“Hmm…” His fingers trailed from her hair to her throat then lower. “I don’t see you as a child.”
“I know,” she assured, pulling his palm to her heart.
“It’s the way the men in my life treat women,” he added. “It’s the way I was raised to be. I know you’re not helpless. I take care of you because I want to, because it makes me feel good.”
“I know,” she repeated, keeping her eyes on his, which seemed to be pleading with her to understand and accept.
“Then back to my original question,” he whispered. “Does it bother you?”
“No, Quin. I love how you take care of me, but it’s still new. I need to adjust.”
“It’s not all on your shoulders, Layla. I can adjust, too. If you need a sense of independence, tell me, and we’ll figure out a way to give it to you.”
“Thank you.”
He laughed and drummed his fingers on her heart. “You’re silly. Don’t thank me for this.”
She smiled as she pulled his palm into a kiss. Then she placed it on one of her breasts before attacking the rest of that muffin.
Once they'd eaten enough to stay nourished, he carried her to the sofa. Then he showered her in teasing kisses before leaving her there so he could clean their breakfast mess. She pouted as she watched him walk away, but the TV remote was nearby, so she reached for the distraction.
“I wouldn't bother with the TV,” he said, refilling their coffee mugs. “They're almost here.”
Layla jolted upright, her stomach flipping as her fidgety fingers dropped the remote. She stood, thinking she might get dressed. Then she sat, deciding there wasn’t time. She played percussion on her knees then turned her attention to a fruit basket on the table. Apples and oranges hopped around in the air before peeling and slicing themselves. Then a plate flew from the kitchen and smoothly landed on the coffee table. The uniform pieces of fruit arranged themselves on the plate as the rejected peels and cores zoomed to the trash. Then a fresh flower arrangement appeared on the table.
Quin laughed, and Layla looked up, watching him approach with their coffee. He placed the mugs on the table. Then he sat on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. “That looked like a fun way to fidget.”
The moment he touched her, her heart rate slowed and her muscles relaxed. She remained nervous, but the need to act was gone. “It makes a big difference when you touch me.”
He smiled and pulled her palm to his cheek. “It's the same for me, and it will always be that way. We'll never get over that feeling.”
She watched him kiss her wrist, remembering the unease she felt when they were in separate rooms. “So how do bonded couples leave each other's sides?”
“They don't unless absolutely necessary.”
Her eyes widened. “So you and I will never be apart?”
He soberly looked over. “I sincerely hope not.”
“What about your job?”
“We'll figure something out.”
“I guess we have a lot to figure out.” Her gaze fell to her lap as her mind flipped through things that would need to change. His career was on a perpetual hiatus, he'd have to move in with her, and any future plans he'd made would have to be rethought. His life had been flipped upside down overnight.
“Stop, Layla.”
His stern voice had her head snapping up. “Stop what?”
“Stop thinking I'm making big sacrifices, because I'm not. You’re my life, just you. All the other things are accessories, and I don't need accessories if I don't have my life. Do you feel like you're missing out?”
“No!”
“Then you must know I feel the same. We're bonded, love. We're on the same wavelength. We have been this entire time, but now we have proof, and not just emotional proof.” He waved a hand through the gold and silver haze around them. “We have visual proof of how much we love each other and how much we need to be together. What you feel, I feel, so if you're concerned I'm missing something, search yourself, because if I'm missing it, you're missing it.”
“Is that really how it works?”
“Yes, angel. I'm only as happy as you are, and you're only as happy as I am.”
She pulled his fingers to her lips. “We make each other very happy.”
“Yes we do,” he agreed. Then he leaned in for a slow and sweet kiss. “They're here.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, your grandparents and my parents.”
Her heart sped up, and he quickly placed a palm over it. “It's okay, love. This is good news.”
She buried her face in his neck and took several deep breaths, trying to draw strength from his sturdiness. “Right… good news.”