Page 86 of Crown of Thorns
Finally, Louis shifts.
“We should go. Before this place swallows us whole.”
He kisses my cheek. “Thank you. For sharing this with me, baby.”
By the time we step out, the fog has lifted. The castle rises through morning gold. Birds flit through the trees. Something eases in my chest.
Back at the castle, birdsong fills the air. Louis doesn’t say much. Just takes my hand.
He stops by the trees, turns to me. Noses brushing. He doesn’t just invade my nights anymore. He’s inside my routines, my cravings, my breath. And I’m letting him.
His lips press to my forehead. My nose. My mouth. My throat.
He inhales deeply, as if memorizing me.
“I ordered your croissant and flat white. They’ll be in your office in ten minutes.”
“Thank you, little devil.”
He winks. Flashes that grin.
And walks away.
24
NOAH
“Professor Montague, is that a sweat patch I see on your collar?”
I glare at him, arms crossed, still drenched from a brutal boxing workout. Louis is already grinning, two coffees in hand, gloriously smug in his football jersey, clearly fresh from practice.
“Did you work out too, or is that just righteous anger making you sweat?”
We meet in front of the shed, the air still heavy with heat and late morning light. He passes me the coffee like it’s a peace offering, or a dare.
I take the drink, and he brushes my lips with his, full of spices and arrogance. The kiss lingers just a moment too long, warmth and heat flooding in all at once. It’s comfort. It’s adoration. It’s everything a sweet kiss should be.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
Louis makes his way in, giving me a full view of the way his muscles cling to the shirt of his football team. He’s got number one, of course.
Mid-sip, I catch myself staring at his fingers wrapped around the cup. It’s maddening, how fast I swing from denial to desire.He shouldn’t have this power over me. Blinking, I shake off the thought.
“I did some research.” He turns, catching me mid-stare. He grins knowingly. “This land has been in your family since the French Revolution. Your granddad’s request to have some of it transformed into building land was granted.”
“When?”
“Fifteen years ago.”
“Oh.” I turn around, taking in the place through different eyes. “Granddad didn’t know he was going to have a fatal car accident, but…”
“I think he left this all for you, baby. To find your life back. The photos, the land. He wanted you to remember who you are. And there is so much of you.”
The tenderness in his voice threatens to undo me. Like he wants me whole even if I’m not ready to be.
Slowly making his way through, Louis gives every photo the same detailed attention. He has so many questions, carefully avoiding the one he knows I won’t answer.
“Look, you’ve got your mother’s eyes. That metallic grey.”
