Page 52 of The Sovereign: Part One
“Please do,” I said, turning so that my legs were over his lap.
As he spoke the words on the page, his hand moved absentmindedly, fingers trailing over the blanket, the curve of my leg, then my ankle.He caught my foot with his free hand, rubbing slow, absent circles into the arch.
I sighed, sinking deeper into the chair.
Maxim kept reading, his voice dipping lower.The rain had tempered outside, but thunder still rumbled in the distance.The fire flickered, casting shadows along the walls, wrapping around us in a cocoon of warmth.
I let my eyes drift shut, listening to the cadence of his voice, feeling the small, unconscious gestures—the way he smoothed his thumb along the top of my bare foot, the way his fingers traced over my skin like he was memorizing every part of me.
I could live my whole life like this.
And now, I would.
Just as Maxim finished the first chapter, the chime of an incoming call interrupted the moment.I sighed, glancing toward the small auric interface hovering near us.
“Incoming call from Bellam,” Calyx said.
Of course.
“I’ll call her back in the morning,” I said.“Silence all calls for the evening.”
“Understood.I’ll let her know,”Calyx said.
Maxim tilted his head, watching me.“You don’t want to talk to her?”
“Not at the moment, no,” I said simply, leaning into him.
His fingers again traced slow, absent-minded patterns along my wrist.“Why not?”
I turned my head slightly to look up at him.“Because I’m here with you.”I exhaled, my fingers smoothing over the blanket draped across us.“I’ll set a dinner with Bellam, Lourdes, and Roan for you to meet them.”
His expression didn’t change, but I felt the way his arm curled around me just a little tighter.“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
I exhaled.“You know as well as I do that what we’re doing will result in an infraction.This is more than a Premature Domestic Preview.The Citadel will respond.They usually restrict couples in Vesture from seeing each other for a day or two.A cooling-off period.”I swallowed, the thought alone pressing uncomfortably against my ribs.“I don’t want to waste any of our time together.”
Maxim was silent for a moment before he nodded, the warmth in his gaze saying everything his words didn’t.“Then we’ll make the most of it.”
Chapter Thirteen
The rain drummed gently against the transpane, blurring the edges of the world outside.The Sablestone was quiet, filled only with the turning of pages and the occasional shift of fabric as we adjusted against each other.
Maxim glanced down at me, his thumb grazing gently along my forearm.“You must be hungry by now.”
I looked up from where I had curled into him.“A little.”
“Come with me.”He pressed his cheek to my forehead, and then, as if he’d done it a thousand times before, slid one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back.Before I could protest, he lifted me as if I weighed nothing at all.My breath hitched, but he only smiled, carrying me across the room with a steadiness that made my heart trip over itself.Gently, he set me on my feet, his hands lingering at my waist for a moment.“Any requests?”
“I still have salmon in the coldkeep.”
“Calyx, update me on the current inventory of the coldkeep and the pantry, please.Analyze usage patterns.”
“Transmitting inventory report and usage analysis,” Calyx responded.
“That’s… invasive,” I teased.
He turned to me.“You have celeriac, leeks, and crème fraîche that expire in two days.A bottle of chardonnay you haven’t opened, a bundle of fresh herbs you keep forgetting to use.You gravitate toward delicate flavors, but you love depth.So,” he continued, “I’m making celeriac soup with tarragon and chardonnay reduction.I’ll serve it with herb-crusted salmon and roasted leeks.”
“Can you just move in already?”
