“It wasn’t supposed to be a pun, actually. But...consort. You’ll make me king consort.”
She rolled her eyes.
He kissed her gently for a few moments before recalling she wore nothing but her stays and her new ring. His hands slipped down, molding to the globes of her bottom. Then one hand moved lower still, finding her hot center from behind. She squeaked as he lifted her and carried her directly back to bed.
thirty-five
George eats dinner, twice.
Asoftknocksoundedonthe dining room door just as George and her former earl entered the chamber, floating in on a haze of happiness.
“Right on time.” She smiled dreamily before turning to gaze at Isahn. Her future husband grinned back at her, and a heat kicked up in her core,again. Squeezing her thighs tight, she willed away the sensation. Their hours in bed made her far too sore to even consider a repeat... yet. Plus, her friends were arriving forcena.
“I’ve got it.” Isahn lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the ring on her finger before they parted ways. She took a seat at the head of the table while he made for the door.
Tossing a quick mirage over Isahn, George turned him Salskanan, just in case it wasn’t a friend outside. Their first guests turned out to be Dunstan joined by Wynnie, who appeared while they were still at the entrance to the chamber.
At the table, Isahn checked in with Dunstan, asking how he felt after the horrid incident with the king. Though George and Isahn slept (and fucked) for most of the day, shehadtaken time to catch him up on what he’d missed while away.
Dunstan assured him he was all but recovered, his worst wounds mended, and his limp and soreness lessening each day. He made no pretenses that it had been a positive meeting with Gasparo.
With her left hand tucked discreetly beneath the table, resting on her bouncing thigh, George waited for all of her friends to arrive. Luckily, Hildy and Burke turned up together not long later. They entered quietly and parted ways to sit diagonally across the table from one another.Perhaps that flame fizzled, too.
“Where’s Ean?” Burke asked as he poured himself a glass of wine.
“Still working on the book. He stopped in atprandiumand said he thinks he might have something by tonight,” George explained. She accepted a full glass of wine from Isahn with a quiet, “Thank you.”
“Then what are we here for? I thought there was news?” Burke whined.
Wynnie, who sat on Burke’s left, elbowed him in the gut.
“There’sfood, man,” Hildy replied, from her seat on Isahn’s right.
“And friendship,” Dunstan tacked on with a pump of his brows.
“And there’s this.” George revealed her left hand, waggling her fingers in the light of the chandelier.
Isahn took her wine glass away so he could trap her right hand in his.
“Deiwos.” Dunstan, who was farthest away, placed his hands on the wood and leaned over the food to get a better look at the glittering ring.
Wynnie and Hildy hopped up from their seats and rushed over to grab hold of George’s hand.
“You kept this from me!” Hildy accused Isahn, though her words held no malice.
“Oh, it’s stunning. Where did you get this?” Wynnie gushed, her question for Isahn, although her eyes remained on the gems.
“It was my mum’s.”
George snapped her head to Isahn as he gave her fingers a squeeze, only increasing the pressure in her full-to-bursting chest. “Really?”
“Yes. It was a gift from my father for their twentieth anniversary. She didn’t have it for long, but it was her favorite while she did.”
Leaning over to plant a kiss on his soft, smiling mouth, George yanked her hand away from Hildy and Wynnie. “Sit down. Eat,” she commanded before kissing Isahn again and leaning back to enjoy her meal.
Wynnie ignored her command, asking that they first raise their glasses in honor of the happy couple. “To Isahn, who took one for the team and made it back to make our Georgie the happiest woman on Duhra.”
“To Isahn!” George’s friends cheered as they clinked their glasses.
