Page 54 of Reign of Light
If there’s anything I’ve learned about him in the short time we’ve been together, it’s that touch calms him. Closeness slows him down. It’swhy he’s constantly reaching out and taking hold of me in some way, and I can’t help but wonder if, after all this time, it helps him feel like he’s not alone.
I break away, my lips swollen and chest heaving. I used to be uncomfortable showing any affection to Dane in front of others, but with Weston, none of that matters. I don’t care who sees, who looks, even if it’s Jorn poking fun. Weston needs it, and there are no rules to follow here.
“Is that all?” I whisper, and he shakes his head slowly, his eyes still hooded from the kiss.
“Sometimes I think I should have told you earlier.”
He doesn’t have to say it for me to know exactly what he means. I was furious with him that he didn’t tell me, and my words must have struck a chord. Told me who he was. Told me the truth about Dane. Told me that everything that caused me such hatred for him in the beginning wasn’t true.
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Really?” he says, his head tilting slightly.
My lips tip up at the corners, and I glance away, trying to find the right words. “You were right. For my entire life, I’ve been told what I need to know or do, and had to accept it. Edmond taught me to learn everything I could before deciding, but that was for later, once I was queen. I never got to practice that. I had to fall in line and follow my father’s orders. When I came here, I wanted to decide everything for myself. I needed to see it, and figure it out, and make my own judgment. I would have rejected it if you had just told me everything outright.” I run my hands down his chest, feeling the firm muscles tighten as I graze over them. “I needed to get to know who you were in here.” I press my palm over his heart, and lift my chin to meet his eyes. “If I hadn’t, we never would have gotten this far.”
“I’m never going to get tired of hearing you say that,” he says with a sly smirk.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Say what?”
He leans forward, closing the distance until we are sharing a breath. “That I was right.”
I roll my eyes and smack his chest. “Out of everything I said,that’swhat you focused on?” His boisterous laughter rings in my ears as he crushes me to his chest and plants a quick kiss to my lips.
“I heard the rest, too. If that was what you needed, then I’m glad I didn’t do it.”
“Good,” I say and pinch his chin, dipping it low and forcing him to stay focused on my now serious face. “No more regrets.”
His eyes drop to my mouth, and he leans in, but a voice from behind me calls out loudly.
“Yo, Cap!”
Weston drops his head back and groans. “What, Jorn?”
“Well,excuseme for interrupting, but does anyone care for a drink?” I glance over my shoulder and find him standing at the front of the blanket near the fire with both arms extended, the neck of a bottle clenched in each fist.
“Not for me,” Weston says with a shake of his head.
“I’m good, thanks Jorn,” I call with a shake of my head and a smile.
“You two are no fun when you’re like this. More for me then!” He rounds the fire, going to the next group and passing the bottles to them.
Weston’s hands find my hips, and his thumbs slowly stroke my hipbones. When I turn back to face him, I find one eyebrow raised. “You don’t want to pretend you’re drunk and try to seduce me?” His face widens in a glittering smile that makes my insides melt.
“I don’t think I have to be drunk to do that anymore, Captain,” I tease.
His chest grumbles, but just as he leans closer Jorn calls out, “Who wants to hear the story about when I stole the Captain’s boots?”
“I do!” I shriek, throwing my hand in the air. I spin around and settle back into Weston’s chest. Jorn stands off to the side on top of acrate so everyone that has made their way to the blankets around the fire can see and hear him. He points at me with one bottle then raises it in a salute, his normally goofy grin plastered onto his face.
“Trust me, you want to hear this one,” Sig says as she plops down on the empty blanket beside us.
Weston groans loudly behind me. “I wish everyone would fucking forget this story.”
“Not a chance,” Sig says, her own wide smile matching Jorn’s.
Jorn jumps into the story, his slightly inebriated behavior fueling the humor. Everyone slowly makes their way back and listens to Jorn recount the event. I can’t help but throw my head back into Weston’s shoulder, laughing as it goes on and on. Tears fill my eyes, and I can feel Weston shaking his head behind me, chuckling as I giggle uncontrollably.
Laughter and lightness floods the entire beach as everyone reminisces on happy times, or in my and the Voyager’s cases, hears about them for the very first time.
