Longing for You, стр. 30

“First of all, remember Magda said the knowledge of your pastwould find us, and two, whatever the truth is, we’ll get through it because weare a team, and we can face anything.”

Amelia turned around so her head was now on Byron’s chest. “I’m solucky to have you, Byron. You don’t just make me feel safe, but you make mefeel like I can face anything. When I met you…”

“What?” Byron asked.

“I was full of anxiety, generally felt afraid of what people wouldthink of me. My parents told me I wasn’t good enough for so long that I startedto believe them. You make me feel good enough.”

“I’m glad you feel like that, but I’m the lucky one,” Byron said.“You always were good enough—you just had to see yourself through my eyes. Abeautiful woman who makes my blood run hot, and now a businesswoman in your ownright.”

Amelia smiled. It meant so much to her to open her own shop,making her own money and giving jobs and apprenticeships to young womenentering the tailoring business. Now she wasn’t Amelia Debrek the wife of thebillionaire businesswoman, she was the businesswoman.

“I hope Uncle Simon is okay.”

Since Amelia was going away so soon after opening, she didn’t wantto leave Daisy on her own. Uncle Jaunty was busy running his tailor shop nextdoor, so his husband Simon was insistent on helping out.

Byron had been friends with Jaunty for years but had never metSimon until she and Amelia got together. She and Jaunty had built a mutualrespect and trust, but Simon took nothing on trust. He was at first highlysceptical of Byron as a suitor for Amelia, whom he thought of as his daughter,but Byron respected that. Anyone who put Amelia first and had the strength ofcharacter to go up against a born vampire was to be admired in her book.

“Simon will be fine. He’ll be fussing around Daisy and having awhale of a time.”

“So, what is the plan for tomorrow?” Amelia asked.

Byron rolled them both over so she was on top of Amelia. “I’lltake you to all the places that are related to the New Forest coven and seewhat happens, but don’t be scared. I’ll be with you.”

“I won’t. How do you think Alexis and Katie are getting on?”Amelia asked.

“Alexis is probably tiptoeing around Katie, afraid she’ll say thewrong thing.”

“Do you think she’ll tell her about that night?” Amelia wasreferring to Alexis nearly turning her.

“Yes, she may be frightened, but Alexis is as honourable as theycome,” Byron said.

Amelia ran her fingers through Byron’s hair. “Was she like thisthe first time she was in love?”

“The Alexis back then was a very different person. She was open,optimistic, too optimistic perhaps. When she met Anna, a witch in a localcoven, she fell head over heels. I’m not proud of the fact that I counselledagainst the relationship.”

“Why?” asked Amelia.

“Because as an immortal, you are always going to have a brokenheart when the human or witch grows old and passes away. She was besotted byAnna, and she had to be prepared to watch her age and die. Alexis already hadher fair share of pain,” Byron said.

“And was that how you felt when you met me?”

“Initially, but then I saw things from Alexis’s point of view.Love was worth the risk of losing someone. Luckily things changed, and ourblood bond will keep you alive as long as I am.”

“I think they both look lost,” Amelia said.

“Let’s hope they find each other.”

* * *

Katie woke from her slumber to the smell of cooked breakfast. Shehadn’t been eating much, but the smell was making her mouth water. She got upslowly and put on her dressing gown.

With the aid of a walking stick to support her weak legs, Katiemade her way out to the living area of the cabin and followed the smell. Shecame out to the open-plan living area and caught the sight of Alexis makingfood at the cooker.

Alexis was wearing jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt. Katie wasimmediately attracted and intrigued. She hadn’t ever seen the Duca so casualbefore.

Alexis turned around and said, “Oh, you’re up already. I was goingto bring you breakfast in bed.”

What? Had she entered some sort of other dimension where Alexiswas open, helpful, and nice?

Katie was too shocked to say anything. Alexis hurried over to her.“Let me help you sit down.”

“Breakfast? You can cook?” Katie asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but every soldier can knock up bacon,eggs, and sausages.” Alexis went back to the kitchen and lifted a plate andbrought it back to Katie. “Eat up. There’s bacon, eggs, sausages, fried bread,and beans.”

Katie looked down at the plate and then up at Alexis. She gazed ather silently. What on earth was happening here. The cold, stoic soldier andvampire had made her a cooked breakfast?

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it looks lovely. Thank you,” Katie said.

“Eat up then. It’ll help get your strength back.”

“Are you eating?” Katie knew that vampires liked to eat for thepleasure of it sometimes, even though they didn’t need food for survival.

“No, I’ll probably eat dinner later, but now I thought I would trythe herbal tea you like so much,” Alexis said.

“My herbal tea? Did Amelia organize the food and drink for thecabins?”

Alexis returned with her cup of steaming hot tea and sat down.“No, I made sure everything we needed would be here on arrival, including yourteabags.”

Katie was touched that Alexis remembered her tea. She seemed tonotice her in the smallest of ways, like which brand of tea she liked. Alexiswas watching her, eagerly awaiting her verdict on breakfast. She picked up herknife and fork and tasted her food. “Mm. Really tasty. Thank you, Alexis.”

What happened next rocked Katie to the core. Alexis smiled, openlyand brightly. So brightly that Katie could feel the warmth invade her heart.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Katie then felt frustrated. Why was Alexis behaving like this whenshe ignored her last week? This was just weird. She put down her knife and forkand lifted the warm cup of tea Alexis had given her.

“I thought after breakfast,” Alexis said, “we could