Waiting for Magic (44 page)

He gave a sleepy chuckle. “Okay. I can see I’m gonna be nagged every day of my life.”

“Probably,” she agreed. “I’ve already had lots of practice.” She gave him a look that said he wasn’t getting out of answering. He’d know what she meant. That was a good feeling.

He sobered. “It was like the biggest waves, I guess. All blue-green aquamarine, like when the sun’s behind them, smelling of salt and that ocean smell.” His gaze grew distant. He was seeing her and not seeing her. “You know. It smells like all life started there. The power of the wave just lifts you up and carries you along. Your blood sings with it. All you can do is hang on, ocean all around you, until finally it crashes in on you and there you are, tumbling over and over, trying to breathe. Then it ebbs away.” His eyes focused again. “What was it like for you?”

“Paint colors all swirling together.”

They thought about that for a moment while she put her lips to the notch in his neck where she could feel his heart beating beneath his damp skin.

“Maybe it
is
different for us,” he murmured.

“I love you, Dev.” She had to actually say it. Besides just showing him the painting, and making love to him. “And I don’t care whether it’s right or not. I’ve spent my whole life being a good girl. I’m not going to do it anymore.”

He lifted his brows in reproach.

“I’m not saying I’m going to start robbing banks,” she protested. “But this felt right, what we did tonight. So I’m not going to care about what anybody says about it. And if we have to leave the family, then we will. Though that would hurt.”

He smiled into her eyes and nuzzled her lips with his nose. “I love when you’re so determined to be bad. You get this little crease in your forehead, and your lips practically disappear you hold them so tight.”

“You act like you’ve seen that before,” she accused. What did he mean? This was the New Her. She’d transformed herself.

“Just a few times.” Was that sarcasm in his voice? “Like the time you roped me into helping you paint Tris and Kemble’s old tree house pink and orange.”

“Magenta and pumpkin,” she corrected.

“They were pretty pissed, even though they were past the age of using it.” He chuckled in remembrance. “And there was the time you cut Drew’s prom dress off so it was short enough for you,
before
she’d worn it. You’ve got to admit that was bad.”

Kee felt herself begin to blush. “Just kid stuff….” She mustered a protest. “I’ve been an angel about not getting to study in Paris, and not being able to date or go to clubs.”

“You didn’t really want to go to Paris. And you don’t like clubs.” She was about to protest that those considerations were beside the point, but he shushed her with a finger to her lips. “And when you walked into my room the other night with a bottle of tequila in one hand and a box of condoms you had
stolen
from Kemble.…” His voice was relentless.

She blushed. “That was after my resolution not to be a good girl anymore.”

“I’ll bet Maggie saw that look when you talked about coming after me.” There was a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

Wasn’t he even listening to her? That had been after her resolution too. “Is this what it’s going to be like loving someone who’s known you since you were nine? I might not be up to this.”

He sobered and his eyes went soft. “You aren’t a good girl or a bad girl, you’re just Kee. Impulsive. Alive. Like the way you dress. All the colors.”

“I don’t have Drew’s style.” She couldn’t help that her face squinched up a little.

“Or her lazy way of looking at people as though they should be someone else,” Devin said. That was surprisingly astute of him, actually. Sometimes Drew did look like that. “You’re just you, Kee. And I love the way you dress. You would have noticed how much I liked it, if you’d been looking at me recently.”

“I’ve been looking at you, believe me.”

“Not really. Or you’d have noticed my almost constant hard-on.”

Kee smiled and blushed at the same time. “Guess girls have it easier in that department.”

But he wasn’t listening again. He was kissing her chin. And her cheek. And nibbling her ear. She was having trouble catching her breath. The slow circle of sensation started between her legs. It felt like the colors of life swirling inside her. Yeah. She was who she was. And that would inform her art as well. In some ways it felt like Devin had given her that realization. And in some ways she’d grabbed for it, and that was why she deserved Devin.

“We should go down and wake the Parents,” she said halfheartedly.

“I can’t make it,” Devin said, his voice ragged. “I need you again, Kee. So much.”

“Funny,” she whispered. “Just what I was thinking.”

*****

Devin took Kee’s hand as he led her toward the stairs. They’d sneaked down to her room for a quick shower that had turned out to be not so quick. It was getting light.

He glanced back and saw her getting nervous.

“They’re fast asleep,” he reassured her. “And after four times.…”

“Five for me. You forgot the time you kissed me until I came.” Her eyes darted down toward her lovely, precious mound. Her smile was sly.

“Okay.” His grin probably looked self-satisfied. He felt pretty satisfied all around.
Really
satisfied. As in “all’s right with the world.” “After five times, I’m starved. I’ll face them better with something in my belly.”

Uh, oh. They could hear the clatter of dishes and the murmur of conversation.
The smell of toast and bacon drifted up the stairs. At the bottom they both saw the light in the kitchen. He looked to Kee, whose expression was as horrified as he felt.

“You might not get that breakfast first,” she whispered.

He straightened. What was he thinking? His job was to protect Kee. Even if he had to protect her from her own family. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Huh. That was a hug. And it came naturally. “Okay. No breakfast,” he said, putting strength into his voice. Enough for two. “If Brian wants us to leave, we will. But we owe it to them to tell them, so it’s good they’re all in there.”

“I just hope Father doesn’t yell.”

“If he does, he’ll be yelling at me, I promise.”

Devin wished he’d put on a shirt. Jeans and flip-flops didn’t seem to go with the pending Big Announcement. Kee looked lovely, of course. She had on a deep purple silk robe over a matching little top with string straps and short pajama-pant things. It made her pale skin glow. Could you tell that she’d been well and truly loved? He kinda hoped you couldn’t.

He pulled her in against his side. She’d need that hug for support. They walked into the kitchen like they were walking the plank. All movement stopped. Brian and Brina looked up from the table. Michael and Drew, Tris and Maggie sat on tall stools at the bar. Jane and Tammy were loading plates. Lanyon was first in line, his plate already heaped. Kemble was turning as the fridge door closed, holding a huge pitcher of orange juice.

Devin and Kee stood stiffly in the archway.

“Come in, you two. Do you want breakfast?” Brina asked. She was smiling some secret little smile. Devin didn’t know whether to be encouraged or not. “Devin, you look famished.”

“Told you so,” Michael said. He and Tris did a high five behind Drew’s back.

Devin glanced over to Brian. He must not be able to see what Devin and Kee had done on their faces, or he’d be scowling. Or maybe he hadn’t yet taken in the fact that Devin had his arm around Kee’s shoulders.

“Not just yet,” Devin answered. His voice came out a little hoarse. He cleared his throat. “Kee and I have something to tell you.”

“You mean about you two being a couple?” Tammy asked blithely. “We all knew that.”

“You did not,” Lanyon accused. “You shrieked when Mom told us.” He brought his plate to the intimate table that seated six.

Devin blinked and looked around. Eleven expectant faces looked back. “If you want us to go, we’ll go,” he said stiffly.

“But we’re going together,” Kee added. Devin looked down at her, just at the moment she looked up. What he saw in her eyes made his own well up.

Get hold of yourself,
he commanded. It wouldn't do to show weakness now. He took a breath and faced them.

“Why would we want you to go?” Brian asked sternly. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous out there? And since you look a little less fragile, it’s time to tell you in no uncertain terms that I’ll have no more chasing after Talismans alone.” He looked around at his family, captain-of-his-ship attitude coming off him in waves. “Any of you. This family sticks together.”

Devin blinked. A lecture … about going to Pendragon’s house?

“I, uh, don’t think you understand.” He cleared his throat again. “Kee and I are going to get married.”

“Well, of course you are,” Brina said, standing up and bustling over to them. “I’m so, so happy for both of you.”

And then they were surrounded. Everyone was talking at once. Tris clapped Devin on the back. “Always knew you two were made for each other.”

“Yeah, right,” Michael said, smirking.

“Well, not like
that
, exactly.” Tris shrugged and grinned.

The women buzzed around Kee. “We’ll design a wedding dress you won’t believe,” Drew said. “Just a ceremony in the garden. We’ll wait until the weather’s nice of course.”

“I’m going to be a bridesmaid,” Tammy said with satisfaction. “Again.”

“Tamsen Tremaine, professional bridesmaid,”
Lanyon said, poking Tammy.

“Hush, stupid. What do you know?” Tammy slapped her brother’s hand away.

Somehow Devin and Kee were separated. Devin found himself facing Brian. He swallowed. “I know how you feel about … about sex with women in a man’s family.”

“You mean incest?” Brian put his hand on Devin’s shoulder. “You aren’t brother and sister. And what’s bad is when powerful men take advantage of little girls. Keelan is your equal.”

Yeah. He got the difference. But he was still stunned that Brian accepted all this. “After all you’ve done for me, I should have asked your permission.”

Brian shook his head. Was that a suppressed grin? “When you had no intention of taking no for an answer? I’ve never been a fan of wasting time.”

Devin raised his chin. “You’re right. I mean to have her whether you allow it or not. I’m glad I didn’t have to punch you out for yelling at her though.”

Brian broke into a laugh. “Well, I guess I want someone for her who’s just that protective.” He sobered. “And someone for you who can love you like she can.” He lowered his voice. “Keelan has always been special to me. Don’t you dare hurt her. Much as I love you, I
would
have to kick your butt.”

“She’s special to me too, Brian.”

“Of course.” He shrugged. He cast a glance over to Brina. “She’s your destiny.”

Everybody found a place to eat. Kemble and Jane ended up standing at the island, but nobody wanted to move into the big dining room. Plates were passed and everyone wanted to know when Devin and Kee knew for sure.

“I’ve known for a while,” Devin said. “I just couldn’t say. Because, well, you know.…” He cleared his throat. “It seemed wrong. And I didn’t know I had the gene until the river.”

“I was the holdout,” Kee admitted. “I thought it came all at once, like lightning, with a power. Since I’d known Dev forever…. And I didn’t have a power, even when I tried to force it…. And, well, it did seem wrong.” She looked up at Devin, and he could see she was trying to puzzle it out. “I think now I did have little fits and starts of the power. I thought they were hallucinations.” She shrugged apologetically at him. “I think I only got my power full-on at Pendragon’s house when I really accepted that I loved you.”

“That fits with my experience,” Drew said, looking at Michael.

“Yeah,” Tris echoed, holding Maggie closer.

Brina said, “Maybe you’ll call me Mom now, Devin. You’re a son-in-law as well as a son. Lots of men call their mothers-in-law Mom.”