my veins as his fingers tangle in my hair, tilting my head back. His other hand presses against my lower back, molding me to him until I can feel every hard plane of his body.

"You were always meant to be mine," he murmurs against my skin, his voice rough with emotion. The words vibrate through me, settling deep in my bones. This time, there's no doubt clouding my mind, no whispers of unworthiness. I believe him with every fiber of my being.

I curl my fingers into the fabric of his shirt, anchoring myself to this moment. "I love you," I whisper back, tasting the truth of the words on my tongue. "I love you so much it terrifies me sometimes."

His grip tightens, possessive and protective all at once. The scar on his cheek catches shadows as he pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, letting me see the raw vulnerability in his gaze. Gone is the distant warrior, the cold leader. This is my Ridwan, stripped bare of all his carefully constructed walls.

"Finally!" Annalise's excited squeal breaks through our bubble. "Now can we have cake? I convinced the kitchen to make Eva's special recipe—the one with the berry filling that bleeds like blood when you cut it."