Page 55 of Aria's Desire

He’d been attentive, affectionate, and charming but not significantly more than he had since they arrived. He was just… happy, like a weight had been lifted off of him.

He spoke with her and Sin easily, the conversation missing the awkwardness, stiltedness, or hidden meanings for which she’d braced herself. He smiled easily and sent her warm glances, but the expectation she anticipated seeing in his eyes wasn’t there. He didn’t try to corner her to talk about feelings or what they’d do when they got home. He didn’t demand promises, or get clingy. Hell, he still caught her gaze to ensure he had her permission before leaning in to kiss her neck or cheek.

Contrary thing she was, she wondered why.

Shewas dissecting it. Why the fuck wasn’the? This was a pivotal shift in their relationship. Didn’t what happened between them change everything for him? If so, how was he so irritatingly relaxed?

And Sin. She was worried he’d be jealous or standoffish or clingy or something. Nope. He, too, looked happy. He socialized, albeit not a ton. He smiled and danced, something at which he was frustratingly, tantalizingly good.

They were sweet and seductive, flirty, but not pushy. She’d braced herself for pushy.

It was like they knew exactly what she expected them to do and knew she was on edge, waiting for the hammer to fall, so they behaved normally and didn’t give her any fodder to feed her paranoia, the assholes.

It was a conspiracy.

How was she supposed to throw her walls back up in response to their pushiness if they weren’t fucking pushy?

So, not only was she horny, but she felt off balance and… deprived.

She felt likeshewanted to cornerthemand demand to talk about feelings, which would be alarming if she had the wherewithal to care.

She’d just decided she would confront them as soon as they got inside their rooms when she opened the door to find a grinning Tirox relaxing in a chair near the balcony doors.

Jerking to a stop, she started to smile only to blink in surprise when she realized he wasn’t alone in the room.

He tipped his head to Vekai and another little boy she didn’t recognize, who didn’t look like he could be more than six, both fast asleep and cuddled on the chaise lounge thing against the far wall.

“Are you mimicking Victoria and collecting your own strays now, myrwy’n la?” Tirox rumbled softly so he didn’t wake the kids.

Sin chuckled as he and Rellik walked past her into the room.

Rellik answered, “More that she is building herself an army of spies from the orphaned children, except she won’t let them spy.” He threw a soft smile at her over his shoulder before facing Tirox again. “She just needed an excuse they wouldn’t refuse so she could help them.”

Tirox gazed at her lovingly. “Mm, my soft-hearted, vicious, little mate.”

Still smiling, Tirox stood and greeted first Sin, then Rellik, with manly, back-slapping hugs. For no logical reason, that irritated her. That irritation doubled when Sin walked to Vekai, picked the boy up, then left through the door that connected to the smaller attached bedroom. Rellik followed, paused to lift the other boy to his chest, and left with only a whispered, “Pleasant dreams, mysarasha.”

No argument, no fuss.

They had to know she was going to have sex with her mate, but they didn’t even make an attempt to join, or stay and watch. Okay, she couldn’t actually imagine them trying that, but still.

She was still glaring at the door when Tirox swept her up into a tight hug.

“Gods, I have missed you!”

Something in her chest relaxed. Sighing happily, she returned his embrace, smiling against his chest where her face was smooshed. “It’s only been two days.”

“I know! A dangerous amount of time to be without one's heart. It was misery! But now we will mate furiously and you will tell me how much you missed me and I will be appeased.”

Laughing, she boosted herself higher on his chest so she could wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.

Pressing her lips to his, she whispered, “That sounds perfect.”

Still smiling, she craned her head around to scan the room again, as though she’d somehow overlooked Kix and she’d find him propped up against a wall, staring at her. He wasn’t, of course. Not only was he impossible to overlook, he would’ve swooped in for a kiss while Tirox was talking.

“Where’s Kix?”

“Waiting his turn,” her demon murmured against her neck as he walked them to the bed.

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