Page 44 of Miles's Pact
"Thank you for talking it over with me."
"Anytime, Duckie. Now," he said as he slapped his palms over his thighs, "judging by how harried Neel had sounded when he'd called, I don't think Miles will be making it back home anytime soon. How about we make ourselves some lunch and eat while watching a movie?"
"Can I help?" Maybe I could learn how to cook. Feeding them was a big way of taking care of the people you cared about, right?
"Of course! Come with me, and I'll show you the wonders of sandwich assembly," he declared with a dramatic flourish as he stood up and offered me his hand.
With a laugh, I let him tug me up, then followed him inside as Snowball chased after us with the ball firmly clamped between his teeth.
As Mateo showed me how to put together a variety of sandwiches and listed all the meats you shouldneverpair with each other, I fell into the rhythm of things, and realized I wouldn't mind a lifetime of days similar to this, with the addition of Miles joining us as well, of course.
Miles
"You didn't kiss?" Neel asked, an aghast look on his face that I thought was an overreaction. It'd only been our first date, afterall, and Duckie was so new to all things human. While I'd hoped our day would end with a sweet kiss, I hadn't been disappointed that it hadn't.
I'd spent the last hour resolving the mess of supply issues Neel and Pax had somehow gotten tangled up in, and once I'd finished, Neel had demanded I tell him every detail about my date with Duckie so he could 'live vicariously' through me.
As a human, Neel was at an unfortunate disadvantage since he couldn't recognize his mate even if they were standing right in front of him. Unless his mate was a supe and approached him, he'd never find them, which was depressing to think about. It was one of the many reasons being a human in the know wasn't easy. While Paxton—his stepbrother—and most of the people he knew didn't age, Neel aged every day, and unless he found a supe mate, he'd die well before any of us, unless he was willing to let Papa or Tate turn him into a vampire or werewolf, which he wasn't, for reasons I didn't know.
I didn't like thinking about that.
"Duckie was nervous, and I didn't want to pressure him," I said with a shrug, and Neel smiled, his blue eyes softening.
"That's sweet. Did you have a good time?"
"The best," I answered instantly, making him laugh. We were sitting in the almost-finished drawing room, with the fireplace blazing away in front of us. The couch I'd chosen for this room was comfy and laden with throw pillows and a thick blanket so future-guests could curl up in front of the fireplace with a book if they so wished.
Armchairs, loveseats, ottomans, and small coffee tables filled the rest of the room, and Paxton was curled up in an armchair further back, scribbling away in his notebook. While he'd never shared it with me—or anyone except maybe Neel—I knew Pax wrote poems. Neel had told me they were good, but Pax was extremely protective of them, and didn't like sharing.
"Do you have any plans for a second date?" Neel asked, pulling my attention back to him. I pursed my lips as I thought about it, then shook my head.
"Not a concrete plan, no. I was thinking something low-key, though. Somewhere we could sit and talk, maybe? Get to know each other better."
"How about the park? You know Alden and Elian love it when someone visits. And I bet Duckie would love meeting a unicorn."
Alden—one of Neel's uncles, for all intents and purposes—was the last unicorn in the world, and lived in the Silent Creek Park with his mate, a dryad named Elian. They were two of the sweetest, gentlest people I knew, and I was sure Duckie would be delighted to meet them.
"I might do that. Duckie's hanging out with Mateo today, so maybe tomorrow. Or am I rushing?"
"I don't think there's a speed limit when it comes to the mates thing," Neel said with a wry smile, and I chuckled, knowing he was right. "How's that feel, by the way? Knowing Duckie is mated to both you and Mateo?"
"It's perfect, actually," I admitted, smiling at the thought of it. "There's no one I trust more in this world than Mateo, and knowing that he shares the same bond with Duckie makes me feel... secure. I'll never have to choose between them, or put one of them over the other. Everything feels balanced, and I like that."
"It sounds wonderful," Neel murmured. Paxton was watching us, something curious in his warm brown eyes. Of course, the moment he realized I'd noticed, he jerked his gaze back to his notebook.
"Yeah," I murmured, wondering what was going on in Pax's mind. He was a tough one to read, always had been. Neel was the only one who could get him to speak his mind, and even that wasusually in the form of arguments the two brothers got into far too frequently for a pair wanting to run a business together.
Neel convinced me to stay for lunch, and since Mateo had assured me he and Duckie were 'all good,' I agreed to stay. After lunch, I got roped into a discussion about the theme for one of the rooms, and before I knew it, the sun had disappeared and a light sprinkle of rain had started to fall.
I hadn't brought the car, so I borrowed an umbrella from Neel—I wouldn't get sick either way, but we had to keep up the pretense for the human residents—and made my way home, making a pit stop on the way when I spotted something I thought might make Duckie smile.
When I reached home, I could hear Mateo and Duckie chatting in the living room, and I hung up the umbrella and removed my shoes before walking deeper into the house.
"Hey," I greeted as I came into the living room, and Duckie glanced up, smiling when his eyes met mine before sliding to the bouquet of daisies in my hand. He'd told me yesterday that the white-and-yellow flowers were his favorite.
Duckie jumped to his feet and hurried over to me, and I held out the bouquet. "This is for you."
His smile was wide as he took the flowers and pressed them to his chest, his dark eyes shining with joy. Then, he held the bouquet away from his chest, stepped forward, and leaned down, brushing his lips against mine.
I sucked in a surprised breath, and before Duckie could pull away, I moved forward, pressing my lips more firmly against his. He could still pull away if he wanted to, but judging by the way he leaned into me, he didn't.
Cupping his waist with my hands, I brushed my lips over his, keeping the kiss chaste and light as sparks skittered down my spine and warmth filled my chest. I could almost imagine our bond getting stronger with every caress of our lips.
When I pulled away, Duckie had his eyes closed, and I waited as he slowly opened them, awed by the care and joy I could see in his dark, dark eyes.
"You two are nauseatingly cute," Mateo declared, breaking the quiet moment. Duckie's cheeks went pink almost instantly, and he cleared his throat as he took a step back. Dropping my hold on his waist, I glared at my twin, who merely stuck his tongue out at me. "Why don't you go clean up while Duckie and I set the table? I'm starving."
Mateo's eyes flicked to Duckie, telling me he was thinking the same thing I was: Duckie needed a moment.
Leaving Duckie clutching the bouquet as Mateo pulled him toward the kitchen, I went upstairs to freshen up and change into something more comfortable, pressing my fingers to my lips as they continued to tingle. I could almost feel Duckie's lips on them, and I hoped I'd get to kiss him again soon.
