Page 77 of Burned

His gaze holds mine. “You have me, now.”

Then he lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me once.

Hard.

Final.

There’s a knock at the door. Rafe’s voice breaks our bubble. “Lucian. We need you. She’s ready to talk.”

When he lifts his head, his voice is cold enough to cut glass. “She can wait.”

Relief hits me so suddenly I almost hate myself for it. Outside the door, Rafe says nothing for a beat. Then, dryly, “I’ll tell her you’re unavailable.”

Lucian’s mouth twitches. Mine does too, despite everything. Footsteps retreat.

“Rafe isn’t happy,” I say. “She probably won’t be either.”

Lucian looks down at me. “She can wait,” he repeats, quieter now.

For me.

So I believe it.

My heart gives one painful, hopeful beat.

We shower together. Dry off together. Dress together. Nothing fancy. We wear jeans. A gray sweater for him. Black for me.

Brush our teeth.

Those simple daily things that don’t always have to be sexy. Right now, the rhythm of the everyday ordinary is what I find myself craving.

The every day with him. Since him. And hopefully, always him.

We get to the top of the stairs and I want to turn back.

There are three people already waiting for us at the bottom. And one of them is too mouthy for seven am.

Cass looks from me to Lucian, then back to me. Her brows lift. Then she whistles.

Low and lewd. “Well, hot damn, look who decided to leave their den of iniquity and join those unwillingly vowed to celibacy.”

I look at her. “Don’t.”

Gregory stands near the bottom of the stairs, speaking quietly with Bayne. When he sees us, his gaze drops to our joined hands. Assessing. Gregory likes it when everyone is getting along.

Rafe stares at my face, assessing my reaction to the news he’s about to drop.

“Isobel is asking for Lucian,” he says.

My fingers tighten around Lucian’s hand before I can stop myself. His thumb brushes over my knuckles. I feel like sex is the glue currently keeping us together and sane.

“She can wait,” Lucian says.

Rafe is still looking at me. “She wants to talk to you to make arrangements for her to talk to Erin alone.”

Lucian’s entire body changes beside me. “No.”

Rafe sighs. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”