He doesn’t take the bait, only smiles and caresses my cheek. I roll over onto my stomach and Mads pushes my straw-colored hair from my shoulder to plant kisses there.
“What’s that?” he asks, pointing at my left hand.
I pick it up to inspect it and he takes it in his own, slipping my wedding band on my ring finger. I gasp as the sunlight catches some modifications that have been made to the simple band—diamonds, clear and perfect, and engravings too.
“What are these?” I ask, pointing at the lines. “They look like ancient Danish runes like those carved into my mother’s family runestones that have been passed down from generation to generation.”
“That’s because they are. Each rune represents our children,” he tells me.
“Oh,” I gasp, lost for words. A tear slips free from my lashes. This is hands down the sweetest gift this man has ever given me, other than his love and our five children. I lean over and kiss him, then laugh. “Well, don’t get any ideas about anymore babies. There isn’t room left on the band to dedicate to more Madsen offspring,” I joke.
Mads grins his devilish grin, I love so. “Don’t worry. I’ll just buy you a new diamond ring for every new addition to House of Madsen here on out.”
I laugh and slap his shoulder playfully. “Mother has gone to your head! Now I will definitely have to search that basket for any hidden fertility teas or totems she may try and fix me with!”
Mads chuckles and kisses the tip of my nose. “Mykaella, my heart. I missed you so much it nearly killed me.”
I lean over and kiss him again before I begin to button my shirt and make myself presentable again.
Mads sits up with one leg bent and an arm draped over it, smiling up at me as I fix my hair and brush dirt from my arms. “You know, this moment is what kept me alive in that hellhole. Hoping that I could be here with you, my queen, and our family—together again.” He stands and scoops me into his arms again, batting away my hands that try to frantically adjust my skirt.
“Mads,” I say, fondly admonishing him as he kisses my neck and pulls me in for a tight squeeze.
“This,” he says after pulling back to look me in the eye. “Is as it should be, my radiant queen.”
I shake my head and blow out a breath I’d been holding. “I can lie until I’m black and blue in the face, but the truth is—I longed for you the longer you were locked away. My love for you never stopped or diminished, it only grew. I can see it now. The truth. You sacrificed yourself to that jail cell to protect this family. The charges were dropped the moment your name cleared, but I was angry for a long time. More so with myself and my lawyer than anyone else.”
“About that dude. I say we fire him,” Mads adds.
“That’s what Larz said.”
“That’s my boy.”
“No kidding. Larz was born with the same stubborn streak of pride that you carry around like a bull and this family would be lost without the two of you.” I linger in his warm embrace, savoring the mix of earth and aftershave about him and feel completely safe and wanted. Placing my forehead against his shoulder, I enjoy this moment as if it were the last of its kind but also know it is only the beginning of many more to come. “I love you more than every fjord in the north, and I’d chase you to the moon and back, my mad king.”
We share another deep kiss and for a second, I want to push him back to the ground and have a round two. Before I can even entertain the thought, Mads steps back.
“Now, now. We’ll have plenty of time for another romp later. First, it’s date night.”
“Oh,” I say and grin, waiting to hear what he has planned.
“I have us reservations for Ollie’s and if we are lucky,” he wiggles his eyebrows and hips, which is only the funniest thing I’ve ever seen him do, especially all tatted up and muscled as he is. “—we can ditch the royal guards for an old school Mads and ‘Kaella makeout fest in the backseat.”
I can’t stop the giggles that pour forth as my grown husband fist pumps the air. “As fun as that may sound, it’s a bit irresponsible. I have an image to maintain,” I add, raising my brows to signal I’m game for his plan. My heart sings knowing I have my strong, viking king back. I’ll find a way to maintain that image but I plan to enjoy life while still holding my crown steady.
“I’m your vicious knight in shining armor, milady. I do believe you will do me a true disservice if you deny my one and only wish over petty matters such as propriety.”