Page 57 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Renya rose from the desk, giving him a quick peck. He wanted more, but he took what she offered greedily.

“I have a question for you.”

She'd already settled back down at the desk, quill in hand. “What is it?”

“Phillippe said that Esmeralda alluded to something...strange last night.”

“Really? What was that?”

“She seems to think that Julietta and Triston...are...a couple.”

Renya's eyes met his. “I wondered! Their exchange at dinner was so odd. Did you see the way he looked at her?”

“No,” he admitted. “I only look at you.”

Grayden knew their conversation about Triston and Julietta was far from over, but he couldn't help it as he moved behind her again.

In an instant, his lips met hers, and he kissed her, falling into their own rhythm naturally. But when he reached down to pick her up and move her to the bed, she broke their kiss.

“Not now, honey.” She turned her head back to the book.

Grayden ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the window where the sun still hung stubbornly above the horizon. He crossed to the bed, the mattress creaking under his weight as he sat, far too alert for sleep yet with nothing to fill the hours stretching before him. But he still removed his boots, tossing them on the floor with a loud thud. Renya looked up from her book, raising her eyebrows, but she didn't respond. She went back to her reading, and Grayden pulled his shirt off, throwing it near the desk. It crumpled on the floor, and he could see the slight movement of Renya's eyes as they landed on his shirt.

“What are you doing?” Renya finally pushed the book aside.

“Nothing,” Grayden responded innocently, undoing the ties on his trousers, and then letting them fall down his hips.

Renya smiled. “I think you're trying to seduce me.”

“Is it working?”

She pretended to think, while Grayden stepped out of his pants. Within seconds he was on his knees in front of her, pushing up her silk peach tunic and kissing her protruding belly. It was just slightly rounded, and Grayden loved to press his lips against it, feeling the evidence of their love. This child that was made all because he loved Renya, and she loved him. He hadn't given a lot of thought to babies, even when he met Renya, but now it was nearly all he could think about. He wasn't sure if it was manly, but he didn't care.

He couldn't wait to meet his child.

Renya sighed deeply, and Grayden grinned against her skin. He knew he could convince her. He lifted her under her arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I guess we need to make time for this, too.”

Grayden set her down on the bed, hovering over her. “We absolutely do.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Triston sat in his room, staring out of the window. The sun was high in the sky, even though it was nearing midnight. He didn't know how the residents of the Sun Realm managed to sleep with the bright lights outside.

Although he wasn't sure if he'd be able to sleep during the night, at this point.

He had no idea what was happening to him. He'd come to the Sun Realm to break his bond with Julietta, but now...he was afraid of losing her. Which was exactly the reason he wanted to sever their connection to begin with. He thought about the way she'd comforted him earlier, thought about how good it felt when she held him. He hated to recount what happened to him as a child. After Julietta had calmed him down, she'd gone back into the dining room and relayed the story for him, letting him stay peacefully behind, safe inside the parlor.

Triston knew Julietta was shy, but she had done it for him. His heart squeezed a bit, and he found himself needing to talk to her. Just to make sure she was alright. At least, that was what he told himself, as he left his room, roaming the corridors, searching for her. Almost as if he was possessed, he moved past several doors, knowing she wasn't inside. When he reached the room at the end of the hall, he knew she was near. He just...felt it.

It must be their bond.

Triston knocked on the door lightly and then felt foolish. He shouldn't seek her out. If they were going to break their bond, he needed to stay away from her. He turned quickly, but the door opened.

“Triston?” Julietta stood wrapped in a blanket, her bare toes just peeking out of the borrowed nightgown. It lacked the ribbon necklines that usually adorned her own gowns. Her hair was loose, the curls laying prettily against her shoulders, indicating she hadn't been sleeping either. He'd spent enough time with her to know that when she woke up in the morning, her curls were a disaster. They stuck up in every direction, almost as if they had a mind of their own.

He loved it. It was endearing to him.

Triston shuffled his feet. “I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't—I'll go back to my room.”

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