A slow grin blossomed on Saffron’s face. He flashed it towards me, making my heart swell. “Yeah. I did.”
I caught the subtle longing in Viol’s words. It sounded familiar. Like I’d heard it from somebody else recently.
“You’ll find yours,” I promised, making Viol’s rounded gaze snap to mine. “As sure as a harsh winter eventually turns to spring, I know you will.”
Viol inhaled a barely audible breath. His gaze was frozen to mine, but without seeing me, as if drifting to a different world. Then the gleam of kindled hope was smothered to ash. He jerked his head aside, letting strands of dark purple hair fall across his face to obscure his expression.
“Sometimes spring’s just as fucking cold as winter,” Viol muttered. He ruffled Andri and Jaki’s fluffy heads, then strode swiftly in the opposite direction without saying goodbye.
Saffron watched him leave with a confused blink. “What was that about?”
“You brothers are clueless,” I said with a lighthearted smirk.
Proving my point, Saffron nodded eagerly. “Oh, I loveClueless! We have to watch that next.”
I chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Movie date tonight?”
Stars sparkled in his amber eyes, brighter than the Milky Way on a cold, clear night.
“I’d love that more than anything,” Saffron murmured. “Except you. And our sons. But hang on, a movie date night means we need a babysitter… Hey, Viol! Wait up!”
28
Epilogue: Saffron
Rorik let outa soft sound of contentment as he pressed his face to the crook of my neck. His breath was warm against my skin, which was cooled by the air conditioning. My arm wrapped around his broad shoulders in our classic bedtime pose. I loved how big he was, but I think he liked pretending to be smaller sometimes. Either way, I was just happy to cuddle.
“Did you like the movie?” I asked after putting the laptop away.
“Mm. Yeah. This one was funny, but sweet, too. I liked the girls’ friendship and the makeover part.” Rorik’s brow furrowed in that adorable way it always did. “Although I still don’t understand what a lawyer does.”
“A lot of paperwork, apparently,” I joked.
“Glad I don’t have to do that,” Rorik mumbled, running his nose along the length of my neck so gently it made me shiver. “No paperwork. No battle training. Instead I get to indulge in my every desire. Food. Sex. Love.”
I grinned. “What else is there?”
“A warm mate to snuggle with in a cold room.” Rorik shuffled closer, burying his face in my neck. I stroked his upper arm in response.
“True. Can’t forget that one.”
“And movies.”
My heart skipped a beat. I loved that he’d mentioned my hoard. “Duh.”
Rorik lifted his head to catch my gaze. His short-cropped hair had grown a bit longer since arriving here. I ran my fingers through it, then cupped his cheek. His stubble tickled my palm.
“I forgot one important thing,” Rorik murmured. He placed a hand on my chest and traced down towards my belly. My skin tingled at his naughty touch.
As my pulse quickened, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his. “What’s that?”
He leaned in, his lips grazing the shell of my ear, and whispered, “Popcorn.”
I burst out laughing. Rorik pulled back with a cheerful grin.
“Okay, but you’re not wrong. Popcorn is better than sex.” I paused, thinking about how good sex was with my mate. “Wait, no, a little lower on the list, butalmostthat good.”
Rorik arched a brow, amused. “So, you’re saying eating popcorn during sex would be the best thing ever?”
