Page 46 of Try As I Smite
Delilah sucked in a sharp breath, then her hands shot to her cheeks. “You heard that? But…you were a demon!” She spun away from him. “You were possessed. You weren’t…you.”
Chunks were falling off the glacier now.
He finally dared to touch her, stepping closer to take her by the shoulders and turn her to face him. “Those were the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.”
Hands still on her cheeks, her eyes welled with tears. “No. I’ll take that memory from you and you can live your life without me. Safely. It’s the only—”
“Don’t you fucking dare. You’re the best thing in my life. Do not steal that from me. Don’t disrespect me by taking the choice away. Because I would choose you every time.”
Finally, the glacier thawed all the way, the sight incredible, as her face crumpled and she fell in to him, head against his chest. “Why are you making me admit this?”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling her subtle scent. The cherry blossoms had disappeared from his sheets after the first day away from her. “Because I’m so in love with you, not facing this and not finding an answer isn’t an option.”
She stilled in his arms, not even breathing.
“It would rip me apart. I couldn’t stay away to give you time to think before rushing over here.”
Delilah lifted her head, searching his gaze. “It’s too soon,” she whispered.
“I started falling in love with you long before our adventure. I just didn’t admit it until your mother’s ploy gave us a fast-forward button.”
She shook her head. “Why?”
He couldn’t contain a snort, wanting to kiss her before she came up with more reasons to keep them apart.
“For a thousand different reasons. You talk back to me, and question me, and are a general pain in my ass.”
Her lips twitched. “That doesn’t sound like love.”
“Your entire life is about helping others who need help. You were willing to give your life for my people.”
“I can still help you without—”
He put a finger to her lips. “You are my mirror. Power and position and influence hiding a core of emotions we don’t show to anyone.” He paused and smiled. “Except you. I show who I am to you, and I have no damn idea why. It’s quite frustrating.”
She went to speak, and he stopped her with a soft kiss.
“It’s frustrating because you see me. The real me. Down to my soul. And thank the gods I see you, too. Every beautiful inch of you.” He took a deep breath. “We are both stone-cold on our own—powerful, in control, and effective. Even with this blood binding thing, we could go our own ways and I suspect we’d be just fine. Except I don’t want to be just fine with a part of myself always and forever with you. Especially if I’m right and your demon/angel blood just made me immortal.”
That had been a revelatory moment.
He put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. “Together we are nothing short of spectacular, and I don’t want to miss another single second of us.”
He held her tight and waited and prayed to every god and demigod and spirit and anything else he could think of. Gradually, almost as though she was letting go of her worries one at a time, the tension leaked from her body. With each small give, she leaned in to him, and he offered up thanks.
Finally, gods finally, she lifted her head, then went up on tiptoe to wind her arms around his neck and plant a soft kiss on his lips.
“I do love you, though gods know how in the seven hells that happened.” She grinned, rare dimples flashing and pure delight lightening her features.
Alasdair grinned back. “And?” he prompted.
“I’ll marry you. Bind myself to you any way you’ll let me.” The frost was completely gone from her dark eyes now, only heat and happiness reflecting at him.
“Thank heavens,” he murmured, and claimed her lips in a kiss that quickly got out of hand.
Only he couldn’t let it. Not until after. Forcing himself, he lifted his head, loving the flushed, tumbled, loved look of her. “Merry Christmas.”
Delilah’s smile was the most beautiful gift he’d ever received. “A truly merry Christmas,” she murmured. “And gods bless us, everyone.”
