Page 53 of Burning Your Lies

The cheeky smile on Isabella’s face warns us of the incoming question. “Any plans to give her a sibling?”

The siblings groan while Malcolm shakes his head with a tut.

My cheeks are warm. “Not anytime soon. We’re just enjoying being alone.”

Hadley fakes a gag. “Disgusting.”

Huxley kicks her under the table. “Shut your mouth.”

Her mouth drops open. “Mum!” When he mocks her, she shoots daggers at him. “Don’t make me tell Savannah about the carnival.”

His smile vanishes. “Don’t you dare.”

Too intrigued, my grin breaks out. “Now you have to tell me!”

“I was five, so Hux must have been about nine. It was a summer carnival with rides—” She drops her fork. “Ouch!”

When Huxley covers my ears, I push him away. “Continue.”

“He says the hotdog tasted funny—”

“Mum!” Huxley whines like a child. “Make her stop.”

Isabella can barely get a word out past her chuckles. “That’s enough. None of that talk at the table.”

“Kids!” Malcolm shoots a stern expression at the both of them. “It’s like we’ve still got a five- and nine-year-old at the table.”

Hadley hides her snickers behind her hands. “If Huxley shits his pants again, it will feelexactlylike that.”

The entire table, bar Huxley, bursts into a fit of laughter. I try to hold it in when I see the grumpy expression on his face, but their happiness is contagious. Everyone is speaking over one another and I realise I feel a sense of completeness I’ve never experienced. After a few minutes, the laughter subsides except for a few giggles that escape.

The silence chokes me as I exchange silent glances with everyone but Huxley. His pout tugs at my heartstrings and I try to ease his discomfort. “What movie did you want to start with, Hadley?”

She clears her throat, but a chuckle still slips out. “I don’t mind, as long as it ends with a kiss in the rain.”

“How many of these movies are you planning to watch?” Huxley asks, peering at me.

“Until we fall asleep,” she answers for me. “Got a problem with that?”

“You’re not sleeping in our bed.”

“The bed isyourstonight. Savannah is sleeping with me.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but Huxley sulks even more than before. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. Not wanting to hide my love, I take his hand in mine for everyone to see. When his soft gaze meets mine, I smile. “It feels good to be home.”

Hadley’s gentle snores fade away as I float in the air. Just as I think I am dreaming, I’m placed down on a firmer bed. “Hux?”

He lays in the space next to me before pulling the blanket over us. He wraps me in a cocoon made of his burly arms and musky scent. His nose is buried in my hair and he lets out a satisfied sigh. “Go back to sleep.”

My slumber is fading away. “What happened?”

“I can’t sleep without you.”

His vulnerable honesty has me turning, so I’m facing him. His eyes are closed, but there’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. I trace his features with my finger. “I’m not having sex with you.”

A half laugh emits from him. “I share a wall with my parents, sweetheart. They don’t need to hear how you worship me. I missed you. That is all. Now go to sleep.”

“Okay,” I say so quietly, I don’t think he hears me. My eyes close and my breathing evens. “I’m glad we came for the weekend.”

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