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Wasn’t it?

A short tis to bracelets and pendants, he recalled the way his father had often taken pains to barter for some treasure or another that hiss His father had rubbed his hands in glee at being able to surprise his ith her heart’s desire

That’s all he, Aleksy, wanted to do for Clair, but it felt as if he was s mocked him He couldn’t keep this up, keep her, forever, even if he wanted to

Did he want to?

He clenched a fist, aware of a deep need to have her as readily at hand as everything else that was vital to his existence Air, water Clair

Shaken, he diss and set down a sraduated shades of blue, brilliant and sparkling as her eyes when she laughed He liked seeing her happy Provoking her to smile didn’t make him a bad person

His certainty lasted through a pleasant lunch where she practiced her fledgling Russian phrases and he expanded on so about She made him look at his city and country with new eyes, and hers widened with dazzleift

“It’s too much,” she protested in a whisper, then teared up as her cake arrived, topped with half a dozen sparklers “Aleksy!” Her lips tre him hard

The most incredible tenderness infused him as he pulled her into his lap, startled by how much emotion he’d drawn out of her with such a little act

“Your secret is out now, you know,” she said in a strained voice, drawing back enough to swipe under her eyes and offer hi smile

His heart did a sharp dip and rock in his chest “Which secret is that?”

“You’re the biggest softie in the world Not nearly as oruff as you want to appear”

His ave hi himself if she really believed that

“Can we keep it between us?” he said lightly, not wanting to spoil theher back into her own chair