Chapter 61: Chapter 61
“But why not? It’s bothering me. Don’t you want to seal it?” she asked, and accidentally let some of her disappointment slip into her voice. She lowered her head and gazed at the mahogany wood of his desk.
“Is it because of me? Did I do something wrong?” she breathed, her old insecurities surfacing.
She didn’t look up but heard his chair move as he got up and pushed it out of the way. He stood in front of her, so close she could smell his aftershave. “No, not at all,” he sighed and embraced her, resting his chin on top of her head. “You see, I prefer not to rush things with you. I want you to be comfortable with everything we do.”
“But I am comfortable,” she insisted. “I even let you drink my blood.”
“Little flower, why are you so impatient?”
“Everyone seems to know except for me,” she pouted. Her hands pushed against his chest, ending their embrace. “It sucks.”
As serious as he tried to be, Ryder couldn’t hold in an amused snort when he saw her sulky expression and how adorable it looked. He ruffled her hair. “Patience is a virtue,” he drawled and winked. “I need to tell you something, petal.”
“What?” she asked, momentarily forgetting about her issue.
“I prepared a surprise for you. You came at the right time. I finished planning everything about half an hour ago. I thought we needed a break after what happened with Steph, so I booked us a cozy holiday home in the mountains.”
“A vacation in the mountains?” she echoed as a smile found its way to her face. “That sounds great. When will we leave?”
Her enthusiasm made him chuckle. “Friday morning, I would suggest. I booked it for the entire weekend.”
“Oh, I need to start packing,” she gushed, her mind going in all kinds of directions, and in her excitement, she began to babble like a waterfall. “Will it be cold? Should I bring a dress too, or are pants better? I guess they are more convenient for hiking. We will go hiking, right?”
“Uh… yeah,” he answered, blinking confusedly. “What else would you do in the mountains?”
“Maybe swimming if there is a lake or a river. Or spending time with flowers,” she counted on her fingers.
“I don’t think spending time with flowers is something regular people would do,” he grinned.
“It isn’t?” she wondered and put her hands on her hips. “That’s new. Flowers are good listeners.”
“If you say so, buttercup,” he smirked, showing the sharp tips of his fangs. “You forgot the most important detail, though.”
“And what is that?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Spending time with me. It’ll only be us for three whole days.” Something in his tone of voice made her blush madly. She wondered what exactly he had in mind for it to sound suggestive.
“You’ve planned something?”
“I planned lots of things, buttercup. You’ll see. And that reminds me… since the cottage is isolated, we need to cook for ourselves. You should make a list with groceries, so I can buy them the next time I’m in town.”
“Good idea. I’ll write some things down,” she chirped.
Ryder was more than pleased with her reaction to his surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be this ecstatic about it, and the longer he gazed at her beaming face, the more excited he got. She was so pretty when she smiled; when her shimmering green eyes became half-moons, and her cheeks blushed with a rosy hue. She wore her hair down today, and it framed her face, silky and soft since she combed it thoroughly in the mornings.
Ryder couldn’t have had a more fitting and perfect soulmate than her. He thanked the heavens he had met her before anyone had taken her from him—if she had lost her life that night with her parents, he would have never met her. Having to live without her by his side would have crushed him.
For a long while, he had been terrified when he couldn’t locate her. Scared that a shadow of his past may have sought her out to kill her. Ryder had made enemies over the years, and one particularly spiteful vampire was still after him—he couldn’t give her what she wanted.
Ryder zoned out for a bit, staring at Elena while she scribbled a few ingredients on a piece of paper, checking the recipes she had saved on her phone. A quirky smile curved her lips—she was in her element.
“Maybe we need cucumbers too,” she mumbled, cocking her head. “And then… Wait. I forgot the rice.”
“Buttercup?” he asked when he looked over her shoulder, furrowing his brow. “Do you really think we will need all those things? Our stay will only last three days.”
“Um, well… I actually wanted to make a cake before we leave. And the other ingredients are necessary too.”
“A cake? What kind of cake?”
“I haven’t decided yet. What would you like, Ryder?”
“I like strawberries.”
“Then it’ll be a strawberry cake… with cream. Okay?”
“Sounds great. Especially when it’s made by you, my flower,” he teased.
“Flirt,” she mumbled under her breath.
“I can’t wait to be all alone with you for three days,” he purred.
Suddenly, she felt hot. Clearing her throat, she avoided his amused gaze. “Me too.”
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The engine of Ryder’s car hummed as it followed the winding street into the mountains. Elena sat in the passenger seat with a beam on her face, gazing outside and occasionally taking pictures of the scenery. It was very peaceful here—there was hardly any traffic, and the last time she had seen another person must have been half an hour ago. She had no doubts that their little vacation would be calm and undisturbed, just what they needed. After the fiasco with Steph, she longed to spend time with her soulmate. They had been separated for only a day, but to her, it had felt like an eternity.
Ryder’s blue eyes were focused on the road, but he sometimes glanced at her. She looked beautiful, once again sporting a light summer dress that suited her well. It pooled on the car seat and crinkled when she moved. He, on the other hand, wore leather pants and a regular white shirt that he had tucked into his pants. His piercing was the only jewelry he wore today, apart from the rings on his fingers.