Descension (28 page)

The moment he landed, he found Rhosewen’s gaze, and their faces brightened with smiles they couldn’t contain. She tried to keep her pace casual, but practically bounced across the lawn.

“Hi,” she beamed.

“Hi,” he returned, scanning her sparkling eyes and curved lips. He wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss her as deeply as he had the night before, but her family was watching, so he merely took her hand, kissing her fingers as he placed a pure white rose in her palm. “A rose for a Rose,” he whispered.

She grinned and smelled her gift. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

He winked then turned toward his parents. “Mom, dad, this is Rhosewen Conn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Daleen greeted, taking Rhosewen’s hands.

“You, too,” Rhosewen replied. “Both of you.”

Serafin flashed a broad smile as he stepped forward. “We’ve heard good things about you from your Grandma Adonia. You’re even lovelier than your photos suggest.”

“Thank you,” Rhosewen returned. Then she wrinkled her nose at Aedan. “Good to know Grandma Addy’s been telling tales and flashing my picture around.”

“She’s proud of her family,” Serafin laughed.

“And we’re proud of her,” Rhosewen replied, gesturing toward her approaching parents. “This is my mom and dad—Caitrin and Morrigan Conn. This is Aedan’s parents,” she announced, flipping the introductions around, “Serafin and Daleen Donnelly.”

The two golden couples greeted one another. Then Serafin and Morrigan recalled their last meeting as they accompanied their spouses to the dinner table.

Their conversation faded, so Aedan looked to Rhosewen, sighing as he took her hands. “You look beautiful this evening, Rose.”

She wore the shirt from the alpaca farm, which fit her perfectly, begging him to cuddle her.

“Thank you,” she returned, grinning from one pink cheek to the other.

Aedan gently touched his forehead to hers, lightly wiggling the tip of her nose with his own. Then he gave it a soft kiss before leading her to the table.

~ * * * ~

After a long dinner slowed by abundant conversation, Daleen and Serafin returned home, but Aedan stayed behind, waiting for the lawn to clear. When he and Rhosewen were alone at last, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped her in a hug, burrowing his nose in her hair.

“I’ve been waiting all day to do this,” he mumbled, finding her neck. “Mmm… There it is.”

Goosebumps stretched across Rhosewen’s chest and back, and she sighed, slipping her tingling fingers into his hair.

They silently held each other for several minutes, soaking up the peace. Then Rhosewen shattered it. “I had a visitor today.”

“Oh yeah?” he mumbled, sweeping his nose across the hollow of her throat. “Who?”

“Medea.”

Aedan jerked his head back. “What was she doing here?”

“She wanted to know when I was leaving.”

“You talked to her?”

“Briefly.”

“Please be careful around her, Rose. If she comes back, stay cautious. Or just steer clear of her altogether. Let someone else get rid of her.”

Rhosewen ran her fingers along his rigid jaw then touched his creased brow. “Okay, but I doubt she’ll do anything. She took a long look at my aura today, and I think she figured out I’m a bonded child.”

Aedan closed his eyes and smoothed his forehead, so Rhosewen stroked his eyelids. “You’re more worried about her today than you were yesterday,” she noted.

“Yes,” he confessed, opening his eyes.

“Why?”

“Because she was on my porch when I got home last night. She knew I’d been with you. She knows too much about you—where you live and when you’re leaving. She didn’t come here to find that out. She already knew, which means she went out of her way to gather information on you.”

“Is that why you’re so worried?” Rhosewen pressed.

“Yes. I don’t want her anywhere near you. She’s unstable. I saw a side of her last night I’ve never seen before. When I told her I was with you, she lost it. I’m worried she’s gone off the deep end.”

“You said she already knew we were together.”

“She knew we’d been together, but she didn’t know I was serious about you. She thought you’d leave Saturday and that would be the end of it.”

Rhosewen completely forgot about Medea as a thousand butterflies swarmed her belly, fluttering with hope and desire. “Isn’t it?” she asked, pushing the premature expectations away. “How could it possibly work with an entire country between us?”

Aedan watched her hopeful yet cautious expression as he thought about what he would say, regretting a conversation about Medea had led to it. Ideally, it would be said under far sweeter circumstances. But he needed to know if Rhosewen felt the same. If so, they only had five days to prepare themselves.

He shifted her around, straddling her on his lap. Then he took her cheeks, watching her liquid eyes. “Rose, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Rhosewen’s bones melted. Only Aedan’s hands on her face kept her from sinking into him.

“It’s only been three days,” he went on, “and I’m already dreaming about a future with you. I see it so clearly. It’s all I see. I won’t ask you to stay here, because I know you don’t want to.” He paused, searching her eyes and his heart. Yes, he was sure. “But if you feel the same, I’ll move to Oregon.”

Rhosewen’s entire body trembled. Then she sobbed as tears spilled from blue oceans.

“Hey,” Aedan soothed, alarmed by her sudden outburst. “Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” she answered. “You’ve said everything right.”

“Then why the tears?” he asked, wiping them away. “Are you sad?”

“No… just guilty… and so happy.”

Rhosewen tried to pull herself together, but couldn’t. She’d never felt so many things at once. “I’m in love with you, too, Aedan. I don’t want Saturday to be the end, but I don’t know if I could leave home. Work is expecting me back, my family and friends are there. It’s all I’ve ever known. And here you are, telling me you’d leave home and everything else to be with me. I feel so selfish and undeserving.”

Her tears flowed faster, but Aedan dried them as swiftly as they ran. “You’re in love with me, too?”

“Yes,” she answered. “I don’t understand it, but there’s no doubt about it.”

Aedan kissed her so hard and so long, her eyes were dry by the time he pulled away. “That settles it,” he said. “I’m moving to Oregon.”

Rhosewen continued to quake from his kiss, so it took her a moment to reply. “Won’t it hurt too much to leave? I don’t want that for you.”

Aedan’s smile stayed in place as he slowly shook his head. “I wouldn’t offer if I weren’t sure.”

“What about your job?” she pressed.

“I plan on opening my own shop,” he answered. “Now it will be in Oregon instead of Virginia. My parents’ business isn’t busy enough for all three of us.”

“What about them, and your coven?”

“I’ll miss them,” he confessed, “but I’ve always considered a move out of the community a viable option, and if ever there was a reason to go, it’s you. I love everything I’ve learned about you, Rose, and I’m dying to fall in love with the rest. You’ve done so much to me in three short days, I want to know what else you can do. I want to experience all of it, not just a week’s worth. I want to be with you everyday of every year, and there’s no denying it. That’s just the way it is now.”

He’d convinced her. Rhosewen still felt selfish for letting him do it, but he was the only thing she’d thought about for three days, and she couldn’t bear the prospect of leaving him. “Come home with me, Aedan. I want you, too.”

“You just made me the happiest man on earth,” he whispered.

More tears slipped from Rhosewen’s lids, and Aedan gently wiped them away, leaning in for another spine-tingling kiss.

Aedan and Rhosewen spent their first sleepover on a blanket in the middle of the lawn, cuddling—mostly innocently—under twinkling stars. The next morning, at precisely the same time, their eyes popped open and met, and smiles stretched across their delighted faces.

“Good morning, my beautiful Rose,” he whispered, sweeping his thumb across her cheek.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled his palm, teasing his wrist with her lips. “Good morning.”

Aedan’s veins pulsed against satiny flesh, and he couldn’t deny the urge to kiss her neck, his body light as air yet so full of feeling. “I love waking up with you, Rose. This is already the best day of my life.”

He inhaled deeply, sliding his lips to her face, and she turned away from his wrist, finding his mouth as she pulled his hand to her heart. Their longest, most tender kiss yet, it left them vibrating.

They were so wrapped up in each other, they jolted when a door opened. Then they laughed and looked up, finding Morrigan gliding toward them with a tray, her caramel curls and peach eyes glinting in the rising sun.

“Good morning,” she greeted, halting beside their bed of blankets.

Aedan and Rhosewen pulled themselves apart and sat up.

“Morning, mom,” Rhosewen chirped.

“Good morning, Morrigan,” Aedan added. “Did you sleep well?” He couldn’t find it in himself to feel guilty for sleeping next to her daughter. Opening his eyes to Rhosewen’s had been the most amazing moment of his life.

Morrigan watched Rhosewen’s aura as she answered. “I did. Thank you for asking. Did you two sleep well?”

“We slept great,” Rhosewen answered, unabashed.

Morrigan smiled as her aura pulsed. “Good. I brought breakfast.”

“We could have come inside to eat,” Rhosewen offered.

“We already ate,” Morrigan replied, “so I thought I’d bring out the leftovers.”

Aedan squeezed Rhosewen’s hand then jumped to his feet, relieving Morrigan of the tray. “That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“Sure,” she returned, shifting her attention to Rhosewen. “Do you have plans today?”

“Not really,” Rhosewen answered. “Are you and dad going to Cape Charles again?”

“I think we’ll lounge around here instead. Would you two like to join us for lunch?”

Rhosewen looked at Aedan, who searched her eyes before answering. “I’d like that, Morrigan, but some other time. I have a lot to do today.”

“Oh,” Morrigan breathed. “How about you, sweetie? Are you going with him?”

“Nuh-uh,” Rhosewen answered, picking through the food. Then she paused and looked at Aedan. “Am I?”

“If you’d like,” he offered, “but I’m just running errands around town.”

“Looks like I’ll be here,” Rhosewen said, smiling at her mom, whose face and aura brightened.

“We’ll have to come up with something to keep us busy. There’s a spot about a mile away that would make a lovely landscape painting this time of year. We should check it out.”

“Sounds great. I’ll be in after Aedan leaves.”

“Take your time,” Morrigan insisted. “Have a good day, Aedan.”

“You, too, Morrigan. Thanks again for breakfast.”

Morrigan offered him a smile. Then she threw Rhosewen one more glance before floating away. Once she was inside, Aedan and Rhosewen abandoned the food, lying back in each other’s arms.

“Do you really have errands to run?” she asked, laying her cheek on his chest.

“Yes,” he answered. “Why? Did you want me to stay?”

“I always want you to stay.”

“I’m sorry. I thought you’d want to speak to your parents alone. I can run my errands tomorrow.”

“No, that’s okay. I do need to talk to them alone. But I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too, Rose, but we have a lifetime ahead of us, and there are things I need to do to prepare for it.”

She raised her head, flashing a peaceful smile. “A lifetime.”

“Yes,” he whispered, bringing her lips to his, “a long and lovely lifetime.”

~ * * * ~

As Aedan flew to Virginia Beach, he ran what needed done through his head. His dad would need a new employee, but there were at least three people interested in the job. Packing his possessions would be easy; he didn’t have that many. He needed to visit Kearny, his closest friend outside his coven, but he wanted to take Rhosewen along, so he decided to wait.

As he stepped into Virginia Beach’s finest jewelry shop, a bell tinkled, signaling a squat, old man from the back. “Can I help you find something?”

“How long would a custom order take?” Aedan asked.

“Well,” the man mumbled, scanning an appointment book, “looks like I’m free this week, but I can’t give you a time frame without knowing what you want.”

Aedan approached, placing a small velvet bag on the counter. Then he unfolded a piece of paper. “I’ve drawn what I want,” he said, sliding the sketch over.

The jeweler perched a pair of glasses on his nose and picked up the paper, examining the drawing under a nearby lamp.