“Good.” I sighed. “He hasn’t spoken to him since…”
King shoved off his spot on the wall and left us.
I wanted to cry.
This wasn’t the future Valerian should have had.
But it was ours now. We just needed to pick up the broken pieces.
Together.
As husband and wife.
I took a deep breath, walked over to him, and then pulled him in for a hug. “You need to go lie down,” I whispered for his ears alone. “Doctor’s orders.”
He clung to me, breathing me in then releasing a dark chuckle. “I’ve always had a doctor-patient fantasy—ouch, I nearly died!”
I rolled my eyes. “I pinched you, it’s not like I stuck a giant ass needle in your chest to revive you—oh wait, I did do that. Weird, it’s almost like I saved your life.”
He kissed my forehead. “I hate that we’re even now.”
I smiled at that. “Nah, it’s kind of perfect, almost like a happily ever after.”
His eyebrows shot up as we both looked around the entryway at the dead bodies, lingering wisps of smoke and blood. “Well, I can honestly say I’m wrong. Guess happily ever afters aren’t boring after all.”
“We literally have to step over a dead body to get to the stairs.” I pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Let’s go.”
“I’d throw you over my shoulder and run if I could.” He wrapped an arm around me as I helped him up the stairs.
And when we finally made it into the master bedroom, I wanted to cry with the rightness of it.
“I’m home.” Tears filled my eyes.
Valerian turned to me, cupping my face with his hands. “You’ll always be home as long as you’re with me.”
Our mouths met in a harsh kiss, one that was almost painful as he reached for my shirt and jerked me closer.
I tried breaking away, but he held me tight. For a man who had nearly died, he seemed pretty freaking strong.
He angled his head, deepening the kiss.
He tasted like fire and smoke.
It was perfect.
Like he was refined by the flames, stronger because of the struggle.
And he was mine.
“You need to sleep,” I whispered against his mouth.
“I nearly went into a forever sleep, so let me have you. I’ll even lie down and let you take complete advantage.” His smile was so beautiful, I couldn’t say no. “Ah, I can see the excitement in your eyes. Does innocent little Violet want to be… on top?”
I smacked him and then realized I probably looked crazy with blood and smoke on my skin; I moved away only to have him pin me down again.
“Blood is blood, I’m giving you my soul, my life, and erasing it right now.”
He grabbed one of my boobs and pinched a nipple, earning him another slap.
And then I was slapping, he was pinching, and we somehow ended up on the bed. I tugged away his shirt. “Don’t move.”
“Wouldn’t dare.” He grinned, putting his arms behind his head as I unbuttoned his pants and tugged them down past his feet.
How was it possible for him to look so damn sexy? Smelling like smoke but lying there in nothing but golden skin, perfect muscles, and black boxer briefs.
“No commando today?” I asked, dipping my fingertips inside the band of the briefs.
He jerked beneath me. “I was trying to be professional, you know, boss and all.”
“Screw professional.” I winked.
“Mmm, how about you just screw me?”
I leaned over him and licked just below his belly button, gazing up at him as a tsunami of heat rushed over my body. With my tongue, I drew small circles, causing his hips to pump into my chest; he was hard beneath me, hot, needy. That made me smile as I locked eyes with him and whispered, “Beg.”
“I hate you.” Eyes wild, he reached for my hair and twisted it around his fingertips like he’d always done. This time it was almost painful as he tugged and then clenched his teeth. “Fuck me.”
“Say please.” I bit down on my lower lip.
“Please, Violet, make me yours…”
I pulled away from him long enough to strip naked as he kicked off his briefs and waited for me.
“You were mine as him, and you’re mine now. You’ve always been mine,” I said, voice strained. “Always.”
He reached for me.
The minute I gripped his hand, he was pulling me on top of him. Our mouths met in an explosion of fireworks as I straddled him and then positioned myself on top of him.
He let out a satisfied groan when I sank onto him and started moving my hips. “This…” He gripped my hips, slowing my movements. “This is what I want every second of every day. You and me like this.”
“We’d never get anything done.” I smiled down at him as his hands slid up from my hips to my breasts and down again like he couldn’t decide what to focus on.