Anders’s mate, Valerie, now appeared on his left and added, “She called Gia for help after turning him. Gia couldn’t read him, so, here they are.”
“Why?” he asked worriedly.
Both women laughed.
“Why do you think, Justin? Go talk to her.” Valerie gave him a push.
Justin took a step, and then turned back suspiciously to the two women. “Are you guys setting me up or something?”
They exchanged a grimace and then Dani said, “The boys told us what they did in California. How they told you everything Holly hated were things she liked.”
“We were pissed,” Valerie added. “I mean, we get that they both wanted to pay you back for how you tormented them when they were trying to win us, but what they did didn’t just affect you.”
“It affected Holly too,” Dani said solemnly. “And that wasn’t fair. Besides, while you torment the men every chance you get, you are always sweet to us.”
“Yes,” Valerie agreed. “Now, get over there and put the poor woman out of her misery. She’s worried sick that it’s too late and you won’t want her anymore.”
“She really doesn’t get this life mate business,” Justin muttered.
“No. She doesn’t,” Dani agreed. “But then it’s hard to comprehend when you’re new to this stuff. And she has had a lot to absorb in a relatively short space of time.”
“It should help now that you can tell her about life mate sex and show her what that’s all about,” Valerie pointed out.
“Can I?” Justin asked uncertainly, and then pointed out, “She’s still married.”
“Yeah, but technically the law only applies to mortals,” Sam said suddenly from behind him.
“What?” Justin turned to peer at Mortimer’s mate, wide-eyed. The woman was a lawyer, she would know these things.
“I read up on the law last week after you told me about your situation, and an immortal is only forbidden to use his influence on a mortal, and interfere in a mortal marriage,” Sam explained, and then pointed out, “Holly, and now James, are both immortal. So, technically, the council couldn’t punish you for wooing or life mate sex or—”
“But Holly was immortal almost from the start,” Justin said with a frown. “I mean, she was immortal before we even exchanged a word. So the minute she was immortal, it was no longer a mortal marriage,” he pointed out. “Does that mean I could have gone all out to try to win her? Used life mate sex and everything and the council couldn’t have done a damned thing? It wouldn’t have been breaking the law?”
“The way the law reads, yes,” Sam said almost apologetically.
“Well, why the hell didn’t Lucian tell me that then?” Justin asked plaintively and turned to peer at the man. Lucian Argeneau met his gaze across the room and gave him a smile a shark would admire.
“Um . . . this is just a guess,” Valerie said with amusement, “But I’m thinking maybe you gave Lucian a hard time when he met Leigh?”
“Oh yeah,” he muttered.
“Justin,” Marguerite said quietly.
Justin turned to find the woman standing next to Dani and raised his eyebrows in question.
“It is better it worked this way,” she assured him solemnly. “Holly is an honorable young woman. Nanos or no nanos, and life mates or not, she would have suffered terrible guilt at breaking her marriage vows with you.”
“Right,” Justin said on a sigh as he realized that probably still held true. He could now claim her as his life mate, but claiming her physically was probably still out of the question until she was divorced.
It didn’t matter, he thought grimly. She was his, and if they had to wait to celebrate their union physically, then he would wait. It would probably kill him, but he would wait.
“Go talk to her,” Valerie suggested.
Nodding, Justin stopped stalling then and entered the room, heading straight for the couch.
“Holly,” he said solemnly, and then quickly shifted his attention to her husband as the other man suddenly stood up.
“Justin Bricker?” the fair-haired man asked.
Justin nodded slowly, half-expecting the man to pop him in the nose for stealing Holly from him. Instead, he grinned and took his hand, pumping it in enthusiastic greeting. “I’m James Bosley, and it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Holly’s told me a lot about you. Gia has too. Thank you so much for saving her life that night at the cemetery . . . and for everything else.”
“Er . . .” Justin glanced to Holly to see that she was biting her lip anxiously, then to Gia, who was smiling and nodding, and managed a weak smile of his own. “You’re welcome. My pleasure.”
James nodded, and glanced from him to Holly before prodding gently, “I suppose you two want to talk.”
“Yes,” Justin said firmly when Holly hesitated, and then held his hand out to her.
Smiling nervously, she accepted it and stood, allowing him to lead her out of the living room and then outside.
“So, Gia and James,” Justin said as he pulled the door closed behind them.
“Yes,” Holly said with a crooked smile.
“How did that come about?” he asked curiously.
Holly took a deep breath and then told him what had transpired since she’d left the nightclub and caught the bus home. She told him how right they all were about trying to live with someone when you could hear their thoughts, about the argument in the car, the accident, calling Gia and her talk with James about being Gia’s life mate. Holly told Justin everything right up until Gia had announced they were to fly to Canada for dinner at Marguerite’s.
“And here you are,” he said with a faint smile. They had been walking as they talked, making their way around the house, and were now in the backyard.
“Well, we didn’t—” she began, but he stopped walking and turned to take her hands.
“Before you say anything else, I need to tell you that Valerie told me you were worried I wouldn’t still want you. Holly, you’re my life mate. I want you for my life mate. I will always want you for my life mate.”
“Oh,” Holly breathed. “I want that too. That’s why I—”
“But it’s more than that,” Justin continued. “At first I wanted you just because you were my life mate. I mean, I didn’t know you,” he pointed out wryly. “But as I got to know you, the life mate part mattered less and less. Not that it isn’t really important,” he added quickly. “I mean it is important, but I started to see you as you rather than just as my life mate . . . if that makes any sense at all. Jesus, I’m screwing this all up,” he muttered with frustration, and then shook his head and said, “Anyway, I came to realize you really were made for me. We’re both city types, we both love to dance, and taking chances . . .” He shook his head. “And there’s so much I love about you. Your quick wit and ability to learn fast, your honor, your wild side, even your temper.”
“I—”
“But I especially love your stubbornness, your determination to do the honorable thing and hold to the vows you made no matter the temptation,” Justin continued determinedly. “So I want you to know, I will abide by your desire to stand by your vows. I won’t try to tempt you to break them. I’ll not touch you or kiss you or do anything that might lead to our—”
“James and I are divorced,” Holly blurted almost desperately.
Justin paused, his mouth still open, and then snapped it closed and stared at her blankly. “What? How? I thought James just told you about him and Gia and that you flew here . . . You didn’t fly here?” he asked when she shook her head.
“Of course, we did,” Holly said softly. “But we didn’t fly directly here. I didn’t want to show up and say “Hey, Justin. We can be life mates . . . just as soon as I’m divorced.” She grimaced even as she said it, and then admitted, “I wanted to come to you free and able to accept your offer, if you still wished to claim me as a life mate.”