Chapter 25

I ignored his comment, falling silent as I once again turned my attention to the ocean life.

Brady didn't speak again, and after a long drawn out moment, I found the bravery needed to chance a glance in his direction.

His gazed lingered on me, trailing head and looking unconcerned with the beautiful surroundings. A lazy smile curved his lips when our eyes met.

"What are you doing?" I asked, fidgeting slightly under his scrutiny.

He scratched his chin, then returned his hand to the mock bench, closer to mine than it had been before. "Looking at you."

"Why?" My skin tingled. Did he have to? My nerves awakened, fizzling to life, acutely aware of how close he was, how easy it would be to... I didn't want that. That would be the perfect way to find myself magically life married. Despite my thoughts, it was becoming harder to remember why that was a bad thing. Just looking around. It seemed there was nothing Brady couldn't accomplish, and I wasn't unaware of how scary that should have been.

For some reason, however, I felt no fear.

"I like looking at you," he answered.

In that moment, with him lounged back the way he was, completely exposed from the waist up, I couldn't say looking back wasn't just as nice. Probably better. Right then, Brady looked like a giant slab of cheesecake, and I was more than happy to let my eyes outweigh my stomach.

Then, said stomach growled and ruined everything.

Brady grabbed my hand. "C'mon, Sweetheart. Let's get something to eat."

I let him pull me closer, back into the circle of his arms, and I told myself I did it because I was hungry. I didn't like it. Those tingles were from the water pressure. It was hot in the bubble. Stifling.

A burst of blue, and we were back at the hut. I couldn't believe I'd failed to notice, but behind the bed was a doorway, and through that door was everything else. A living room with another full sized bed, a little dining area, equipped with table and chairs to the left of it. The open door straight ahead revealed a bathroom, and past the table was another door leading to a kitchen.

I looked over at Brady as he pulled a chair out and motioned for me to sit. "Are you going to cook?"

He grunted. "I don't have to cook, Sweetheart." He took a seat, his hands working through the air until steak and lobster materialized onto the table. Not just two settings, but literally, a plate full of steak, and a plate full of lobster. The meal would cost a fortune at a restaurant.

Brady stabbed a steak and plopped it down onto the plate in front of me, then added a lobster tale before doing the same for himself. "You like this, right?" he asked as he looked up at me.

"I think I'll manage." My mouth was salivating at just the smell of it all.

Brady focused on his meal, and I followed his lead. It was amazing, like everything else, and I paused as a thought occurred to me.

I could get used to this. "What time is it?" I hadn't even thought about it. I hadn't thought of anything. School. His claims. The seriousness of my situation. As if waking from a daze, my entire life outside the world he'd created rushed back to me, and the food suddenly felt heavy within my stomach.

Brady shrugged in response, but I could tell by the way his jaw clenched that he wasn't pleased with the question.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he didn't look up, too focused on his food.

"I think I should go back after this."

Brady was silent for a full minute, slowly chewing. When he finally swallowed, he calmly set his cutlery down and leaned back to study me. "I'll take you back," he said. He waved a hand, producing two glasses of red wine, then lifted his to his lips.

Relief filled me at his easy acceptance. For a split second, I thought he'd gone back on his deal, kidnapped me and used magic to make me forget the outside world.

He set the glass down and picked his fork back up. "Just not right now."

My paranoia returned. "After we eat."

He left me hanging, completely silent as he finished his steak and brought another to his plate. When he started to eat that one, I knew he had no intention of answering me.

"Brady?"

He cut another bite, placed it in his mouth, then sat back and watched me as he chewed. The epitome of calm, Brady showed no emotion. He pointed to my plate. "You need to eat more than that."

I pushed the plate away. "I'm done. You can take me home."

Brady grabbed his glass again, then stared over the rim as he took a long drawn out sip.

Hot anger sizzled within my chest, and I ground my teeth against it as I glared at him.

A mock toast was his response before sitting the wine back down. "I'm not done." He started on a lobster tail.

"But when you are," I began slowly, deliberately, "you'll take me home."

Brady nodded. "When I'm done. I'll take you home."

I heaved a sigh, my anger fading slightly as I resigned myself to watching him eat. It felt like an eternity before he finished. Brady put away every last bit of the food he'd conjured. Seven steaks, and eight lobster tails. I'd say I didn't know where he put it all, but there was definitely room in his massive frame.

He cleared the table, then leveled me with his steady gaze. "I think we should talk a bit more about what you remember. Maybe there's something that can help me figure out what's–"

"We can," I cut him off. "But I'd like to go home now."

He produced a new wine glass and took a drink. "I said I would take you." He sat it down, then stared at it for a second before looking back at me. "When I'm done."

I motioned to the empty table. "You ate enough to feed a small village for a week, Brady. I think it's safe to say I can go home now."

Brady grinned. "Oh. You thought I meant the food."

My mouth fell open. "Of course you meant the food!"

"Nope." He shifted in his seat, leaning forward. "I meant you." His lips twitched. "I'm not done."

We stared at each other, me glaring, him the poster boy for relaxation. I bared my teeth at him. "I-want-to-go-home."

He hummed. "I'd rather not. I like your face. And your ass. And you're kind of fun when you're not pissed off." He tilted his head, then added, "And sometimes when you are."

I stood, prepared to walk, or swim, whatever it would take just to get away from him, but Brady's look made me pause.

It was heated, hotter than the sand outside our little fortress, and as it travelled down the length of me, I was compelled to do the same.

The bathing suit.

I covered myself, or tried to anyway. No way I would have forgotten. He had to be doing something! "Are you using magic on me?" I demanded.

Brady continued to drink me in with no shame at all. "I plead the fifth."

"You are vile!" I grabbed my still full glass and threw it at him, but the stupid thing had barely made it out of my hand before it disappeared. I looked around, but the only other option was the chair. What the hell. I grabbed it, but Brady was too fast.

In a flash of blue he had me held against him, and the chair was sent tumbling to the floor. "It's not safe." He gripped either side of my face, then leaned down to give me a serious look. "It's not safe right now. I need to find whatever it is that's after you."

"You can do that while I'm at–"

"No!" he snapped, then paused as he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I won't risk it. It's done enough damage." He lead me over to the bed, sat me down onto its edge, then kneeled in front of me. "I have to protect you. I know you don't understand that, but it's not optional."

Something about the way he said it made me pause. He was just so damn... believable.

"Its safe here," he continued. "Plus," he paused, and I almost thought I saw vulnerability flash across that perfect face. "I want you to get to know me." He studied me closely, his face unreadable. "Won't you at least try?"

A pain hit the pit of my stomach. I wanted to refuse. To demand to go home. To tell him I wanted no part of his Brady loving zombie spells or lifetime commitments.

But I couldn't. My tongue wouldn't form the words. It's not that I wanted any of it. There were no second thoughts. To say I was ready for that would be pure insanity. It was him. His feelings. I didn't want to hurt him. That's so fucking dumb. "How long?" I said, the words feeling more like thumbtacks as they left my mouth.

He shrugged. "Couple of days. Maybe more."

"One day." I held up a finger and gave him a stern look.

"Four."

"One," I repeated.

Brady shot me a calculating look. "You drive a hard bargain, Sweetheart. Alright then. One, not counting today."

"Deal." I held my hand out, but Brady didn't shake it.

He looked to the offering, then a smile once again spread across his face. "I'm gonna need more than that."

I held my breath. "What?"

"A kiss." He tapped his mouth. "Given freely."

My eyes travelled to his perfect lips, and the memory of the last time we'd kissed made me shift in my seat.

"I haven't got all day, Sweetheart. I'm a man with limited time."

I gave him a flat look, but leaned forward anyway. Brady's mouth parted and, the moment I started towards him, his eyes flashed that electric neon blue.

My hands landed on his shoulders, holding myself up as I was forced to lean too far off the edge of the maters. I felt him tremble beneath me, and it caught me off guard. I paused. Why did he look so affected? He didn't touch me, hands two fists within his lap. His Adam's apple bobbing along the column of his throat was the only movement I could decipher from him. Each muscle stiff, locked in place. The anticipation in his eyes seemed too much, considering he'd kissed me before.

Brady watched me closely, his gaze fixed on my mouth, willing me to continue.

I took the leap, and when I did, the world shifted. Something happened to me. The moment I pressed my lips to his, a jolt ricochet through my chest. An army of chills marched down my spine, and I could feel it, something, a tether.

Brady relaxed, lips curving into a satisfied smile against my mouth.

I broke the contact and gave him a perplexed look. Something was different. I could feel it. The same feelings I'd been having since the first time he'd touched me strengthened, growing and stretching until they seemed alive. "What just happened?" I looked down at myself, as if I'd be able to see the change and finding nothing.

"The first step of many," Brady hummed, arms suddenly gripping me, pulling easily from my precarious position and into his lap. His mouth found mine again, kissing me deeply, so much emotion, before he smiled again. "Bonding happens in layers, Sweetheart, and you just completed one of them."

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