Page 88 of Bound

She exhales, mouth curved, eyes gentle. “Thank you for caring enough to do that.” A breath. “Thank you for the time to say goodbye.” Another. “And thank you for being there afterward.”

Relief pours through me, and I draw her close. “Anything for you.”

She burrows into my chest. “I love you.”

“I want you and Gran to move in with me.”

Silence—long enough that I start to panic, especially when she draws back.

But all she does is shrug. “Okay.” My mouth falls open and she laughs softly, running her fingers along my jaw. “Gran might be a hard sell,” she says, coming close again and pressing a kiss to my cheek, “but I’m down.” She leans back and picks up her mug. “Especially because I have no doubt we’ll convince her.”

Because…

Claire and I versus the world.

“Damn right, we will.”

She rests her head against my shoulder then yawns.

Right then.

I draw her into my side, turn us toward the hall. “It’s sleep time, kitty cat.”

“No,” she says softly, footsteps slowing.

I glance down at her, heart—and other things—swelling when I see the mischief in her eyes. “No?” I ask silkily.

“No,” she says again, her lips curving. “No sleep.”

I lift my brows.

“Because life’s too short for sleep when you’re living a fantasy,” she says.

“Christ, I love you.”

A grin but she just leans in, “And speaking of fantasies…”

She lifts on tiptoe, whispers words in my ear that has desire scorching through my insides.

But it’s my heart that’s on full display when we head off to bed.

When we do everything but sleep.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

EPILOGUE

Claire, Six Months Later

“I really don’t like this,” I mutter to Jackson, who’s kneeling at my feet, tying up—heaven freaking help me—skates.

“Oh honey,” his mom, Kelly, says, patting my arm. “You’ll be fine. Jackson is a great teacher.”

I smile at her, but don’t give voice to the worries tumbling around in my head?—

That I’ve had great teachers before.

That I still nearly brained myself on the ice.

---