“Agreed,” Jaykun said, giving his wife a kiss.
Airi smiled but then gasped when Maxum nosed his way through her hair and lightly tongued the tip of her ear. Blushing furiously as her whole body went weak she buried her face against his neck and pinched him on his arm.
“Stop that!” she whispered heatedly.
“Make me,” he countered in a whisper that brushed his lips over her ear again.
She stood up out of his lap suddenly, her hand grasping one of his as she affected a loud yawn and a stretch. “Wow, I’m beat,” she said.
“Does a demigod get tired?” Garreth asked with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
“Yes as a matter of fact they do,” she said primly. “And so do gods if they know what’s good for them.”
“I think that’s my cue,” Maxum said, getting to his feet.
“But it’s not late. The children aren’t even in bed yet,” Sarielle said, being purposely obtuse.
“It takes a lot of godly energy to bring us all together like this. Godly power is not infinite.”
“You learn something new every day,” Dethan marveled.
“It was lovely to meet all of you. And your families. We’ll see you in the morning,” Airi said, waving her fingers in a waggle of goodbye before she yanked Maxum down the hall with her.
“We don’t even know what room we’re staying in,” he said with a chuckle.
“We’ll find one. As long as it has a bed that’s all we’ll need.”
“True. My, my, you’re in such a rush. I wonder why?”
“Shut up,” she said, opening a door and peeking inside the room. “Nope. No bed there.”
“We could always go back and ask—”
“Nope. We’ll do just fine on our—aha! A bed. And it looks unoccupied.” She yanked him into the room and slammed the door shut at his back.
She grabbed him and kissed him madly. It wasn’t long before true heat burned away all of his amusement, passion bursting forth to overwhelm them both.
“I like your brothers,” she whispered as he began to kiss her down the side of her neck. “But don’t go climbing any mountains with them ever again.”
“My mountain climbing days are over. So are theirs. Not a one of us is out to seek adventure any longer. And now that the war with the gods is won…we can all settle down with our women and make happy homes and healthy babies.”
She went still and drew her head back to regard him curiously.
“Do you want to make babies?”
He returned her regard measure for measure. “I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do with your body. If you don’t want to make babies then we won’t make babies.”
“It’s not that! I would love to make babies! I just…I didn’t know that you wanted to.”
“Airi, you and I would make the most beautiful babies in the world and the eight heavens besides, why wouldn’t I want that?”
Airi’s eyes teared up and she sniffled. “But I’m going to make a lousy mother!”
“Nonsense. With a heart as golden as yours? Better to worry about what kind of father I’ll make.”
“Nonsense. With your loyalty and devotion…your determination and force of will? You can do anything you set your mind to.”
“Very well. I accept,” he gave her a sound kiss. “Marriage and babies. We’ll have little demigods running around in no time. Let’s start making them right now!”
He scooped her up and threw her onto the bed.
She landed with a bounce and giggled exuberantly. “If you insist!”
“I do. And I’m a god. We tend to get our way.”
“I’ve heard that somewhere I think.” She squeaked when he ran his hands up her legs beneath her skirts. He found her bare bottom and he groaned. “You’re so warm and soft. Although,” he cocked a raised brow at her, “must you wear this?”
He jerked her dagger out of the sheath she’d strapped to her inner thigh and held it up before her nose.
“Old habits die hard,” she said with a shrug.
He tossed the dagger aside and worked to untie the sheath. It came free and he tossed it aside wherever the dagger had gone. That left a bare expanse of inner thigh to be explored. He did so eagerly.
She gasped and then sighed.
“I love you,” she said on an intense whisper.
He lifted a brow. “Do you now?”
“Indeed I do. Now you’re supposed to say you love me back.”
“I’m a man of actions, not words.” He went about untying the laces to his breeches.
“I always liked that about you,” she noted with a grin.
It was when he had finally thrust inside of her that he said, “I love you more than life. Everything I do is for you. Nothing would matter if not for you.”
She sighed and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Words and actions. I’m a very lucky demigod.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
—
Dethan stroked Selinda’s hair, his affection for her radiating from the action. He looked around at his brothers and was satisfied. He had led them on folly all those decades ago, seeking for something that, in the end, had never been the prize worth winning. Each brother now knew something that meant far more than immortality or riches or glory.
It seemed an age since those things had mattered to him. For a long time since, his life had been filled with Selinda. The war with the gods was over, but he would keep his agreement with Weysa and battle in her name until he was no longer able to. Until age and infirmity ruled him. Until he was ready to spend his golden years surrounded by his wife and his many children.
It sounded like one of the eight heavens. The one he would choose.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear. She pinked up, looking as pleased as a mouse with cheese.
She did not reply. She did not need to. He knew her feelings. Just as she knew his without him having to say the words. But he said them all the same. And as he watched his brothers each lean in to whisper in their wives’ ears, he knew they were saying the same thing.
Finally he was truly proud of them. Proud of them and the lives they had made.
He sat back in his chair and took pleasure in that.
A great deal of pleasure.
For my Dad
I love you, and that’s all that needs to be said.
BY JACQUELYN FRANK
The Immortal Brothers
Cursed by Fire
Cursed by Ice
Bound by Sin
Bound in Darkness
The World of Nightwalkers
Forbidden
Forever
Forsaken
Forged
Nightwalker (eBook)
Three Worlds
Seduce Me in Dreams
Seduce Me in Flames
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACQUELYN FRANK is the New York Times bestselling author of the Immortal Brothers series (Cursed by Fire, Cursed by Ice, Bound by Sin, and Bound in Darkness), the World of Nightwalkers series (Forbidden, Forever, Forsaken, Forged, and NIghtwalker), the Three Worlds series (Seduce Me in Dreams and Seduce Me in Flames), the Nightwalkers series (Adam, Jacob, Gideon, Elijah, Damien, and Noah), the Shadowdwellers novels (Ecstasy, Rapture, and Pleasure), and the Gatherers novels (Hunting Julian and Stealing Katherine). She lives in North Carolina and has been writing romantic fiction ever since she picked up her first teen romance at age thirteen.
jacquelynfrank.com
@JacquelynFrank
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