Page 51 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

Eventually, we did make it to the garden we originally set out for. Lachlan had this expression like he had just won the greatest prize, all from one kiss.

I can’t say that I felt much different. It was a great moment for me as well.

I finally felt free from the ghost of Lachlan from my past. It was a small act, but felt enormous to me.

Now, I do not flinch or hesitate when Lachlan grasps my hand, kisses the back of it, or when he places his arm on my shoulder, hugging me to his side.

This feels….right. Like this was how we were meant to be.

The garden that used to belong to Lachlan’s mother was beautiful.

It was a maze of foliage, blooming roses, and flower-covered vines over wooden archways.

The center of the maze had an elaborate fountain with, of all things, a mermaid at its center.

She was gorgeously intricate with her carved scales and the delicate way her tail and fins folded to the sides, like water currents were pressing down on them.

Water was spewing from her uplifted hands, cascading down her marble body into the pool below.

“She’s beautiful,” I whispered, reaching out and bending over the pool to touch the delicate carving in her tail fin.

“She’s alright,” Lachlan shrugs, “You are by far the most beautiful thing here.”

My face feels as if it is going to burst into flames as he stares at me, his expression matching his words. “Your overpraise is going to go to my head,” I mutter.

“Good,” he smirks, “I don’t want you to have any doubts about how attractive you are again.”

“In that case, maybe you should tell me more,” I giggled, making his smile stretch impossibly wider.

“Lord, I love that sound,” he hums, pulling me to his side and resting his nose on the top of my head. He inhales deeply, then lets out a satisfied sigh. “I always want to be the reason for your laughter.”

Goodness, he is saying so many embarrassing things tonight. “I laugh plenty,” I told him.

“Not with me. I get so jealous watching you laugh and act playfully with everyone else. I can’t even tell you how frustrating it gets seeing you be so carefree with the fish boy when I can barely get you to hold a conversation with me.”

“Fish boy?” I lifted a brow skeptically. “I’m half fish too.”

“I think you’re more like a dolphin,” he laughs deeply. “They’re more intelligent.”

“Cedric is very smart,” I defended my friend.

“Devious maybe,” he smirks. “The man likes to try and rile me up.”

I press my lips together to keep my laughter in. Cedric does like to pick fights with Lachlan when he can.

We sat on a bench near the fountain and sat as the sun began to set, painting the sky in an array of bright colors.

Lachlan has one of my hands in his, playing with my fingers, his touch lingering on my wedding band often.

The setting of the sun brings the cold night air, making me shiver slightly.

When he notices, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, snuggling me into his side in a very natural way, like he has done it a million times before. We fit together perfectly.

“Do you want to head back inside?” he asks, kissing the top of my head. “Neither of us brought a jacket.”

“It was warm earlier,” I sighed, another gust of wind hitting us and making me shiver, the cold water from the fountain spraying us slightly.

“It gets cold here at night. I’ll have to start remembering to bring a jacket when I know we will be out late.”

“You say that like this will be a common occurrence,” I looked up, smirking at him.

“It will be,” he grins, “I want to make this our evening ritual. Walking together in this private garden, telling each other about our days. I can’t think of a better way to spend my evenings.”

“ Oh my,” Val purrs, “ If he keeps sweet talking you like this, I can think of any number of ways that you two could spend the evenings that would be much more fun than looking at plants and recycled water.” Val plays a few very naughty images in my head, making me blush furiously.

“ No way. I can tolerate this, but that,” I resist shaking my head, “ No thank you. I’m nowhere near ready for that.”

“I know,” she sighs, “ He is yummy to look at, though.”

That he is. His strong jaw and handsome features would make any woman eager to throw herself in his bed. That fact has been proven plenty already. More times than I wish to think about. My only experience has left me traumatized to the act. I’m not ready for that yet. Maybe one day….

Lachlan groans slightly, causing me to look up at him. His eyes are slightly glazed. He must be mind linking with someone.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Cherum,” he sighs. “He’s hunting for you. He says to take you back or he will come find you.”

“Why?” I giggled at Lachlan’s annoyed expression.

“He says it’s almost dinner time and you can’t miss a meal. I would usually agree with him, but I’m enjoying our time alone together right now. I’m not ready to share you with others yet.”

“Then he can wait,” I told him, “Let him find us.”

Lachlan chuckles deep in his chest, making my heart beat wildly. Even his voice is attractive. “Want to make a wager on how long it will take him?”

My brows pull together questioningly. “A wager?”

“A bet. Like, I bet it takes him 30 minutes to make his way here.”

“Oh,” I grinned, “I don’t think it will take him that long. He seems to always know where I am.”

“So how long are you thinking?”

“Hmm,” I think deeply. “10 minutes? Maybe not even that long.”

“You’re on,” he smiles crookedly. “So, what’s my prize when I win?”

“You won’t win,” I muttered. Cherum will be here before we know it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop out from behind a hedge any second.

“I might,” he insists.

I shook my head with a grin. “You won’t. But on the one in a million chance you do, what do you want?”

“Hmm,” he tilts his head to the side, looking up at the sky as he acts as if he is deep in thought. “How about another kiss?”

“A kiss?” I giggled. “Was one not enough?”

“One will never be enough,” he smiles sweetly, making me flush.

“Okay,” I murmured quietly. “What do I get if I win?”

“What do you want?” he asks, running his thumb on the back of my hand, making sparks dance on my skin. It’s very distracting.

I try to think of something, looking around us for inspiration. My eyes land on the mermaid, and an idea comes to me.

“I want you to go swimming with me,” I told him.

“Swimming?” He looked surprised. “I would do that with you anyway if you asked.”

My blush returns as I look down at our hands. “I would kiss you again too if you asked.”

Lachlan goes still for a minute, then his hand releases mine, reaching up to cup the side of my face, turning my head to look up at him. “Can I kiss you right now?”

I get lost in the tenderness and longing in his adoring eyes, staring down at me with so much sincerity it makes my heart race. Slowly, I nodded, wanting nothing more than to feel his lips against mine again and the relief it brought me.

His breath catches in his throat, his eyebrows pulling together and lifting with alleviation. Slowly, he lowers his face to mine, and just before our lips touch, as my eyes begin to flutter close, Cherum’s voice echoes in the space around us.

“Damn it, Alpha! I told you the lass needs to eat. She’s finally getting meat on her bones and I’m not going to let your obsession with keeping her to yourself keep her from-”

His voice cuts off, as he rounds the last turn into the center of the garden, a surprise fluster replacing the exasperated look on his face.

~

“Oh,” Cherum mutters. “Um, found you.” Cherum is shifting awkwardly on his feet, knowing ghee interrupted a moment between his Alpha and Luna. He doesn't leave, though. He is probably putting my well-being and the need to eat dinner above making his Alpha happy.

Lachlan growls, resting his forehead on mine. “I’m going to kill him,” he huffs angrily.

I laughed softly at his expression. "No you won't," I teased him, “And I won.”

His eyebrows pulled together, and he looked searchingly in my eyes for a few seconds before his eyes dropped down to stare at my lips. That longing expression returns to his face, and he sighs deeply.

“Not yet, you don’t,” he rumbles, surprising me as he quickly stands, lifting me over his shoulder and runs in the opposite direction Cherum came from.

“Hey!” I yelled out, “That’s cheating! He has already found us,” I stammered, lifting my head to see Cherum watching us with a confused look. Right before we reached the first hedge, Cherum started to take off after us, as I reached out for his help. "Cherum, help!"

“It’s not cheating,” Lachlan laughs. “He hasn’t caught you yet.”

“That wasn’t in the rules!” I laughed loudly, feeling like a sack of flour tossed over his shoulder at being like this.

“It is now,” Lachlan laughs with me, “I don’t like losing.”

“Me neither!” I squealed. “Put me down! I won! Cherum, save me!”

"I'm trying, lass!" Cherum pants out, pushing himself harder.

“Nope. You win if he catches me,” Lachlan continues to race through the maze, Cherum tight on his heels, yelling for his ‘damned Alpha’ to stop.

“I totally won, you cheater,” I tickle Lachlan’s sides, but it does nothing to stop him.

He laughs freely. “Fine, but I still want my kiss.”

“Fine!” I squirmed, reaching my hands out for Cherum to reach for. Cherum doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on, but he can tell I want him to get to me. He was trying his hardest to comply, a fierce determined look on his face.

“Damn it, you gritty bastard. Give me my Luna.” Cherum is so close, just a few more inches and he could touch my fingers.

Right when I think he is finally going to get to us, Lachlan makes a sharp right, turning off into a hidden path, making me scream at the sudden action.

Cherum goes barreling into a rose bush, one that looks like it is full of thorns.