Loved.
Julian is the first to break the silence, his voice soft but teasing as he nips at my shoulder.
“Goddamn,” he rasps, his breath still uneven.
Kai laughs, breathless and hoarse, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Yeah. I think I’ve lost the ability to speak.”
Julian hums in agreement, his lips curving into a grin against my skin. “That’s my favorite thing about watching someone else with her. Watching them lose themselves.”
There it is—the shift.
The words are light, teasing, but I feel the way Kai tenses beneath me, how the gentle strokes of his fingers on my hip slow, then still.
I tilt my head slightly, catching the shadowed expression before he smooths it over with a quick smile.
But I know him. I know when he’s pulling away.
“Yeah,” Kai says quietly, his hand slipping to my lower back, no longer possessive, just steady. “It’s… something.”
Julian doesn’t notice the shift—his focus is on me, pressing kisses to my bare shoulder like he’s worshiping me with his mouth.
But I notice.
And when Kai’s hands start to drift, when his weight shifts like he might pull me off of him, I reach down, lacing my fingers with his.
“Stay,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.
He hesitates for only a second before nodding, exhaling quietly as he pulls me tighter against his body.
But even as Julian murmurs soft praises against my skin, even as Kai’s body molds to mine, I feel the distance between us—subtle but growing.
And I know, in the quiet corner of my mind, that this isn’t over yet.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
THE FREEDOM
Sophie
When we get back to Ashford Palace, I’m not nearly as sleepy as I was when we left Inferno. Julian says good night to our driver, and the three of us go inside. I’m sore—and every step I take is a heavy, aching reminder of what we did tonight. Still, it was… incredible. And I want to do it a thousand more times. Lacing my fingers with Kai’s, I pull him into the foyer and set my handbag down.
“Shall I make us some pasta?” Julian asks, stepping out of his shoes.
“I’m starving,” Kai chimes in, looking down at me.
A full-body shiver works through me at his double entendre.
“I should go check on Snickers,” I tell Julian. “Barbara left early today.”
Barbara is someone I hired to help with most of the daily upkeep for my horse. And because I’ve been so busy with the shop, I haven’t had the chance to go see her today.
“No problem, pet. I’ll take care of making us a late dinner,” Julian says warmly.
“Do you want to come with me?” I ask Kai.
“I’d love to,” he says, squeezing my hand once.
“There, it’s settled. I’ll get us some much-needed sustenance and Kai can help you shovel shit.”
