Tempered Hearts (Hearts of Valentia Book 1) (32 page)

Trapped below him, she nodded slowly, waiting to hear his final reaction.

“Arden?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, but that doesn’t tell me much about what’s in your head right now.”

“Mostly?”

She nodded.

He sighed and rested his forehead against hers, a soft smile teasing his lips. “Mostly I couldn’t be happier unless you told me we could live two lifetimes together, instead of only one.”

“And the rest?”

“Absolutely terrified.”

Laughing, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. “So there is something the great Darius Marillion is afraid of.”

As he sank into her arms, he let out a long, slow breath. “You really shouldn’t believe everything you hear about me. I’m also not too keen on rats.”

She kissed his forehead and laughed a little. “Then I’ll make you a deal. Monsters and madmen are your responsibility, rats and refusing to let you die will be mine.”

“Promise?”

She closed her eyes and yawned, happy to be starting a life with a man she so truly cherished. “Always, kendala. Always.”

About the Author

A geek of all trades, Starla Huchton has been crafting stories in various genres since 2007. She is a three-time finalist for Parsec Awards for her podcast fiction work, and was the first place winner for Science Fiction & Fantasy in the Sandy competition in 2012. Her work spans Science Fiction, Fantasy, New Adult Romance, Young Adult titles, Steampunk, Contemporary, and various other varieties of stories. She is greedy and likes all the genres!

When not writing, Starla trains three minions, a black lab, and a military husband whilst designing book covers for independent authors and publishers at
www.designedbystarla.com
.

Connect with the author on the Starla Huchton Author Page on Facebook, @starlahuchton on Twitter, or at
www.starlahuchton.com
. To be notified only for new releases, sign up for the mailing list at
www.tinyletter.com/SAHuchton
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Other Books by the Author

As S. A. Huchton

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The gamma-powered world of the Evolution

series continues!

Spark

Lex Talionis