It was the only time she could remember ever feeling that way, for sure.
Martin was the one to bring out that part of her. He made her better, and he made her see how good she really was. Maybe that was what a soulmate was.
She had promised to let him sweep her off her feet, and he had.
And now, far above the city that had once overwhelmed her, that had once eaten her alive in a flurry of photos and press releases and gossip, she felt like he really gave her something better. He gave her the kind of solid ground she’d never had in her whole life. She hadn’t even known that you could have this kind of breathlessness and this kind of security all at once.
To fly and know down in her bones that she wouldn’t fall.
She buried her face in his mane.
I love you. I love you so much.
Chapter Fifteen: Martin
Martin had landed just around the corner from a restaurant, since their plan had been to go to dinner, but one look at Tiffani once he was human again made him regret that. She looked like someone had turned a light on inside of her. All he wanted to do was take her to bed.
His stomach protested this, reminding him that they’d both barely been able to get three bites of lunch in the midst of all the chaos of the community center kids.
Fuel first, his pegasus said, resigned but practical. Animals had high respect for food. Then we will have the energy to please our mate as she deserves to be pleased.
He had missed companionship all those years, not just sex. If it was hard to pass up the chance to sleep with Tiffani again immediately, it would have been even harder to pass up the chance to have dinner with her.
“Shall we?” he said, offering her his arm.
Tiffani looked at the restaurant with the same mingled pleasure and regret he felt himself.
She put her arm through his. “We shall. But I think I want you for dessert, no matter what brownie sundaes are on the menu.”
He squeezed her tight. “Deal.”
After the noisy chaos of lunch, he’d figured all either of them really wanted for dinner was the guarantee of quiet and no flying art supplies. Fifteen minutes in, his choice of restaurant—an upscale steakhouse where the lighting was dim and romantic even if the prices were extravagant—was working out well on both scores.
He laughed as Tiffani finished up telling him about how she had dealt with the judge.
“So has he worked out yet that you’re blackmailing him into acting like a human being?”
Tiffani took a demure bite of her salad. “No, I think he thinks I did it from unswerving loyalty to him. Loyalty that I had automatically because he’s such a great, noble man. I’m a little worried that he’s going to request me for every single trial of his from now on.”
“Not ideal even if he’s going to be on his best behavior, huh?”
“Leaving ‘Terry’ out of the official transcript only protects me. I’d still have to put up with how badly he treats everyone else. Including you—I can’t believe the way he talked to you!”
Martin’s pegasus tossed its mane around, delighted.
Look how fierce our mate is in our defense! How clever she is in outwitting her enemies!
Trust me, he answered. I couldn’t stop looking if I tried.
“You came to my rescue,” Martin said.
Tiffani flushed, the rose color in her cheeks blending beautifully with the gold of her skin.
“Yes, I faced down the merciless army of the historical preservation society. Songs will be written of this day. Later, there’s going to be an action movie about it.”
“No, really.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. Their intertwined fingers made a better centerpiece than the little tea candle and mini-bouquet of cloth flowers.