It was after midnight when Emile and Enya returned from their joint mission to the Manor.
By then, Saoirse and I were stupid drunk, while Sean and Rocco had switched to water. Which she and I should’ve done as well but didn’t.
At quarter to one, Saoirse and I were laughing hysterically with some lame-ass joke over a Russian leprechaun, when Caden’s sense of urgency overflooded our Nexuses.Nexi?This Latin shit was tripping me up.
“Shit,” Sean grumbled, “Caden needs us at the command center. We need to go.”
Rocco tried to help Saoirse and I to our feet but gravity was not working in our favor.
Then, Saoirse burped so loud it echoed all the way through the Highlands, and I doubled over with laughter.
She grabbed my arm and linked it with hers, trying to keep me upright. Staring at her, I noticed her mascara had smudged and was hanging in droopy streaks. While attempting to fix it, I accidentally poked her in the eye.
Which was the last straw. We rolled onto the ground laughing, grabbing our stomachs as we did.
Rocco sighed in comical defeat.
“Stay with them,” Sean instructed, his tone firm but tinged with amusement, “I’ll go find out if they’re really needed.”
Time was nothing but a big blur. I had absolutely no idea how much of it had passed between Caden’s nex and Sean’s departure, when out of nowhere, a green portal appeared with a very angry Caden storming through.
By then, Saoirse and I were sprawled on the ground, the laughter from earlier giving way to a more subdued, yet deeply educational discussion on the “anatomy of stars.”
“No, that’s not a bear,” I slurred, squinting up at the sky. “That’s a Pooh bear.”
Saoirse frowned, tilting her head. “I think you’re confusing it with the poo star.”
“You mean the pole star?” I asked, trying to focus.
“Pole?” Saoirse raised a brow. “Why is it called a pole star? That’s so weird. There are no poles in the sky.”
“But there is poo?” I asked, utterly confused.
“What?” Saoirse looked at me, puzzled.
“Never mind,” I said with a grin, as the stars continued their silent dance above us. So pretty.
“What the hell do you two think you’re doing?” a deep voice suddenly boomed over us.
“Oh my gods,” I yelled, completely oblivious to the seriousness in his demeanor. “Saoirse, look! It’s Caden! Caden’s here!”
I tried to push myself up from the ground, but again, gravity was not my friend.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Caden grumbled. Before I could react, his strong arms swept beneath me, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. The world tilted as my feet left the floor, and then, I was pressed firmly against his chest. “Rocco, grab Saoirse. Bring her to her quarters and for the love of all the gods, get some water in her.”
With Caden holding me so close, the subtle scent of blackcurrant, smoke, and Scotch filled my senses, mingling with something unmistakably Caden—raw, masculine, and achingly familiar.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared at his face. “You know, you are kind of beautiful,” I purred, then giggled before planting a kiss on his cheek. Caden’s eyes darkened to a smoldering shade, and a shiver ran through me as I realized I might have been treading on thin ice. But then again, I was never much for ice-skating.
Caden shook his head as he carried me through his portal, landing us right outside my room. I gazed up at him, feeling his heart thundering against his chest, then nuzzled my face in his neck.
“Saoirse told me you are a beast in bed,” I said dreamily against his ear, blissfully unaware of how much I would regret these words once I sobered up.
His body went rigid, his muscles tightening under my touch. “Emma,” he growled, his voice a low rumble that sent a thrill through me. “Open the door to your room and shut the fuck up, please.”
I giggled again, then extended my haze to open the door. “Did you know,” I continued, ignoring his request, “you have to curl your fingers inside when you finger a woman?”
Caden’s jaw clenched so hard it almost popped, the muscle working under his skin as he guided us to the center of the room.
