Arden said shyly, “Is it all right if I decide to come home, then? Soon?”
Jack’s chest swelled with a deep breath beneath him. “I would love that. As will Beckett.”
“I am nervous about seeing him again.”
“I won’t tell you not to be. I will, however, tell you that you don’t need to be. He is sorry. You must know that.”
Arden sighed.
“All right. We won’t talk about it any more today.”
“Thank you.”
Jack laughed at his heartfelt reply. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Arden pulled a face and snuggled closer. Jack didn’t seem to mind, and Arden couldn’t get enough of it.
The last time he’d been this close to Jack, he’d been ten or eleven years old, which meant Jack would have been about fifteen. It was summer, and Jack had found Arden sketching in the meadow. He lay down in the grass with Arden, put his head in Arden’s lap, and let Arden play with his hair.
It was Arden’s very best memory.
This was another excellent one.
“How long can you stay at Greylag?” Arden asked idly.
Jack made a disgruntled sound that had Arden smiling into his shirt. “One night.”
That wiped his smile away. “One night?” he said indignantly.
“I wish I could stay longer but I have business to attend to in town. Forgive me?”
“Yes, ofcourse. I’m not annoyed that you can’t dance attendance on me, I’m annoyed that you don’t get to take more than a day and a night away from the wretched Council.”
“It’s the price I pay for my rank. I pay it willingly. I will not be one of those layabout lords who are happy to suck their lands dry while refusing to stand for their people and their dependents. It is unfortunate,” he added in a teasing tone, “since Iwantto dance attendance on you.”
Arden had pushed away from Jack’s chest and somehow climbed further onto his lap. He must have shoved Jack lower in the chair as he scaled his husband, because Jack was definitely looking up into his face now, not down. Arden blinked. Whatever he was going to say evaporated at the gorgeous view.
“Whatareyou thinking?” Jack asked, amused.
“I know that you want me beneath you, and I want to be there, but…would you ever let me lie on top of you?” he asked daringly. “Sometime, perhaps? I find that I rather like the view from here.”
Jack wound an arm around Arden’s waist and stood in one easy movement. He took a step onto the hearthrug and lay down, dragging Arden with him.
Arden screeched then burst into laughter. “I didn’t mean now!” he protested as he propped himself up over his prone husband. He shuffled about, getting his knees either side of Jack’s hips.
“No?” Jack said, pretending to be surprised.
“No.” Arden ducked down to kiss him.
“How very awkward.”
Jack didn’t grab at him or hold him down, although Arden knew he wanted to. Instead, he’d flung his arms out dramatically wide as he’d taken them playfully to the floor. He left his armswhere they were, but couldn’t hide the flex of his fingers. He didn’t even lift his head for Arden’s kiss. He simply lay there and let Arden have his way.
“So,” Arden said, when he was breathless from kissing. “If you are only here for the rest of today and one night, and tomorrow, what shall we do to pass the time?”
“Whatever you please. I am, as you can see, entirely at your disposal.”
CHAPTER 25
