Page 166 of Us Defiant Few

The possibilities were endless.

Growing up, Khalani had always felt lost.

But with her entire family surrounding her, she smiled, knowing that wherever she went…she’d be home.

40

He caressed the darkest parts of me like they weren’t shadows to destroy but a painting to praise.

*Author’s Disclaimer* This chapter contains open-door sexual content, including consensual rope play. If you do not wish to read or such material offends you, please move on to the next and final chapter.

Three Months Later

Khalani plopped another heavy box onto the bed, inhaling deeply.

Who knew moving into a house would be this exhausting?

To be fair, the house was already in good condition, and Khalani and Takeshi were well acquainted with it.

After spending time in Genesis to help with the rebuild, they’d decided to return to Desert Spring, which had undergone major reconstruction of its own.

Penny had knocked down the wall, and they’d started building more homes, welcoming people from Apollo who wanted to venture out and explore the surface. She’d been so happy to see them return that she’d offered the yellow house they’d stayed in previously without hesitation, practically throwing the keys at them.

“Make yourself at home! Change whatever you want,” Penny insisted.

And they did.

Khalani and Takeshi rearranged all the furniture and took down the photos of the family who used to live in the house. They were starting fresh and wanted to build new memories without any old ones tainting them.

Hard footsteps reverberated around the corner, and she smiled as the warmest arms hugged her from behind.

“You’ve been working for a while,” Takeshi said, kissing her neck.

“It’s harder than I thought,” she admitted, glancing at the cluttered mess of boxes strewn about. The place was undoubtedly a disaster.

But she loved it, because it was their disaster.

“You should take a break.”

“But we still have so much to do.”

“And it’ll still be here tomorrow.” He whirled her around, leaning in close so she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. “I want you to take off those gloves and take a shower. Come find me when you’re done.”

“What’s gonna happen when I find you?”

Her heart raced when he did nothing but grin and walk away.

That man was going to give her a heart attack before she hit thirty.

Khalani jumped into the shower and scrubbed herself clean. The hot water washed away the sweat while Takeshi’s tempting smile played in her mind, making her movements faster and more jittery.

Wrapped in a towel, she padded barefoot across the wooden floors. The stillness and light speckling of dust in the air sent a warm shiver down her spine.

He wasn’t in the living room, the kitchen, or the second bedroom. She was starting to get worried when she entered the main bedroom door and didn’t find him.

But then, muscular arms enveloped her.

“Caught you,” Takeshi whispered, biting her earlobe. Her neck craned back as his hands memorized the curves of her body, the towel still wrapped securely around her.