“Good morning, my warrior,” I greeted on a huge smile.

“Woman.” He settled back into bed, the deep definition of the boxes at his stomach going away, but some definition remained as it always did, so I did not complain. “What the hell?”

I lifted my hand in which I held my cards and shook it side to side.

And when his beautiful blue eyes slid to them, I announced, “Time for a reading.”

His gaze returned to mine.

“I don’t want a reading.”

“You’re going to get a reading.”

“Elena, I don’t want a reading.”

I scanned the heavily curtained canopy over his bed and told it, “He repeatedly asks me for a reading, but when I want to give him a reading? Nooooo. He suddenly doesn’t want a reading.”

“Stop being endearing.”

The despondent tone to his deep voice had my eyes jumping back to his.

“I don’t want a reading for I don’t need a reading, my darling. I know what today will bring,” he informed me.

I leaned to him, reaching out a hand to tug the beard at his chin affectionately, and suggested softly, “How about we let the cards tell us?”

“Elena—”

“Five,” I whispered. “Just five. Not a full reading.” I pressed the cards to his chest. “Just five.”

“Have you turned your card today?” he whispered back, knowing I did just this every day if I had even the slightest amount of time.

“Yes,” I shared.

“And will you tell me what it was?”

“It was the Lovers,” I told him unreservedly. “Union. Balance. Harmony.”

He stared into my eyes, and I could see the flash of hope in his as given to him by my card.

And I seized on that.

“Please, Cass?” I cajoled.

He let out a heavy breath before he pushed up. I then allowed him to manhandle me until I was arse to his lap with his arms around me.

“What do you wear?” he asked, noticing his shirt of a sudden.

“Your shirt.”

“Why?” he pressed.

“Because it smells of you.”

His head was turned to me, and at my words, his eyes veritably drank in my features.

All right.

Er…

It had to be said (though not out loud), I loved, adored, and maybe even worshipped this man.

And not simply because he could look at me in that manner.

“You can smell me, my princess, for I am right here,” he noted quietly, but his words nor tone did aught to hide how much it meant to him the reason I wore his shirt.

“Well, I wanted to smell you everywhere I went this morning, which was not all right here, so I made it so I could do that,” I stated, trying to hide my fluster.

I then jerked the cards to him.

“Shuffle and cut, set aside the bottom cut, shuffle again, then cut, set aside the bottom, shuffle again and hand me the top five cards,” I commanded.

“As you wish,” he murmured and took the deck from me.