Page 129 of Savage Hearts

“How’s your pain today?”

I laugh softly. “You would’ve made a good grandmother.”

“I’ll pretend you never said that. How’s your pain?”

“Right now, I can honestly say I’m pain free.”

He grumbles in discontent. “And the rest of the time?”

I turn my nose to his chest and inhale. My exhalation is a soft, satisfied sigh. “Only the occasional twinge.”

He insists, “Like when for instance?”

So bossy.“I sat up in bed too fast last night, and that hurt a little.”

“When I came in?”

“No. Before that. I had a nightmare.”

He kisses my head again, stroking his open palm up my back. “Was it bad?”

It was horrible, but I’m not about to admit it and ruin the mood. “I used your trick to wake myself up. I told myself it was only a dream, and it worked. I couldn’t believe it.”

“It’s called lucid dreaming. If you want, now you can make a sword appear that you can use to chop off the head of your enemy.”

“Or, murder boy, I could snap my fingers and turn my enemy into a bunny rabbit so I don’t have to do any chopping.”

“Hmpf. What if the bunny was ten feet tall and rabid?”

“Then I’d snap my fingers again and make him fall in love with me.”

“Yes, you have a gift for that.” After a moment, he murmurs, “You just started shivering.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you cold?”

“Will you shut up, please? You know I’m not cold.”

He rolls me to my back, props himself up onto an elbow, and smiles down into my face.

The morning light worships him, highlighting the angle of his cheekbones, burnishing his dark hair richest bronze, glinting copper off the curving tips of his lashes.

And those eyes! For fuck’s sake, they might as well be priceless emeralds!

I whisper, “God, you’re beautiful. It’s sick.”

He throws back his head and laughs.

“I’m glad you find me so hilarious.”

Still chuckling, he kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m supposed to be the one paying the compliments.”

“You know what? You’re right. Go ahead. I’m waiting.”

Framing my face in his hands, he looks into my eyes and says softly, “There’s not a compliment in the world that could do you justice.”

I make the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong answer. Try again.”