Page 33 of Tears of Ruin

I would do everything in my power to keep those precious gifts. To deserve what I knew he’d never given anyone else.

Noam was mine, every beautiful inch of him.

** * *

The setting sun filtered through the open kitchen windows, giving off a lazy, golden glow of contentment. The gentle breeze carried the familiar scent of honeysuckle as I stood at the island in the middle of the room.

It was past dinnertime, but I’d been enjoying Noam’s company and hadn’t wanted to leave hiswarmth, his presence, his touch, but most of all, his nakedness.

After several I’m-going-to-wither-away-if-you-don’t-feed-me texts from both Kyson and Dane, I still hadn’t budged. Noam was lying naked in my bed, and I had priorities.

It wasn’t until I’d heard Noam’s stomach rumbling that I reluctantly pulled my ass out of bed and headed for the kitchen, Noam’s hand in mine.

I was going to have to prep meals ahead of time if I wanted to enjoy my quiet time with Noam. The way Kyson and Dane ate, the fridge would become packed with prepped meals.

Knowing them, a week’s worth of food would be gone in three days. I was far from complaining though.

Cooking had always brought me solace, anchoring me when my world had been falling apart. There were times when I was preparing a meal that I could still hear children’s laughter, dogs barking for scraps of food, and Matilda. Sweet Matilda, her commanding but motherly tone ringing through the castle kitchen, ordering the staff around.

But they weren’t just staff. The people surrounding her were family, and she’d treated me no less.

More than once in my lifetime my father had banished me to the kitchen. He’d thought it was a punishment, a way to belittle me. But he had no clue the joy being there had brought me.

Matilda had been the one to teach my young, rebellious self how to cook, her patience endless for a boy who couldn’t stop asking questions.

I could be myself around her.

I could love who I wanted.

I could relax, joke, and feel the love in every corner of the room.

For a brief moment, I closed my eyes, hearing the laughter of the children running around. One or two always begged me to play with them, uncaring of my status.

In Matilda’s kitchen, we were all equal.

The dogs, always happy when I entered, whined for my attention until I sat on the floor and allowed them to smother me with licks and wet noses.

My heart ached at the memories, my hand drifting toward the pendant hanging around my neck. It had belonged to Matilda, and I couldn’t recall seeing her a day without it lying against her bosom.

She had been more of a mother to me than my own. Her husband had died a year before I’d begun to invade her kitchen, and she’d instantly adopted me as one of her own.

I’d been treated like a normal person, no punishments, no unattainable expectations. That was all I’d ever wanted. A simple life, surrounded by people who loved and cared about me.

That was where my father had made his mistake. If he had never sent me down there, I would never have known what a warm, caring family felt like. I would’ve never yearned for the simple things in life, rebelling every time he tried to conform me into the “perfect” king.

Mygaze slid to Noam, who sat at the table, working on his third helping of grapes.

Despite still having a long road of healing ahead of him, there was a glow about him now, a radiance that hadn’t been there before.

Sitting there, he seemed at peace, picking over the grapes instead of wondering if he was allowed to ask for them—afraid of wanting more than was offered to him.

A grape was halfway to his mouth when he stilled, side-eying me before quickly glancing away. I chuckled when he blushed, wondering what had caused the reaction.

Was he thinking about my lips on his body, worshiping every inch of soft skin? The kisses we shared, sometimes soft and sweet, other times frenzied and needy?

I definitely needed to stop thinking about it. My cock was getting hard as I stirred the spaghetti sauce and checked the tenderness of the pasta. I knew the moment Noam smelled the baking garlic bread. His nose twitched, took a deeper inhale, then his gaze strayed to the oven.

I could practically see his mouth watering through his innocent eyes.

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