"Because I love you." She looked up and gave him everything she had.
He lost the frown, his gaze softening. "I love you more." Ducking beneath a branch and tugging her along, he grasped her hand again. "I just received a communication from my brother. Flynn and a couple of his buddies should be arriving within the hour."
Nessa's eyes widened. "Dragons are coming to Seattle?"
"The mere fact that your sentence makes sense shows how completely out of control our life has become," he sighed. "The answer to your question is yes. The dragons will land soon. For now, come on," he whispered.
She followed him, fighting a chuckle. "Where?"
He led her down a barely there trail toward the river, turning at the last second into an alcove that faced the rushing mass. A hand-carved stone bench sat inside, protected from any storm by natural rocks showing the minerals of the area. "Bear," she breathed.
He sat and tugged her onto his lap. "This is our secret place. Only ours. Got it?"
"Aye," she said, enchanted. "Just ours."
"Let's sit here a moment before we go back." He held her close, his lips wandering across her forehead. "I love you, Nessa. We're gonna have a good life."