“Shh!” I hushed him loudly. “Home!”
The world went black, and when Gray’s aura disappeared, we were back in my bedroom. He set me down on the bed and kneeled on the floor in front of me, slipping my shoes off.
“Are you going to get naked, too?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.
“Usually I wouldn’t decline the offer, but I’m not about to have sex with you when you can barely stand.”
I pouted. “But you give me the best dicking.”
His shoulders shook with laughter. “I promise the minute you’re sober, I won’t deprive you of my dick.”
“I’m sober as a judge.”
“I’m sure you are, golden girl.”
Gray helped me out of my shirt and skirt before untangling himself from me. I flopped back on the bed, still pouting.
“I’m going to get you some water,” he told me.
Rolling over onto my stomach, I cocked my head to the side. “Gray, should we get married? I think there’s a place somewhere by Sal’s that does it.”
“Not yet, golden girl. One day, but not yet.”
My fingers brushed the stray strands of hair away from her face. Quentin was nestled against me, legs and arms tangled with mine and breathing shallow. A slice of peaceful perfection that belonged to me.
Selfish.
I was utterly selfish.
After finishing late in the lab, she stumbled over the threshold, announcing that they’d sent the first draft of the paper to Gareth. The results arrived thick and fast, filling her template until she and James finally rid themselves of it.
She panicked when I brought her back up to our home last night. An unsanctioned trip into Elysia was sure to change minds. But this was all down to me and if anyone found out, which they wouldn’t, I would take the blame.
I wanted Quentin to wake up on her birthday in our home, in our bed, without the need to rush into the lab on a weekend. Every second she had to spare should be with me, where I could spoil her until I was forced to share her with everyone else tonight. We’d been separated for too many years. Even if I didn’t know her then, my soul still craved her, and I’d claw every spare moment that she’d allow me.
Carefully, and reluctantly, I slipped out of bed so I didn’t disturb Quen, and went down to the kitchen. The mixture of gold and black around our home lifted my heart. There had never been colour within these walls until she appeared. Her gold lit up all of my darkness and made it bearable. She made existence bearable.
The coffee was freshly brewed, and I loaded the tray with pastries that Poppy brought last night when Quentin went to bed. I trusted Poppy to keep her mouth shut about our little trip, like she had with everything I’d asked for help with so far. Picking up the tray, I felt the ripple run through my chest and smiled to myself.
“Gray?” Quen’s sleepy voice came from behind me.
When I turned around, she stood in the doorway of the kitchen, drowning in one of my shirts. The sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, top buttons undone to reveal the curve of her breasts and her legs on display.
Quentin rubbed her eye. “You weren’t in bed. I thought something happened.”
Balancing the tray in one hand, I cleared the kitchen and lifted her up with the other. Her arms went around my neck, holding on tightly.
“Happy birthday, golden girl,” I said, nudging her face out from the crook of my neck so I could kiss her.
Quentin smiled against my lips. “Thank you. Is that for me?”
She eyed the tray in my hand as I took us back to the bedroom. Keeping one arm around my neck, she reached out for the coffee mug.
“Quentin,” I warned her. “Wait.”
She batted her eyelashes at me. “But it’s my birthday and I get what I want.”
I blew out a sigh and moved the tray towards her so she could safely pick up the mug. A sleepy smile graced her face, and she kissed my cheek before trailing them along my jaw.
