I set my tea aside, suddenly needing to move. Rising from my chair, I paced to the window, watching moonlight spill across the compound grounds.
"Eight years is a long time to wait for something," I observed, my back to him.
"Some things are worth waiting for."
I turned to find him watching me with that intense focus that made me feel simultaneously exposed and protected. "What if I'm not what you've built up in your mind all these years? What if the reality of me disappoints?"
Jackson's mouth curved into a rare, genuine smile. "Daisy, the reality of you has consistently exceeded any expectation. You're more stubborn, more resilient, more infuriating, and more extraordinary than anything Maison or I could have imagined."
Heat crept up my neck at his words. "Where is Maison, anyway?"
