by Lynsay Sands
James was silent for a minute and then said, “They are pretty powerful stuff.”
“Go ahead and say it,” Holly urged.
“What?” he asked warily.
“That we never had half the passion of those dreams. That what we’ve had was more like . . .”
“The love and affection between siblings,” he said when she hesitated.
She nodded. “I suppose that shouldn’t surprise us since we grew up together.”
“Yeah, but you were the hottest girl around,” he assured her.
She chuckled at the teasing words he’d often said to her and gave her usual response, “I was the only girl around.”
“That too,” he agreed, and then took her hand. “Holly, I don’t want to lose our friendship. You’ve been a part of my life almost since I was born. You’re family to me.”
“And I always will be,” she assured him, squeezing his hand gently.
“Good.” He smiled with relief and then admitted, “You’re taking this better than I expected. When Gia said you were so determined to stick to your marriage vows, I . . .”
“I married you in good faith, James,” she said quietly. “I do love you, and if we were both mortal still, we might even have made it as a couple. The cozy home, children, growing old together and all that stuff we both dreamed of while growing up.”
“But circumstances have changed,” he said.
Holly nodded. “There’s a reason we edit what we say. Once words are spoken, they cannot be unheard. Unfortunately, the same is true of thoughts if you can read them.”
“I apologize for anything you may have heard me think that might have hurt you,” James said quickly. “And really, the Elaine thing—”
“Don’t even go there,” Holly said with dry amusement. “You shouldn’t even have to go there. Your thoughts should be your own, James, not something you need to apologize for.” She grinned and added, “And with Gia, they will be.”
James nodded and relaxed, then reached for the door handle. “Come on. Gia was worried sick about how you’d take this. She’s afraid you’ll be mad at her and she really likes you. Let’s go give her the good news and then all three of us can go out to dinner to celebrate.”
“You go ahead and tell her alone,” Holly suggested. “I’ll just wait here.”
When he frowned at the suggestion, concern entering his expression, she pointed out, “She might feel weird about kissing you in front of me and you two are gonna want to kiss.”
“You’re right,” James said on a laugh and slid out of the car.
Holly watched him go and then got out of the front seat and moved to the backseat instead, leaving the front for Gia. She then sat staring at the house she and James had bought together after they’d married. They’d planned to sell and move to a larger place when they were ready to have kids, but it was a good starter home.
The house suddenly blurred in her vision, and Holly blinked, and then raised her fingers to dash tears from her eyes. They were unexpected. She hadn’t thought this would upset her. She really was happy for Gia and James and hadn’t felt a moment’s jealousy, which was just wrong. In fact, more than anything, all she’d felt was relief. Those two weeks before the accident had been impossible. She couldn’t imagine trying to struggle through a lifetime of that, even a mortal lifetime. And now she didn’t have to.
Still, Holly supposed she was grieving what had been. The dreams she’d had as Mrs. James Bosley. And maybe she was also crying a little because she wasn’t sure of her own future. She had turned Justin away, repeatedly rejected him. What if he now did the same to her? And if he didn’t, how could she be sure they could work? Until very recently, she’d been certain she and James could and that had been wrong. With Justin, she wasn’t certain of anything.
“Piccola!”
Holly glanced around with surprise when Gia slipped into the backseat beside her.
“I will ride back here with Holly,” the woman announced.
“Ah, you’re gonna make me sit up here all by myself?”
Gia clucked her tongue. “Drive, James.”
“Ha ha, very funny,” he muttered, starting the engine.
“Why is it funny?” Gia asked with confusion.
Holly met James’s eyes in the mirror and they both burst out laughing.
Gia merely smiled at them and then took Holly’s hands. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out. Justin will not reject you. He understood and even admired your decision to honor your vows. And,” she added firmly when Holly opened her mouth to speak, “And you do not have to trust in yourself with Justin. Trust in the nanos, yes? They will never steer you wrong. If they think you are life mates, then life mates you are, and you will work.”
“Now,” she squeezed Holly’s hand and then turned to smile at James in the rearview mirror. “We will go have dinner to celebrate . . . in Canada.”
“What?” Holly turned on her with surprise.
“Hmmm. I called Aunt Marguerite and she insisted we all come to dinner.”
“In Canada?” Holly asked with disbelief.
“Hmmm. Is only a five hours flight or something like that,” she reassured her. “And there are snacks on the plane.”
“The plane?” Holly echoed.
Gia nodded. “It should be landing when we get to the airport. Lucian Argeneau arranged for it to come get us when I called him earlier.”
Holly’s eyes narrowed. “And why did you call him?”
“Because I want to be happy, but I want you to be happy too,” she said simply.
“And how does flying to Canada for dinner make either of us happy?” she asked warily.
“Well . . . when James and I finally talked about everything, and he decided that he had to talk to you as soon as you got home . . .” She hesitated and then said solemnly, “I cannot celebrate and enjoy having James to life mate if you and Justin are not settled as well, Holly.”
Holly bit her lip and said, “Have you ever heard the expression you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink?”
Gia shook her head slowly. “What does it mean?”
“It means she’s afraid you’ll get her to Canada and bring this Justin guy around, but that doesn’t mean he’ll still be interested,” James said solemnly.
Gia shook her head. “You are his life mate, Holly. You have nothing to fear.”
Holly didn’t say anything, but as Gia patted her hand, she worried that might not be true.
Nineteen
“Do this, Justin. Do that, Justin. We’re shorthanded, Justin. Mortimer needs you, Justin. You have to come back. But where is Justin? Everyone else is out hunting a rogue, but what is Justin doing? He’s delivering pastries to Marguerite’s house for some damned dinner she’s having. Oh yeah, we need you, Justin,” he muttered under his breath as he parked the SUV in Marguerite’s driveway and got out to walk around to the back of the SUV.
He retrieved the covered tray inside, then straightened, pressed the button on his key fob to close the back, and headed for the house. He was still ten feet away when the front door opened and Dante peered out at him. “What took you so long?”
“Really?” Justin asked, one eyebrow rising. “Not, ‘Thank you for taking time out from your important work of hunting rogues to bring us yet more food to swallow in one or two bites, Justin.’ Just, ‘What took you so long?’ ”
Dante shrugged and stepped back for him to enter with the tray. “I don’t eat pastries.”
“Yeah, you do,” Justin said dryly, stepping inside and turning to watch him close the door. “As far as I can tell, you and Tomasso eat everything.”
“Yeah, we do,” Dante admitted with a grin and then waved at the door to the living room.
Shaking his head, Justin turned and strode to the door, but stopped there a
s he noted all the people present. It wasn’t a damned dinner—it was a party of some sort. The whole Argeneau family appeared to be here, as well as every last hunter who was supposed to be out rounding up a supposed nest of rogues Lucian had got word about. Even Mortimer and Sam were here.
“What the—” he began and then paused as Marguerite suddenly smiled at him. She took her husband Julius’s arm and the two stepped sideways, revealing three people sitting on the couch.
“Holly,” Justin breathed and dropped the tray he held. Fortunately, Dante was quick and managed to catch it before it hit the floor. Justin hardly noticed though; his attention had shifted to the man beside Holly. James Bosley, her husband, sat between her and Gia on the couch. That was a shock, but when he noted the silver glint in the man’s eyes, he reeled back and whirled away, only to crash into Lucian Argeneau’s steel wall of a chest.
“Where are you going?” Lucian asked mildly. “Aren’t you going to greet your life mate?”
“She’s with her husband,” Justin growled. “Obviously he was a possible life mate to her too. She’s made her decision. I—why the hell are you shaking your head?”
“Because you’re wrong,” Lucian said. “As usual.”
Justin scowled at him and then hissed. “See the guy with silver-blue eyes there?”
“Justin, ninety percent of the people in the room have silver-blue eyes,” he pointed out with amusement.
“The one on the couch that isn’t related to you,” Justin growled.
“You mean Gia’s life mate?” Lucian asked mildly.
“No, I mean Holly’s husband,” he said with frustration.
“The only man on the couch is Gia’s life mate,” Lucian informed him.
“What?” he asked with confusion and then turned to look at the trio again. James Bosley? Gia’s life mate?
“Yes,” Lucian said in answer to his unspoken question.
“So Gia turned him?” Justin asked slowly, trying to absorb what he was being told.
“No. Holly turned him,” Lucian answered.
“What?” Justin faced him again. “Why?”
Lucian released a long drawn-out sigh and then shook his head. “I suggest you gird your loins and ask Holly. I am bored with this conversation now.”
“Gird my loins?” Justin asked with disbelief. “Who even says that?”
“I do,” Lucian growled and strode around him to enter the room and join his wife, Leigh, by a table filled with appetizers.
“They were in a car accident. James would have died. Holly felt responsible so turned him.”
Justin turned to glance at the woman who had spoken. Decker’s mate, Dani, now stood on his right side.
Anders’s mate, Valerie, now appeared on his left and added, “She called Gia for help after turning him. Gia couldn’t read him, so, here they are.”
“Why?” he asked worriedly.
Both women laughed.
“Why do you think, Justin? Go talk to her.” Valerie gave him a push.
Justin took a step, and then turned back suspiciously to the two women. “Are you guys setting me up or something?”
They exchanged a grimace and then Dani said, “The boys told us what they did in California. How they told you everything Holly hated were things she liked.”
“We were pissed,” Valerie added. “I mean, we get that they both wanted to pay you back for how you tormented them when they were trying to win us, but what they did didn’t just affect you.”
“It affected Holly too,” Dani said solemnly. “And that wasn’t fair. Besides, while you torment the men every chance you get, you are always sweet to us.”
“Yes,” Valerie agreed. “Now, get over there and put the poor woman out of her misery. She’s worried sick that it’s too late and you won’t want her anymore.”
“She really doesn’t get this life mate business,” Justin muttered.
“No. She doesn’t,” Dani agreed. “But then it’s hard to comprehend when you’re new to this stuff. And she has had a lot to absorb in a relatively short space of time.”
“It should help now that you can tell her about life mate sex and show her what that’s all about,” Valerie pointed out.
“Can I?” Justin asked uncertainly, and then pointed out, “She’s still married.”
“Yeah, but technically the law only applies to mortals,” Sam said suddenly from behind him.
“What?” Justin turned to peer at Mortimer’s mate, wide-eyed. The woman was a lawyer, she would know these things.
“I read up on the law last week after you told me about your situation, and an immortal is only forbidden to use his influence on a mortal, and interfere in a mortal marriage,” Sam explained, and then pointed out, “Holly, and now James, are both immortal. So, technically, the council couldn’t punish you for wooing or life mate sex or—”
“But Holly was immortal almost from the start,” Justin said with a frown. “I mean, she was immortal before we even exchanged a word. So the minute she was immortal, it was no longer a mortal marriage,” he pointed out. “Does that mean I could have gone all out to try to win her? Used life mate sex and everything and the council couldn’t have done a damned thing? It wouldn’t have been breaking the law?”
“The way the law reads, yes,” Sam said almost apologetically.
“Well, why the hell didn’t Lucian tell me that then?” Justin asked plaintively and turned to peer at the man. Lucian Argeneau met his gaze across the room and gave him a smile a shark would admire.
“Um . . . this is just a guess,” Valerie said with amusement, “But I’m thinking maybe you gave Lucian a hard time when he met Leigh?”
“Oh yeah,” he muttered.
“Justin,” Marguerite said quietly.
Justin turned to find the woman standing next to Dani and raised his eyebrows in question.
“It is better it worked this way,” she assured him solemnly. “Holly is an honorable young woman. Nanos or no nanos, and life mates or not, she would have suffered terrible guilt at breaking her marriage vows with you.”
“Right,” Justin said on a sigh as he realized that probably still held true. He could now claim her as his life mate, but claiming her physically was probably still out of the question until she was divorced.
It didn’t matter, he thought grimly. She was his, and if they had to wait to celebrate their union physically, then he would wait. It would probably kill him, but he would wait.
“Go talk to her,” Valerie suggested.
Nodding, Justin stopped stalling then and entered the room, heading straight for the couch.
“Holly,” he said solemnly, and then quickly shifted his attention to her husband as the other man suddenly stood up.
“Justin Bricker?” the fair-haired man asked.
Justin nodded slowly, half-expecting the man to pop him in the nose for stealing Holly from him. Instead, he grinned and took his hand, pumping it in enthusiastic greeting. “I’m James Bosley, and it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Holly’s told me a lot about you. Gia has too. Thank you so much for saving her life that night at the cemetery . . . and for everything else.”
“Er . . .” Justin glanced to Holly to see that she was biting her lip anxiously, then to Gia, who was smiling and nodding, and managed a weak smile of his own. “You’re welcome. My pleasure.”
James nodded, and glanced from him to Holly before prodding gently, “I suppose you two want to talk.”
“Yes,” Justin said firmly when Holly hesitated, and then held his hand out to her.
Smiling nervously, she accepted it and stood, allowing him to lead her out of the living room and then outside.
“So, Gia and James,” Justin said as he pulled the door closed behind them.
“Yes,” Holly said with a crooked smile.
“How did that come about?” he asked curiously.
Holly took a deep breath and then told him what had transpired since she’d left the nightclub and caught the bus home. She told him how right they all were about trying to live with someone when you could hear their thoughts, about the argument in the car, the accident, calling Gia and her talk with James about being Gia’s life mate. Holly told Justin everything right up until Gia had announced they were to fly to Canada for dinner at Marguerite’s.
“And here you are,” he said with a faint smile. They had been walking as they talked, making their way around the house, and were now in the backyard.
“Well, we didn’t—” she began, but he stopped walking and turned to take her hands.
“Before you say anything else, I need to tell you that Valerie told me you were worried I wouldn’t still want you. Holly, you’re my life mate. I want you for my life mate. I will always want you for my life mate.”
“Oh,” Holly breathed. “I want that too. That’s why I—”
“But it’s more than that,” Justin continued. “At first I wanted you just because you were my life mate. I mean, I didn’t know you,” he pointed out wryly. “But as I got to know you, the life mate part mattered less and less. Not that it isn’t really important,” he added quickly. “I mean it is important, but I started to see you as you rather than just as my life mate . . . if that makes any sense at all. Jesus, I’m screwing this all up,” he muttered with frustration, and then shook his head and said, “Anyway, I came to realize you really were made for me. We’re both city types, we both love to dance, and taking chances . . .” He shook his head. “And there’s so much I love about you. Your quick wit and ability to learn fast, your honor, your wild side, even your temper.”
“I—”
“But I especially love your stubbornness, your determination to do the honorable thing and hold to the vows you made no matter the temptation,” Justin continued determinedly. “So I want you to know, I will abide by your desire to stand by your vows. I won’t try to tempt you to break them. I’ll not touch you or kiss you or do anything that might lead to our—”
