More power and he gave that freely.

She loved that, maybe most of all.

No. Aurora Lenox knew what she loved best.

She loved the fact that she was falling in love with a vampire.

She smoothed her hands over his shoulders, lifted up, and kissed the underside of his chin.

When she settled back down to the pillows, it wasn’t only his eyes that told her everything. It was his whole face.

“When this is done, my sweet, I wish for you to consider moving in with me.”

She blinked as her heart skipped over itself with glee.

He smiled.

He’d heard her heart.

“Really?” she asked.

He moved his hand to caress her side.

“Really,” he confirmed.

She felt her brows draw together. “Do you live in Texas?”

He shook his head. “No, I have homes in Napa, Tuscany, and Miami, as well as apartments in New York, Paris, Sydney, and Barcelona, and last, a villa on Crete. Once this is done, we’ll need some time to recuperate. You can pick where you’d like to visit first.”

She knew her eyes were big when she asked, “You have all that?”

“Yes, and before this started, I was in negotiations to purchase a residence in Japan.” He bent closer. “The garden is extraordinary.”

“I’ve always wanted to see a Japanese garden,” she breathed. “A real one, like, in Japan.”

“Then you shall,” he told her.

“I, well…” She hesitated. “I have a job. A house. I gave my boss an excuse when all this started and they gave me a leave of absence. But I—”

“You don’t understand,” Yuri interrupted.

“I…okay, then maybe you should explain it to me.”

“If you wish to work, but also wish to spend time in one of my homes, we’ll find you a job. If you enjoy your current employment, I’ll purchase a home for us in Dallas. However, if you wish to enjoy the opportunity I can afford you and explore what my world has to offer, I’ll take care of you. You can also do any combination of the above. Whatever you wish, Aurora, you will receive.”

“Wow, that’s a lot,” she breathed.

“Perhaps,” he murmured.

Aurora gave him a squeeze. “It’s a lot, Yuri.”

“To you, absolutely. To me, not quite.”

“Seeing that it’s that to me, then—”

“My sweet,” he whispered, then touched his mouth to hers before he lifted his head half an inch. “I’m not done explaining.”

“Okay,” she whispered back.

“I’ve lived a long life,” he told her.

“I know,” she replied.

“And I have never, in all those centuries, found someone like you.”

Her breath stuck.

Yuri stopped caressing her side and trailed his fingers down her arm until he found her hand. He curled his big one around her small one and pulled it up, pressing their hands to his heart.

Aurora kept not breathing.