Chapter 19 Spicy Ramen Noodles
Juniper
Caspian snored. It was a soft, snuffly sound that made my heart go gooey. His body curled around my back, still naked. I rolled over, slowly extracting myself from his hold.
The duvet fell to his waist, showing way too much muscle and freckled skin. I promised myself I’d take the time to map every single spot. And he’d made it clear he wasn’t leaving my side, so we had the time.
A ridiculous, giddy smile filled my face.
His feelings were genuine. Our souls were fated to be together.
He’d never leave, never cheat, never decide he no longer loved me, because we were a part of each other.
The deep sense of security grounded me, leaving no room for the anxiety that was my constant companion during my fraught marriage .
The look on Derek’s face when Caspian threatened him—I would never forget that moment. After seeing them side by side, I loved Caspian all the more.
I loved him.
My eyes traced over his face, softened in sleep.
He was so beautiful, my heart ached. I loved every little thing about this man—loved spending time with him, loved his thoughts and reactions to things, loved the way he prioritized me, the way he noticed little details and remembered.
I loved his boldness, his sense of humor, and also his gentleness.
I was completely smitten.
Warm light poured in through the sheer curtains. We’d slept the afternoon away, and my stomach protested the lack of lunch. Caspian would be hungry too when he woke up, and he’d made me enough meals. It would be fun to surprise him with food.
My lips pressed into a thin line as I slowly slid out of bed and padded across the room to the closet. I found a drawer of old t-shirts and selected one that said “Crescent Cove Summer Solstice 5K”. It fell to mid-thigh.
The door was quiet on its hinges, and I was able to sneak into the hallway without waking up my selkie mate. I hadn’t paid any attention to the house when he’d brought me here. I’d been too overcome with emotion. But now I glanced around, taking in the open space and modern finishes.
Silently, I slipped down the stairs. The living room and kitchen were shades of beige with navy accents—distinctively masculine—moreso because both his brothers were home.
“Um, hi,” I said, halting halfway down the staircase.
A selkie man dressed in athletic clothing stood in the kitchen, a spatula in hand. His features were similar to Caspian’s, but his hair was a lighter gray with a distinct blue tone to it. He smiled wide, revealing longer canines.
“You must be Juniper,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Adrian, the older and more handsome brother.”
A flush rose up my neck to heat my cheeks as I gave him an awkward wave.
The second brother twisted in his seat at the kitchen counter. Glossy black hair was pulled back in a bun at the back of his head, and shockingly blue eyes flicked over me cooly.
“And this is Malik, who has the social skills of a potato,” Adrian drawled.
Malik’s mouth tightened into a displeased scowl. “Shut up, Adrian,” he grumbled.
“So should we assume you and Cas worked things out?”
His bluntness surprised me, and I blinked at him. “Um, yeah. Mostly. We need to talk about some stuff, but we’re definitely together.”
“Yeah, you are,” Adrian said, grinning. “I hope you like clingy, because you’ll never be rid of him now.”
He waved the spatula and turned back to the stove. You could hear the clear affection in his teasing words .
“Cas is going to kill you for talking to his mate like that,” Malik said without looking up from his computer.
Caspian was close with his brothers, so I wanted them to like me. Their casual banter relaxed some of the anxiety bubbling up in my stomach.
“Come sit down. Ari is almost done making dinner,” Malik said, pulling the chair beside him out for me.
“Thanks,” I said, my shoulders tensing as I descended the rest of the stairs and cautiously walked into the kitchen. Swallowing, I tugged Caspian’s shirt down to make sure I was covered, and climbed onto the barstool beside Malik.
My anxiety melted away completely as I watched Malik and Adrian. They reminded me so much of Caspian, from their expressions to the way they moved.
Malik typed away on his laptop while Adrian traded his spatula for tongs. He sang a pop song under his breath as he cooked.
“So, Juniper, you work in marketing?” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
“How much has Caspian told you about me?”
“Not much, just the basics. I think he’s only texted twice since he left. He was obsessed with you, and we were quickly forgotten.” He sighed dramatically.
“I studied graphic design, but I got stuck in marketing.” My blush returned, and I studied the veining of the marble countertop. “What about you guys? You own a company together? ”
“Yeah. Cas is the brains of the operation, Mal is the nerd, and I’m the pretty face.” Adrian twisted to face me and winked.
“We could use some graphic design help, if you wanted to take on some freelance work,” Malik said quietly.
“Oh, I’m not sure,” I said, my voice pitching up in surprise.
“No pressure, but it’s an open offer.”
Adrian set wide bowls of noodles on the counter in front of us. “I hope you like spicy food,” he said, handing me a fork. Malik closed his laptop with a snap.
The ramen was covered in a reddish brown sauce with little mushrooms, carrots, green onions, and a perfectly poached egg.
“This looks amazing,” I said, twirling my fork and gathering up a bite. It was as delicious as it looked, and I let out a hum of satisfaction—so much better than takeout.
Adrian grinned. “Look, Cas, Juniper thinks I’m a good cook!”
“Too bad you can only make noodles.”
Arms wrapped around my shoulders as a warm chest pressed to my back. Caspian’s salt and sage scent surrounded me, reminding me of his comfortable bed and the things he’d done to me in that bed. I breathed in deeply, letting his smell soothe me.
After placing a kiss on the top of my head, Caspian sank into the seat beside me and started eating, his eyes on me the entire time. His hand settled on my thigh, and suddenly it was challenging to sit still and eat my ramen.
Adrian kept up a steady stream of chatter, and I did my best to contribute to the conversation, but it was difficult with Caspian undressing me with his eyes as his hand skimmed higher.
“I like you in my clothes,” he murmured, leaning over and placing a kiss on my temple.
I could have melted into a puddle on the floor with the heat of his gaze.
“We have a lot to talk about,” I reminded him. Earlier, we’d been wild with desperation for each other. Now, we needed to figure out the details and how we could make this work.
Caspian whisked away our dishes when I finished eating. “Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?” he asked. “Because if we go up to my room, we won’t be talking.”
A wave of desire rushed through me, and I squeezed my thighs together. “The beach is probably a good choice,” I managed to say. “But I need something more than a big t-shirt to wear.”
His heated gaze raked over me again.
“I’m not sure I’ve got anything that will fit you properly, but your dress is probably dry. It’s not even very sandy since it made it into the shower too.”
“Perfect. ”
He helped his brothers wash up the dinner dishes while I ran upstairs and pulled my dress back on. The fabric was a little stiff and damp, but it would work.
Caspian waited for me at the bottom of the stairs. I took his hand and let him lead me out the back door onto the sand. A brilliant sunset of pink and teal spread out before us, and my heart leapt.
“Wow. I could get used to this view every day.”
“Good,” he said, squeezing my hand.
The magic flowing between us had calmed into a warm, comforting hum, as if embracing our bond had soothed it. He lifted my hand to kiss along my knuckles before turning my hand and kissing my wrist.
“Talking,” I reminded him.
His mouth twitched.
“Alright, what do we need to talk about before I can take you back to my bed?” Caspian asked.
“Well, if we are going to be together—”
“If?” he asked, his tone dangerous.
I huffed a laugh. “ Since we are going to be together, we need to figure out the logistics. For example, I don’t live here. My life and my job are in the city.”
Caspian paused, and from the way his eyes searched my face, I could tell he’d already thought this through and was deciding the best way to share his thoughts.
“I’ll move to be with you, if you want. I’d give up everything for you.
” He stepped closer, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, enjoying the solid strength of him.
“But you said you loved it here, and I know you’d like to be closer to your grandmother.
So my vote is that you quit that job you hate and move in with me. ”
My mouth fell open. It shouldn’t have caught me off guard, but moving in after knowing each other a week seemed ludicrous.
I’d been imagining dating long distance, but the moment the option crossed my mind, I almost laughed out loud.
Neither of us would tolerate being hours away from each other—much less days or weeks.
One of us had to move.
Caspian continued. “You’ll be walking distance from your grandmother, right on the beach. You won’t even have to work if you don’t want to, but you can start freelancing again if you want.”
“I still want my own income,” I said, leaning back.
“Of course,” he said quickly. “But that money is just for you. I own the house with my brothers, I’ll take care of all the bills, food, whatever you need.”
“Caspian,” I said. “I can’t let you pay for everything.”
“Yes, you can,” he said, his gray eyes wide and beseeching. “I don’t like to brag, but we’ve been pretty successful. I’ve got plenty of money.”
I tensed, remembering all the times Derek blamed me for the fact we didn’t have enough money for bills after I’d purchased groceries or gas for our car. Caspian ran his hands over my shoulders and down my arms, soothing me .
“I promise,” he said softly.
My mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say.
“I think I need some time to think. Do you mind if we go check on my gran?”
Caspian nodded—no argument, just acceptance of what I wanted and needed. I knew in my soul he would take care of me. I just had to convince my brain that it was okay to accept it.