Page 87 of Marked By Moonlight

“Soon,” I promised, then motioned around. “For now, anywhere you want in London. A gallery, maybe?”

“God, no,” she groaned. “Maybe just walking.”

Walking was fine with me. Anything to relieve some of the tension that stiffened every joint in my body.

We walked for hours. All the way across Hyde Park, to Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Park, and eventually, on to the Thames. There, we stopped briefly at the statue of Boudica, which Mina regarded in silence.

A tribal heroine who’d led an uprising against the Roman army. No surprise Mina found something to admire there.

“Left or right?” I asked, the first either of us had spoken in the past hour.

Mina thought it over, then pointed right. “Fewer tourists this way.”

Fine with me. We set off and walked another full hour. Then Mina pointed out a teahouse, and we took a break from the weather. We barely spoke there either, but our eyes met over our teacups, and for the first time, Mina flashed more than a shadow of a smile.

It was the nicest, quietesttogethertime we’d had in… Well, forever, it felt like.

We had sandwiches, then cake, then more cake, because, as Mina declared, “We freaking deserve it.”

Then her phone rang.

“Oh. Hello, Anastasia,” she answered, looking at me.

I waited, curious.

“Of course. A very difficult decision…” Mina made soothing noises.

I snorted. What was so difficult? I would sell to the highest bidder.

Then I caught myself. If it made Mina happy, I would sell it to the lowest bidder or not sell it at all. But that wasn’t my decision, was it?

“Okay. Talk to you tomorrow.” Mina hung up. “She wants to sleep on it. She’ll call before noon.”

Frankly, I was surprised Anastasia had anything to sleep on. But I was sure the money would win in the end.

Mina gazed out the window, looking defeated. “What would you do for eighty-seven million dollars?”

I thought it over. “Not as much as I used to.”

Mina flashed a smile. “Getting older and wiser?”

“Older, yes. Not so sure about wiser. Maybe it’s just that you’re rubbing off on me.”

She chuckled. “In a good way, I hope.”

I bit my lip. For that to be true, I would have to finally get a few uncomfortable truths off my chest. Starting with the fact that I’d marked her.

“Listen, Mina,” I started, but it came out all raspy. “There’s something I have to—”

She cut me off with a shake of her head. “I’d like to put the real world on hold for a little longer, if you don’t mind.”

I opened my mouth, but my dragon side forced it shut again, and all I could do was nod. “Sure.”

We left the teahouse and walked another hour, then stood contemplating our choices.

Mina sighed. “I guess we should head back.”

I checked my watch. She was right, though I would have preferred to keep walking — all the way back to France if necessary. Anything was better than dealing with what awaited us back at the hotel.