beautifully so many times. Watched her sweet mouth make the words of those songs. Then considered himself infinitely blessed to have that same mouth encompassing him so thoroughly as to make him sing her praises. He loved her mouth, and decided to risk a taste of it.
Just as his lips found hers and she leaned into him, her eyelids fluttering closed, he sensed a presence in the archway behind him. He pulled away and looked over his shoulder at the newcomer.
“Are you going to introduce us, or just sit there smooching?” The brittle, ancient voice sounded amused, and totally incongruous coming from the vital, healthy woman standing backlit in the arch.
She could have been Evie’s twin, if it weren’t for her forbidding posture and the butcher knife she held in one hand.
Evie stood up abruptly and turned. Marcus followed, resting his hand on her hip.
“Nanyo! This is Marcus. Please be nice, okay?” Her voice held the faintest hint of panic that had his instincts on edge until Evie leaned into him and squeezed his hip in return.
“Marcus, this is my grandmother. Sofia North.”
The other woman raised an eyebrow. “So, this is the man.” She ventured forward, the knife still raised parallel to the ground. Marcus eyeballed the blade, a little worried, but when he met the woman’s eyes, all he saw was devious mirth. She was fucking with him. That should have made him relax, but he couldn’t.
There was no way in hell this woman could be Evie’s grandmother, but he was pretty sure there was even less a chance he’d survive if he told her so.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. North. You are even more lovely than I imagined from Evie’s descriptions.”
The woman smiled and gave him a once-over. “You are about what I expected. My granddaughter always had good taste in men.”
Oddly, Marcus sensed the comment was a challenge. He wanted to be more than that to Evie. More than expected.
“How can I exceed your expectations, Mrs. North? I love your granddaughter. I don’t think anyone who simply ‘meets expectations’ is worthy of her.”
The woman in front of him smiled. “What do you think I am, an oracle? I’m merely an old woman who wants the best for her grandchildren. Now, come set the table. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Iszak and Lukas appeared from another room when the scent of food became strong enough. Marcus was more comforted by their appearance than he thought he’d be, and their easy banter with Evie and their grandmother took the burden off him. He tried to sink into the background and simply enjoy what was probably one of the most amazing meals of his life while the family discussion went on around him.
“What do you do anyway, Marcus?” Lukas asked, a playful hint of challenge in his tone. They were all intent on testing him tonight weren’t they?
“I just finished a degree in Aeronautics. I’ve always wanted to fly. I hoped it would be commercially, but…” He let the word trail off, his throat unable to let him articulate the rest of his thought. But I love Evie too much now to fly away.
The utter silence at the table only became apparent when he finally took another bite of food and the clink of his silverware echoed through the room. As he chewed, he stared around the table at their faces, trying to decide what each of their looks meant.
Evie’s brothers both stared intently at Evie, who only gazed down at her plate.
But Sofia North set her gaze directly on Marcus.
“You seem like an intelligent young man, Marcus. Don’t fool yourself. Your call will come, just like the others. But this is not your war to fight.”
Marcus bristled. He’d heard the liberal-minded argument over and over. While he agreed with it on the surface, he couldn’t in good conscience say no. His own countrymen were overseas dying. He owed it to them, if nothing else.
“It may not be my war, but if I have something to offer, it’s my duty to my fellow soldiers to do so. I’d do it
Just as his lips found hers and she leaned into him, her eyelids fluttering closed, he sensed a presence in the archway behind him. He pulled away and looked over his shoulder at the newcomer.
“Are you going to introduce us, or just sit there smooching?” The brittle, ancient voice sounded amused, and totally incongruous coming from the vital, healthy woman standing backlit in the arch.
She could have been Evie’s twin, if it weren’t for her forbidding posture and the butcher knife she held in one hand.
Evie stood up abruptly and turned. Marcus followed, resting his hand on her hip.
“Nanyo! This is Marcus. Please be nice, okay?” Her voice held the faintest hint of panic that had his instincts on edge until Evie leaned into him and squeezed his hip in return.
“Marcus, this is my grandmother. Sofia North.”
The other woman raised an eyebrow. “So, this is the man.” She ventured forward, the knife still raised parallel to the ground. Marcus eyeballed the blade, a little worried, but when he met the woman’s eyes, all he saw was devious mirth. She was fucking with him. That should have made him relax, but he couldn’t.
There was no way in hell this woman could be Evie’s grandmother, but he was pretty sure there was even less a chance he’d survive if he told her so.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. North. You are even more lovely than I imagined from Evie’s descriptions.”
The woman smiled and gave him a once-over. “You are about what I expected. My granddaughter always had good taste in men.”
Oddly, Marcus sensed the comment was a challenge. He wanted to be more than that to Evie. More than expected.
“How can I exceed your expectations, Mrs. North? I love your granddaughter. I don’t think anyone who simply ‘meets expectations’ is worthy of her.”
The woman in front of him smiled. “What do you think I am, an oracle? I’m merely an old woman who wants the best for her grandchildren. Now, come set the table. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Iszak and Lukas appeared from another room when the scent of food became strong enough. Marcus was more comforted by their appearance than he thought he’d be, and their easy banter with Evie and their grandmother took the burden off him. He tried to sink into the background and simply enjoy what was probably one of the most amazing meals of his life while the family discussion went on around him.
“What do you do anyway, Marcus?” Lukas asked, a playful hint of challenge in his tone. They were all intent on testing him tonight weren’t they?
“I just finished a degree in Aeronautics. I’ve always wanted to fly. I hoped it would be commercially, but…” He let the word trail off, his throat unable to let him articulate the rest of his thought. But I love Evie too much now to fly away.
The utter silence at the table only became apparent when he finally took another bite of food and the clink of his silverware echoed through the room. As he chewed, he stared around the table at their faces, trying to decide what each of their looks meant.
Evie’s brothers both stared intently at Evie, who only gazed down at her plate.
But Sofia North set her gaze directly on Marcus.
“You seem like an intelligent young man, Marcus. Don’t fool yourself. Your call will come, just like the others. But this is not your war to fight.”
Marcus bristled. He’d heard the liberal-minded argument over and over. While he agreed with it on the surface, he couldn’t in good conscience say no. His own countrymen were overseas dying. He owed it to them, if nothing else.
“It may not be my war, but if I have something to offer, it’s my duty to my fellow soldiers to do so. I’d do it
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