I’m so sorry too, she told him. I got pissy because my feelings were hurt, and my pride was wounded. I didn’t fight for you, and I should have. I promise you now, I’ll always fight for you. I’ll never let you fight alone again. Never.
He could barely comprehend what she was saying. It almost didn’t matter. He would be happy to listen to her read the phonebook.
She straddled his hips and guided him back inside her. She whispered, “We have all the time in the world now. Nothing else matters.”
He took her mouth, kissing her as deeply as he could. He was desperate for her. The power of what he felt for her eclipsed everything else. He was probably leaving bruises. Jesus, he needed to get a hold of himself and ease up. She was the light of his life. He couldn’t continue to act like such an animal.
Then she ground against his pelvis and shook all over. She clawed at him and bit at his neck and jawline, and she was so gleefully savage about her own climax, he forgot everything that had just run through his mind, gripped her by the hips and exploded into her tight, welcoming sheath.
Afterward, he realized he was breathing heavily. Fine tremors shook through his muscles. She rubbed her cheek against his, nuzzling him with her eyes closed.
“You know what I miss?” she whispered. “Lake Tahoe. You remember how beautiful it was that winter? We closed out the world.”
“I bought the cabin we stayed in,” he confessed.
Her head snapped up, eyes flaring wide. “You own it?”
He nodded as he smoothed her hair off her forehead. “I never use it. I keep thinking I might go up there. Take some time off and see if I can remember how to fish. Then I’ve never gone. Why should I bother to learn how to fish? It’s not like I can eat them. And something or other keeps cropping up. Truthfully, I didn’t want to go back without you.”
She took his hand and kissed the palm. “Let’s go. Soon as we get done dealing with stupid Justine and all the stupid problems she’s caused.” She frowned. “Unless the cabin’s a dilapidated mess by now. After all, it’s been a long time.”
He waved that away. “There’s a caretaker that keeps up the property. I sank some money into some renovations not that long ago. Every once in a while they ask if I’ll rent it out, but then I think again about going up there, so I always tell them no.” He smiled into her eyes. “We’ll go as soon as we can.”
She smiled back. “You can relearn how to fish, and I’ll eat them.” She frowned. “Wait, let me revise that. You can relearn how to fish and clean them, and I’ll cook and eat them. How’s that?”
He laughed. “You’ve got a deal.”
Then his smile faded. “This time we’re going to do it right. We’ll learn how to be with each other again, and we won’t let anybody else come between us.”
Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss on his shoulder. “And we’ll make love in front of the fireplace all night long. I’ll take a pile of books that I’ve been meaning to read forever.”
“I’ll watch sports on TV,” he said.
They looked at each other. Grinning, she shook her head. “No, you won’t.”
Chuckling, he replied, “You’re right. I probably won’t.”
Stroking her thigh, he thought ahead. He needed to contact the caretaker to make sure the cabin was cleaned. Maybe they would also stock the kitchen with food.
He knew that he and Melly were glossing over many challenges. The truth was, many people were going to dislike their liaison now — just as many as had disliked it before. Some people in the Nightkind demesne would be looking to take advantage of a closer relationship with the Light Fae in Southern California, but several would oppose it. Saboteurs were likely.
But they would make it work. They had to make it work. As he had said before, he would fight the world for her. He might not be able to leave the Nightkind demesne, but as long as Melly could tolerate that, they could make a life for themselves.
His new phone buzzed. Giving her a quick kiss, he eased away, and they both climbed to their feet. He dug into his pocket, pulled out the phone, and checked the screen. Xavier had texted him.
He told her, “Xavier’s downstairs.”
She nodded, looking unsurprised. Moving quickly, they both cleaned up. Julian straightened his clothes, while she dressed again. Just as he was about to open the door, she paused.
“You go ahead,” she told him. “I have something I need to do first.”
His mind had leaped ahead to the search, so he kissed her. “Join us when you can.”
She nodded. He left, loping down the stairs. It was past time to locate and stake Justine, so they could get on with their lives.