“We should go talk to Jones,” I told Mason.
He hesitated for a second, but then he led the way with my hand in his.
“Hey, Jones. Thank you for coming.”
Jones looked so much like Indiana, except he had stubble where Indiana had a full beard. His smile was a bit forced but he was gracious enough to dip his head to Mason. “Congratulations. You’re a lucky man.”
“I know.” Mason patted Jones’ shoulder. “You’ll find your match too. Don’t worry.”
Jones’ gaze flashed to me and I could almost read his mind saying, Belle is my match.
I wrapped my arm around Mason’s and leaned against him. “Have you heard more from Indiana?”
Jones shook his head. “Not since that first status report. My parents worry, but I don’t.”
“You don’t?” I raised my brow in surprise.
Jones smirked. “It’s my brother we’re talking about. Whatever the French can throw at him will be child’s play for Indiana. He has trained with Magni, Solo, and Mason since he was a child. No one in the world is as tough as we Nmen.”
Mason gave a sound of agreement. “I don’t worry about Indiana either. My sister is a different story.”
“Yeah, Aubri can be reckless. She’ll drive him crazy.” Jones frowned. “Especially if she starts flirting with any of the other men.”
Mason and I exchanged a quick glance, but none of us mentioned the spark we’d seen between Banni and Aubri when they first met.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t do that,” Mason said, but it didn’t sound convincing. “She promised to come home and marry a Northlander man in a year.”
Jones’ eyes widened. “For real? Do you think I’d have a chance with her?”
Shaking Jones’ shoulder, Mason grinned. “Aren’t you a bit young for Aubri? I think she sees you as a younger cousin.”
“We aren’t related,” Jones pointed out in a firm voice. “If I work out really hard, she might come home this summer and see me with fresh eyes.”
Mason grinned. “She might. You never know, and for what it’s worth, I would be honored to have you as my brother-in-law.”
Jones had a wide smile on his face when he walked away.
“Wow, he got over me fast,” I said with a chuckle.
“Because it wasn’t meant to be.” Mason slid a finger from my hairline to my jaw. “You were always mine, Belle.”
With my head leaning back and my arms wrapped around Mason’s waist, I looked deep into his eyes. “You’re right. I was always yours.”
He dipped his head down and kissed me softly. “I love hearing you say that. If I could just get you to give me a solid ten as your lover.”
“That would be stupid of me; then you’d stop trying to impress me.”
“Never! I’m competitive. We Nmen can always find a way to break the scale. Once you give me ten, I’ll go for twenty.”
“In that case I don’t mind admitting that you earned your first ten on our first night together.”
Mason’s eyes lit up. “You mean that?”
“You blew my mind, but I was afraid of telling you.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted more with you. I was afraid you’d get tired of me.”
Hugging me tight, Mason lifted me from the floor and spoke into my ear. “This is my promise to you, Belle Aurelius: I will never get enough of you.”
When he set me down again, I locked eyes with him. “Are you sure?”
“Don’t you trust me?” From his back pocket he pulled out a paper and handed it to me. Unfolding it, I saw a drawing of Mason as a giant and myself standing on a ladder to kiss him.
Emotions overwhelmed me and tears filled my eyes. “Where did you get this?”
“You drew that.”
My hands trembled as I looked from the drawing to my new husband. “I know, but how? I didn’t give this to you.”
“No, you tossed it, but Freya fished it out of the bin, and I kept it as a memory.”
“You kept it all these years?”
He smiled and spoke with confidence. “Mhmm. Not only did I keep it, I cherished that drawing. Just like I plan to cherish you for the rest of my life.”
For the first time sharing my emotions felt almost easy. “That day when I drew you, I thought you were extraordinary.”
Mason smiled. “I hope you still do.”
I grinned up at him. “You have no idea. Back then I was fascinated, but now, I love you.”
“I love you too, Belle.”
When Mason kissed me again, my head felt like the whole room was spinning. Internally the shy young girl I’d once been was jumping with joy. Mason was inviting me into a world that had always felt out of reach. We were a team now. Man and wife. And soon, we’d have a family together. It was something I’d had secretly dreamed of but never thought possible.
“Who would have thought that my giant protector would become my husband,” I breathed.
Mason caressed my face. “Or that my sweet, doe-eyed artist would agree to be my wife.”
I kissed him and whispered, “I just hope our union hasn’t wreaked too much havoc. I would be sad if there were to be no more summits because of us.”
“Nah, we’re not getting rid of Victor, Holly, and the others that easily. Besides, Thor and I are planning to teach Victor some manners the next time we see him. He needs to apologize to Freya for the hurtful things he said about her.”
“I doubt Freya would want you and her brother to meddle in her affairs. I asked her about it, and she didn’t seem particularly bothered by Victor’s words.”
Mason put an arm around my shoulders and led me to the wine bar. “Of course she’s not bothered. Freya doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, least of all that arrogant asshole. Still, Thor and I will make sure he learns his lesson.”
“You’re not going to hurt him for real, are you?” I asked with concern.
Mason laughed. “Don’t worry, we won’t leave scars, unless you count scars on his pride.”
“Good. I don’t like violence.”
Mason got us both a glass of red wine and clinked his glass against mine. “Then you’d better hope none of your former delegation members talks shit about you in my presence.” Mason’s smile vanished. “If they’re foolish enough to make even the slightest negative comment, I’ll get seriously pissed.”
“They won’t, Mason. I won’t be at the summit next year. Now that I’ve moved to the Northlands, I can’t represent France. They’ll have to find someone else.”
Mason frowned. “Maybe you could come with me as my wife.”
“No. My due date is September 9th. I can’t travel anywhere mid-August.”
Moving closer, Mason placed his hand on my stomach. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you a few weeks before your due date.”
“You’ll be in the Motherlands. I can reach you if anything happens and you can be back here in half a day.”
“Hmm.”
Sipping from my glass, I leaned against him. “I love that you’re so protective of me and our baby.”