When I blinked my eyes opened, we were back to floating on the surface. My head on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair. I fluttered my lashes to shake the water droplets off before shifting so I could look at him.
Bronte smiled. A face so sweet that never lost its innocence. I sighed, sliding up his body to press my lips to his again.
“Never gets old,” he murmured, wrapping his arms tighter once more.
“Never,” I agreed. And we went on kissing as if there wasn’t a care in the world.
* * *
The night waschilly as I wrapped myself in a blanket and sat in front of the firepit. My men, those who were home, were in the spa tubs or the steam room but since I’d spent most of the day in the water, I was ready to let my skin lose the wrinkles for a while.
It wasn’t cold, but the hot water I stepped out of last made me shiver as the air stroked my bare skin. Pulling the blanket tighter, I flicked the dial on the fire to increase the flame a little more. Leaning back into the couch, I listened to my men talk quietly and laugh.
They were far enough away that I didn’t hear their words. Only the quiet murmur of their voices. It was enough. To know they were near. I stared into the fire, my eyelids getting heavy.
I must have dozed, for I was startled when a body sat next to me. Taranis smiled through his full beard. It wasn’t long, but it was thick and soft. I couldn’t help but brush my fingers through it any chance I got. Now was no different as I reached for him.
His smile widened as he pulled me closer, bringing me into his naked lap. Always naked. I half thought that he should just walk into Silence without clothes. Maybe we all should. It would stop everyone in their tracks and make them think we’d lost our minds.
Inwardly, I snorted at the idea as I gazed into his eyes. My fingers flexed in his beard, the soft strands still damp against my fingers.
“Tired?” he asked.
I shrugged, letting my body go limp in his arms. He chuckled. “No. And yes.”
“Stress,” he murmured, nodding.
Yep. That would do it. I wasn’t physically tired. Well, a little. Swimming all day would do that to you. But more than anything, I was mentally exhausted. Stress. Dread. Fear. It was building, even as I tried to concentrate on these men in front of me instead of the unknown that lies ahead.
“When this is over, I’m going to take you to a volcano. Stand on the rim. And we’ll watch it bubble and quake.”
I raised a brow. “Oh yeah?”
He chuckled. “Yes. To feel its power and know that no matter how humanity tries to move around it, like any other natural storm, it cannot be stopped. It cannot be outdone or controlled. The only thing you can do is prepare to evacuate and watch in awe as it covers everything in its path.”
“You’re not a volcano,” I pointed out.
“Nope. I’m a wildfire. And I can burn an entire state to the ground when left unchecked. Especially when I have something to protect.”
“What you’re saying is, we’re all forces to be reckoned with.”
“Alone, we’re deadly. Together, we’re invincible.”
“The storms we possess, I agree.” Before my mind, a glimpse of watching Kohara fall to the ground, lifeless, flashed before my eyes. “But we’re just vessels. We aren’t infallible.”
“Incorrect. We are the heart of the storm. A beautiful disaster, unfettered chaos.” His smile was wicked. “And ready to let the world feel our power. We’re not being ambushed this time, Hadley. We’re not gaining strength as we go in an attempt to survive an attack. We’re going in fully cocked and angry.”
“Unleash the storms,” I murmured, letting a smile climb up my face.
Taranis nodded. “So, we’re visiting a volcano when we’re done. Maybe I’ll even invite Notus along. Hearing him talk to lava as if it’s a harmless human newborn is a riot. And also makes me question his sanity.”
I laughed.
* * *
Our legs tangled together;our fingers linked as we faced each other. We were in Koh’s room, sitting among his ridiculous number of blankets that rose around us like a nest. He only wore bed pants. It was the first time I’d seen him out of a suit in days. Too many days to count.
He shifted closer, one of his legs wrapped around my ass. His fingers flexed in mind as he looked at me, a small smile on his lips.
