Page 134 of Fire Fight

I place my hand flat on her plaque as a goodbye, then wind through the other memorials back to the carpark. My lips are chilly as they press against Cadence’s, but soon warm as she sticks her hands in my back pockets, and I wrap her tightly in my embrace.

“Well, that was a pleasant welcome.” She smiles up at me and my heart swells. “Did you have a good chat?”

“I did.”

“And what were you telling her?”

My hands cup her arse, pulling her hard against me while I kiss her again, hungrily, greedily. The kiss of a man who can never get enough.

“I explained how my girlfriend is the most beautiful woman in the world, and that I love her with all my heart.”

“You do, huh?”

“Absolutely. My heart and several other pieces of my anatomy.”

She wrinkles her nose, the smile remaining in place.

My hand roams into her jeans pocket, fishing out the car keys and swinging them around my index finger. “And I especially love that you drove my car, and you know what that means.”

The smile stretches all the way to her eyes, dancing with laughter. “I can’t imagine what you’re referring to, Mr Arlington.”

I lean close enough to whisper in her ear. “Forfeit.”

As we relaxin the lounge after dinner, Cadence waits until her mother fetches a nightcap, then nudges me in the ribs. “You’re sleeping in your own bedroom tonight, I’m afraid.”

“Am I?” I wrap my arms around her, squeezing tight until I can feel her heartbeat against my chest. “It’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

“You are.” Cadence stages a dramatic yawn, stifling it against the back of her hand. “I’m so tired, I need a good night’s sleep.”

She pulls herself away from me the moment we finish watching an episode of our favourite shared show, heading upstairs after bestowing a chaste kiss on my cheek.

I stay downstairs, listening to the house settle as the cold bite of winter contracts the tall panes of glass like it’s moving around, trying to find a nice place to settle before it goes to sleep.

After ten minutes, I check the cameras on my phone, scrolling to the one mounted in her bedroom.

Cadence had a few words to say about my secret portfolio of images. Luckily, I convinced her over to my side by giving her access to the same controls.

Now, when I look, she stands a few metres from the corner. Tilting her head to one side, arching an eyebrow.

She unscrews the cap on a bottle of valerian, a natural relaxant her doctor recommended for those nights when she needs a little something to help her sleep.

Not that she does.

But some games benefit from a tiny helping hand.

I watch her place the pill on her tongue, chewing the tablet while I wince; the few times I tried, it tasted like rotting vegetation with a sweet kicker, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

Then she lays down on the bed, slowly removing each garment in an elaborate striptease, replacing them with the skimpiest pyjamas in the world.

I expect her to lie back, but she grabs a sharpie from the desk, writing on her lower abdomen before tossing the pen aside.

The same place I intend to bury my face later tonight.

Within half an hour, she’s lost to sleep but I linger, zooming in on her face on the screen, admiring every detail of her beloved features, sketching their likeness on my heart.

Then, when I’m sure she’s deep under, I head upstairs to kiss my sleeping beauty awake.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

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