Page 367 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

The sound does something ridiculous to Kade’s heart.

They’re lying in the woods, still very naked atop the clothes they shed last night, when they stripped off, kissed, touched, bled and fucked.

They had sex. Kade had sex.

He’s so fucking fizzy about it, full of glee, joy and excitement too bubbly to contain, so it comes out in laughter and in the bite he gives Lachlan’s shoulder, revelling in the dark, approving rumble it earns.

‘You still have all your marks,’ he tells Kade, giving up trying to kiss and instead dipping down to lick over the bite.

‘I do?’

‘Every single one.’

He did contain it.

‘Good. What time is it?’

‘Just after eight.’

‘Eight? Oh, shit.’ He’s definitely been missed by now, but he can’t make himself worry. The bubbly happiness inside is bulletproof.

‘Are you gonna be in trouble?’ Lachlan murmurs, sucking a new bruise into some fresh region of his neck, teeth grazing to tease.

‘Probably.’

‘I’ll protect you.’

‘I will too. We can keep each other safe, right?’

‘That’s my job.’

‘Mine too.’

Lachlan huffs and then rolls them so Kade is on top, arms locking around his middle to steal kisses from below. ‘Such a brat.’

‘I’m a bodyguard too, y’know,’ Kade informs him, a touch breathless.

‘You’re too precious to lose.’

‘So are you.’

He can tell Lachlan wants to argue it, but instead he just gifts more kisses, plays with his skin, feeling over every bittersweet burst of pleasurable pain from the bruises he left on his hips, his thighs, his neck.

‘I wanna make a life with you,’ Kade says, eyes open.

Lachlan draws back, cocks his head like an animal. It’s so fucking adorable Kade can hardly stand it.

‘What do you mean?’

Kade licks his bottom lip.

He feels the little cut he kept for himself.

‘I want to leave Iron Star,’ he whispers. ‘Go see other places with you.’

‘Baby—’

‘I mean after. After all this, when it’s over and the bubble has burst and there’s no more curse and Riley figures out a way to break the Death Knot and Luca is healed and Roman’s himself again. Riley will have the alliance with the Front and Last Light. He won’t need to protect me anymore.’ Kade’s thumb makes ovals over Lachlan’s cheekbone as dark eyes pin him, reading every detail of him. ‘And when all that’s done, I want to be with you. Your boyfriend. Yours.’