Page 31 of Eternal Devotion

“Are you ever warm?” I cupped my hands around his, rubbing to encourage blood flow.

His shy smile returned, and he shrugged. “It’s a curse.”

“I guess so. I won’t make fun of your practically raw steak anymore. You clearly need the iron.”

Instead of laughing, like I hoped, his attention slipped to my collar. It roamed my face and settled for a short time on my mouth. “Indeed,” he whispered.

The mood shifted.

We didn’t let go of one another. The blooming silence held weight. Suggestion. Understanding.

The waiter arrived with a basket of bread, shattering the moment. I was forced to release Mordecai’s hand.

He balanced his chin in an upturned palm and examined me with a spark of mischief.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“About modules.”

I blinked and tipped my head to the side, not following. “Modules?”

“Game modules, like the one your friend Poet invented.”

“You’re… thinking about games?”

“You like games. Why not? Mars suggested writing one that revolved around my supposed haunted house.”

I huffed. “He was being an idiot.”

“It’s a creative suggestion, but why not expand it to incorporate the entire city? Replicate historical areas and turn them into individual dungeons. Do you think Faulkner would mind if we borrowed his title? The realm could be called The Sound and the Fury, or Owen’s Fury. I’m terrible at naming things, but Branvilla Estate could be one part of it. A level, if you will. Is that what you call it? Or a dungeon quest?”

I couldn’t stop grinning as Mordecai muddled through his slim knowledge of DnD lingo.

“I bet if you presented the idea to Poet, he’d run with it.”

“Me?” I laughed. “No way. I think you should tell him. It was your idea.”

Mordecai peered into the middle distance, eyes bright. “Not before we’ve thoroughly explored the nuances.”

“We?” I plucked a piece of bread from the basket and offered it to Mordecai. He reluctantly accepted it but set it aside before continuing.

“I can’t do it alone. I don’t know the city well enough.”

I didn’t know if he was serious or simply redirecting the conversation because I’d brought up food again, but I went with it. “Okay. Where do we start?”

“Well, I’d need a city map for starters, then we can consider locations where a boss… Is that what you call them? Where a boss might make his lair.”

Mordecai’s Bordeaux eyes shone bright.

“My god, you’re adorable.”

He didn’t flush but cut his gaze to the table and gnawed his lip. “I find you quite charming as well.”

I almost teased him for his verbiage but thought better of it.

“Did you have fun the other night?” I never expected this level of enthusiasm. It was the most relaxed and expressive I’d seen him, and I loved it.

“It was… an experience.”