Page 85 of Promises to Keep

James said, “Who will run your kingdom if your mom is gone, and you’re enjoying life here with us? What if Agnie has taken over the future?”

“I have no idea, but we hae been livin’ in the present and ruling in the future for a long time, we just hae tae—”

Lochinvar said, “This your ‘we’ again?”

“Aye, I hae been livin in the present and rulin’ in the future — it required havin’ Lady Mairead and Hammond tae watch over things. I daena ken how tae rule there from now on, there is a great deal tae figure out. I need tae find Lady Mairead, we ought tae do that first afore I go tae the future tae reinstate m’crown.”

I glanced around. “Dost ye all agree?”

Everyone nodded.

CHAPTER 42 - KAITLYN

Magnus and I went up the wide stair to our room to get showered. Our bedroom was big with sweeping ceilings, all built from giant timber. The beds were constructed from limbs of a tree, the mattress covered in quilts, weavings hung from the walls, plus, everywhere, taxidermied animals. The bathroom had a thick log door, like an entryway to a hobbit house, but inside there was a large modern bathroom with mirrors and good lighting and a big enough shower stall for the two of us.

We dropped our clothes to the ground. I turned on the water and we climbed in. He let the water roll down him and then pulled me close. “I would trade the water-stream with ye, but I want it the whole time so we hae tae share.”

I let the water roll down my face and front, ducking my head in, against his chest to get the massaging water-stream centered on the back of my head.

“Remember when we were young and we would time-jump and there weren’t kids to greet us, and we could recover however we wanted? But now we have to wear the old clothes around, and go see lakes, and visit and eat before we can change?” I poured some shampoo in his hand and some in mine and then we lathered up facing each other.

“Aye, I wouldna change a thing.”

I laughed.

He continued, running his soapy hands over his chest. “Tis a blessin’ and a hardship, tis how we ken we are the adults that we hae tae look upon a lake while Isla bosses us around even though our skin is still searing from the jump.”

“True that. I wouldn’t trade it either, I just marvel at our patience — we are the literalbestparents.”

He chuckled. “Aye, tis why I hae gotten ye pregnant once more so we can do it again. If we are this good we ought tae do it over and over.”

I said, my hair covered in suds, as I watched him arch back to submerge his head under the water, “Now how am I going to rinse if you don’t share?”

He grinned, water rolling down him. “I will share if ye get verra close.”

I pressed forward. “But see, there is an issue, Master Magnus, your cock is up keeping me at a distance.”

He said, “Is it now?” He straightened and pulled my hips closer, and said, “Tis only one remedy, we hae tae double up tae fit.” He planted his feet wide and lifted me by my thighs to his waist and with our wet lips kissing under a stream of water, he pulled himself into me, and me onto him, and ohgod, I wrapped my arms around the back of his head, one palm against the wall to steady us.

He said, “Grab the rail.” I held myself up with the rail and kept stationary while his hips butted against me, my mouth against his neck, my teeth pressed to his skin, suppressing my moans, unsure how the sound would travel throughout the lodge. His fingers pressed into the flesh of my ass, and he plowed until he climaxed. Then it was just the scent of the shampoo mingling with the soap and the freshwater rushing down our skin as we relaxed and I exhaled with pleasure.

He said, “I think I will always hae a fondness for visitin’ yer gardens with the shower on us. Tis a modern miracle with an act as old as time, tis verra nice.... How come nae one has invented a bed for the purpose?”

I kissed his neck. “What, a shower bed?”

“Aye.”

“I don’t know, maybe no one thinks it’s a good idea?”

“Ye ken, there are whole playgrounds bein’ built for cats, ye are sending men tae Mars, I daena think tis too far tae imagine ye might put a bed intae a shower for takin’ yer wife. I canna hae been the first tae think of it.”

I laughed.

He turned around and rinsed his front and his hair and then said, “I will leave ye the shower all tae yerself.”

“Very kind of you, sir.”

He climbed out, wrapped a towel around his waist, and brushed his teeth while I finished rinsing my hair, watching him through the glass wall: the way his wide shoulders stretched and his bicep bunched as he held the wee brush in his hand and furiously brushed it around in his mouth.

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