Laughing, I pulled her flush against me. “Maybe you think you got a good deal. The truth is that you could have done better. But no one else would have loved you like I do.” I kissed her gently, meaning every word. “Tell me you know that even though we have all these huge responsibilities now, you’ll still always come first to me.”

“I know.”

That was easy. I arched a brow, surprised by the confidence in her response. “You do?”

“It’s kind of hard not to believe you when you won’t stop harping on about it.”

“I don’t harp.”

“Yes, you do.” She slid her arms around my neck. “And, for the record, I did in fact get a good deal. I love you in spite of the harping, and the overprotectiveness, and the fact that you’re squeezing my arse in front of all these people and while anyone watching over V-Tube can see.”

“Can’t help it.” I gave it another squeeze. “Do you remember what you said to me the first night we met?”

“Now who’s the pretty girl?” she offered, referring to the time we had duelled and she had put me on my ass.

I scowled. “No, after that. You said you could improve the squad’s control of their gifts within five nights”

“Actually, I think you’ll find that I originally said ‘seven’ nights.”

“and I proposed a bet: that if you didn’t manage to do it within five nights, I’d get to taste you. But we both know that no one can get you to do anything that you don’t want to do. So the question is: would you have let me bite you if I’d won the bet?”

She pursed her lips. “Using the excuse that I was just honouring the bet…yes. But I’d have wanted you to do it – although hell would have frozen over before I admitted that.”

“I wouldn’t have done it, you know.” I could see that I’d surprised her. “I didn’t want to taste you until I knew for sure that you wanted it. Of course I strongly suspected that you did, but the fact that you enjoyed whipping me and causing me physical pain didn’t instill me with confidence.”

“I’m all about the tough love.”

“You fought me and fought me back then. Fought me on every level…but I wanted you too much, and I was too determined to have you. And now you’re mine.” Not even Imani’s gift could sever our bond; it was solid and untouchable.

Her arms tightened around my neck as she kissed me lightly. “And you’re mine as well.”

“Baby, I’ve been yours since you put me on my ass and called me a pretty girl.”

She laughed. “We should thank Antonio for playing cupid. I’ve got some matchmaking games of my own to plan.” Her smile was impish. “Want to play?”

“What did you have in mind? Or should I say, who?”