Page 17 of Swamp Kings 2

“And maybe you have other love languages you’re not aware of,” she whispered.

He put his forearms on the table, angling his gaze at her. “Mary.”

She looked at him, getting immediately trapped in his hot stare. “What?” she barely said. “There’s nothing wrong with not knowing all the languages, not everybody learns them or experiences them. And how would you know if you don’t love it if you’ve never tried it?”

“As you reflect on your relationship,” the Belle Eveque explained, “I want you to talk with your spouse about your love language. Try practicing it this week and see what changes.”

“See?” Mary whispered to him. “It’s not written in stone. Things can change and evolve.”

He leaned in till his face was right next to hers. “As long as you don’t try and evolve my obsession with fucking you, I’m open to try anything,” he said only for her ears, his gaze lowering to her mouth, sending her pulse through her entire body.

“Alright,” Beth announced. “Let’s take ten minutes to complete this exercise. If you need help or clarification, just holler.”

“Words of affirmation,” Mary whispered. “And quality time. Those are two languages I think should be added to your obsession if you were to experience them. These are good for you. For us.”

His grin slowly filled his sexy mouth. “Words of affirmation? Go for it. Do your worst.”

Worst? “Why not my best?”

His laugh shot out and she snuck a worried glance around then got his mouth planted right on hers. “Mary, Mary, quite contrary.”

“I’m not contrary,” she whispered, shame heating her cheeks from his public antics. She got back to the assignment, thinking of words of affirmation. What sort did he need? How would she figure that out? She could start with the obvious things. “You’re a great father,” she whispered, getting his smiling face back in her immediate air space. “And… the strongest person I’ve ever met.” She realized that was too vague and added quietly. “The… superhero kind of strong.” Why was he laughing at everything? “I’m serious,” she said, trying not to look around.

“Let’s leave,” he whispered to her, sliding his fingers along her cheek. “I need to express my greatest love language. Maybe in the woods. And can I change it to supervillain?”

Her pulse raged as her mind conjured up him fucking her in the woods. “Supervillain? No,” she said. “You’re not. Not to me.”

“Now, as you work through this at home,” Belle Eveque said, “I’d like you to complete chapter one and bring back your reflections. The idea is to explore this together, privately. You’ll also find a few more exercises about shared strengths and weaknesses. This will help you both appreciate what each of you brings to the table and where you can support each other.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Juliette struggled not to fidget as she followed along in her workbook. The love languages Beth was explaining were a first for her. They made sense in theory—acts of service, quality time, physical touch—but she struggled to match them to her and Kaj’s relationship. His love felt… more ancient and grounded in the rituals of his Viking roots. Their connection seemed to transcend these modern categories—and she loved that it did—but did they actually fit into this structured idea of love?

She glanced at Kaj, who sat next to her, quiet and focused. What was he focused on? Maybe rituals. Maybe his stubborn clan. Maybe her. Didn’t matter what he was thinking, just his presence carried her on a cloud.

She glanced around, seeing Tegan and Patches, vaguely hearing a hot debate about who was which language. Claire andHurricane seemed to be on the same page if Claire’s smile was any indication but then her love language was all things Hurricane. She continued casually glancing around, stopping on Cat and 8-Bit. Mixed signals there. Just next to them was Shank and Sophia. Lord, those two seemed right on top of the love track. Phelony’s sharp gasp drew her attention, and she caught sight of Bacon attempting his favorite love language under the table, earning her smacks and Juliette’s giggles.

“You’re being very observant, Pretty Wrangler.”

She snapped her gaze to Kaj, the look in his blue eyes scattering her nice and good. “I was thinking about the love language,” she muttered. “What about you?”

“I was thinking this is a very limited list of languages.”

That news excited her. “Right? I honestly don’t see us in any of these.”

She scooted her chair as close to his as possible, putting the book between them while whispering, “Tell me what you’re thinking, husband.”

Kaj leaned closer, his deep voice a soft rumble through her body. “In my clan, love isn’t spoken with words like these.We don’t categorize it the same.”

“Juicy,” Juliette whispered with an eager smile, listening. “Tell me.”

“There’s protection—shielding you from harm, both seen and unseen. Sacrifice—giving up comfort or life itself for your well-being. Honor—respecting you in everything I do. Then, devotion—time spent together in rituals, whether praying or working the land. And yes…” His voice dipped lower. “Passion. Our love is like a storm, wild and consuming.”

Juliette shivered at his words, recognizing their intensity and truth. These weren’t things that fit neatly into any modern category. They were much deeper. Primal. She smiled softly, feeling a surge of pride in knowing she shared something so unique with him. “Passion, you say?”

Kaj's lips curved in a slow smile. “I think that one is universal, don't you?”

“I do think it is.”

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