Page 71 of Those That Defy the Realm

Her mentioning coming to see me, and at Solstice—which is still a couple of months away—eases my anxiety further.

“You’re taking this far better than I am.” I tell her, my hands still gripping her tightly.

“It’s a blow for sure. But your visa already had an end date. I’d already been planning for the worst-case scenario, even though you were confident it would get extended. In fact, I asked Henry about his ferry options and leave over the solstice yesterday. I wanted to make sure he’d be able to get there as well so I wouldn’t have to choose between you for the holiday.”

A smile breaks over my face. Trust my female to already have backup plans to plans we hadn’t even discussed yet.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. And that was after I’d looked up the timetables myself trying to figure out that it was possible to reach that far north in the middle of winter.”

Falling backwards, and pulling Claire with me, we hit the mattress and jostle a little until she’s laid out over me. Then I roll so that I’m on top.

“You’re rather brilliant, did you know that?” I ask her.

“I’m just a planner.” She giggles.

“No, you’re fantastic.” I kiss her. “And gorgeous.” I kiss her again. “And strong.” Another kiss. “And I love you.” I hadn’t intended those words to slip out but I guess they were done being hidden. I’ve felt them for ages now but hadn’t wanted to throw them out there and have Claire throw her barriers up again.

My muscles lock and I stop breathing as her giggling ceases.

Her hand comes back to my face and her eyes look deep into my soul, like she’s searching for any reason I might be feeding her false words. I confidently stare back at her, knowing each one was said with one hundred percent of my being.

“I love you too.” Her words are spoken quietly, like it takes everything in her to tell me, to hand me that vulnerability. I see her fear, and her trepidation.

I take that fear, and that concern and try to erase it as I kiss her again, and as I remove her clothing and as I make love to her, all the while repeating those three little words.

We have to stay quiet because her family is in the house but that doesn’t matter, this isn’t about finding explosive pleasure. This is showing our raw selves, creating a connection even deeper than the one we already share.

A long time later, when we’re snuggled under the bed covers and tangled together, drifting towards sleep, I whisper the other words that have come to mean so much. Only, I add another, one that I hope to get her and Henry to agree to in the very near future.

“I’m yours, forever.”

PART THREE

COME BACK… BE HERE

CHAPTER 24

CLAIRE

“So, Henry’s in the Northern Isles?” Rory asks as we continue painting the ceiling along the upstairs hallway. “I should probably know but honestly, it’s been hard keeping track for the last few days.”

I’d noted the dark circles under her eyes when I’d arrived this morning.

“Yes, instead of coming back here for the entirety of his longer break, he thought he’d surprise Ash when he got home.”

“But he’s going to be here for the weekend?”

“Yes, slightly longer in fact,” I respond. “As I managed to get over there to see him it just works better, so he and Ash get some more time together. But he will be here for four days.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Rory asks casually, not pausing as she wipes the roller across the new plaster.

“Of course.” I look over from where I’m balanced on a chair, painting my own section. I’m not working today but without either of my men here, I took the opportunity to catch up with my best friend, even if we are continuing the work on her house. To be honest, we’d sat outside for a while, but I think both of us were feeling antsy, so as Rory suggested, the painting was a welcome task to keep ourselves busy. “I suggested Henry spend the entire week there, but he said he needed to come back here. He insisted it was to see me of course, but he has also been really feeling the pull of being away for so long.”

Rory pauses at that. “He’s not suffering with that is he? When I spoke to him a few days ago, he said he was fine.”

“I don’t think so,” I reply, torn between protecting Rory’s feelings and betraying Henry’s confidence. “I know he’s been feeling it more strongly the last couple of weeks and he didn’t want to worry either of you, especially with Ty going away as well.”