Chapter 23 #3
“Minimum.” I folded my arms. “I’ve had a child age years before my eyes, discovered secret portal abilities, invaded a laboratory, rescued my son, and escaped Grimway again. That’s worth a week.”
He pulled me into a slow kiss, gentle and reassuring, the kind that made the rest of the world fade into the background. The kind that reminded me there were still good things in the world even after a day that felt like it had been written by an over-caffeinated lunatic.
When we finally stepped apart, he took my hand. “You need sleep.”
“Probably.” Though now that the panic was gone, I suspected I was going to spend the next three hours lying awake thinking about school registrations and whether ten-year-olds needed different vitamins than four-year-olds.
“And a hot bath.”
I grinned. “Only if you’ll be joining me. I do need lots and lots of rubbing. I’m very dirty.” My shoulders alone were carrying enough tension to qualify as structural support beams.
“I’ll give you some rubbing.” Marcus switched off the kitchen light and led me toward the hallway. His mouth curled into that wicked grin, the one that melted logic and panties. It was offensive how effective that grin remained after all these years.
Yay! It was happening. Finally. Something today that wasn’t a kidnapping, a magical crisis, or an emergency council report.
The next second, Marcus pulled me into his arms.
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
His forehead rested against mine, and I let myself simply breathe him in.
The tension of the evening, the fear, the adrenaline all began to melt away.
The horrible image of Darian’s empty bedroom finally loosened its grip.
Not completely. Maybe never completely. But enough.
When he kissed me, it felt like coming home. My shoulders relaxed. My heartbeat finally slowed. The knot that had been living in my chest since discovering my son missing began to unravel.
For the first time all night, the world stopped spinning long enough for me to remember that everything was going to be okay. Darian was upstairs. Safe. Sleeping. Probably drooling on his pillow.
And wrapped in Marcus’s arms, I never wanted that feeling to end.
Then he stepped back and ripped off his makeshift toga in one fluid motion.
Hello, good times.
The lab coat had been hanging on by determination and optimism anyway.
A golden, muscular creature sculpted by the goddess herself and gloriously naked stood before me.
And he was all mine. Which, considering everything we’d been through lately, felt like a victory worth celebrating.
His hands were on me again, unzipping, yanking, stripping me of my clothes. And the next thing I knew, I was standing there in all my naked awesomeness. A little exhausted. Slightly bruised. Emotionally wrung out. But still awesome.
“If you don’t do something quick, I may accidentally combust,” I teased, my lady bits pounding. Given the day I’d had, spontaneous human combustion seemed only mildly unreasonable.
His grin turned predatorial. “Oh, no. I’m taking my time with you, wife.”
“Well, okay then, when you say it like that.” Really, what argument was I supposed to make? There wasn’t one.
Then, without warning, Marcus scooped me up.
I yelped. “Seriously?” I wrapped my arms around his neck automatically.
“You’ve had a long day,” he said, completely unapologetic.
“That doesn’t explain why I’m suddenly cargo.” Not that I was complaining. Much.
“It does from my perspective,” he said and slapped my naked ass.
I laughed and swatted his shoulder as he carried me up the staircase.
Somewhere deep down, the part of me that still felt robbed of years with Darian hurt.
The part of me that was worried about his future hurt too.
School. Friends. Growing up. Everything suddenly seemed closer now.
But for tonight, just tonight, I let myself set those worries aside.
By the time we reached the bedroom, I was grinning so hard my cheeks hurt. Which was impressive considering how much crying, yelling, panicking, and threatening I’d done today.
Marcus set me on the bed and sat beside me, one arm finding its way around my shoulders. The wicked look from earlier had softened into something warmer. Something safer. Something that reminded me why I loved him so much.
“You gonna behave?” he asked.
I raised a brow. “Absolutely not.” I had standards.
“Good. I’d be worried if you did.”
A laugh escaped me.
For the first time all day, the tension I’d been carrying began to slip away, slowly and reluctantly.
I curled against Marcus, letting his warmth and steady heartbeat work their magic. Better than any spell. Better than any potion. Better than most therapy.
Outside, the wind rattled softly against the windows.
Inside, everything was quiet.
Peaceful.
For once, I wasn’t thinking about tomorrow’s problems or the next disaster waiting around the corner. Not about portals. Not about Addison. Not about whether my son would need sixth-grade math books before the week was over.
Right now, I had my family.
And that was more than enough.