“A ‘j’word now? It seems I’ve leveled up.”
“Oh yeah?” I poked his arm. “I’ll give you a word for each letter in the alphabet. Starting with ‘a’, for asshole.”
Callum choked on his wine.
After the knights left—Thane’s slice of peach cobbler with Baden, who assured me it would make it to the apprentice in one piece—Maddox and Briar helped me clean the kitchen before we returned to the reading parlor and settled into the comfy chairs.
Maddox sprawled out on my lap like he’d done earlier. “What are you reading?” he asked Briar. “Another book about plants?”
“Rare plants,” Briar answered. “Some that can only be found in certain climates. There’s also a variety of flowers with powerful medicinal properties that only bloom beneath a full moon or in caves. Some are quite toxic and deadly, as well, if not used properly. It’s fascinating.”
“Fascinating, he says.” Maddox glanced up at me from his place on my lap. “And what about you?”
“Oh, this is smut,” I said. “Like hard-core smut. There’s romance too though.” I had been surprised to find books like that in Bremloc. Raunchy romance novels with devilishly handsome heroes and princesses who rode them hard. There were even a few gay ones—which graced the shelves in a place of honor. “Want me to read the spicy parts out loud to you?”
A light thud came from the front porch.
Maddox shot upward and faced the door, instantly going from the swoon-worthy man I loved to the equally swoon-worthy protective knight. One as big as a mountain, with ridges of mouthwatering muscle and skilled hands that knew all the places on my body to drive me wild.
Yep, I’ve been reading too much smut.
Briar set his book aside and stared at the door, one hand held toward me. Like he was preparing to grab me and run or throw himself in front of me if necessary.
“Do you think it’s a bandit?” I whispered. “Prince Sawyer said word about the café has spread all the way to Exalos, so one of them could’ve heard about it too. Maybe they want to rob the place for a nice payday.”
“They’d have to go through me first,” Maddox said.
“I could always throw muffins at them.”
“Evan?” a soft voice came from the other side of the door.
Lake.
Maddox yanked the door open, his icy expression like a blast of winter. “Quit skulking around outside and get in here.”
Lake’s shoulders tensed, and his upper lip snarled enough to show a peek of his canines—sharper now.
“Maddox.” I stood from the chair. “Be nice.”
“Iambeing nice. He still has his head, doesn’t he?”
“Stubborn knight,” I mumbled before smiling at Lake. “Hey, you. I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”
“Apologies for the late hour.” Lake stepped across the threshold, his gaze darting around the parlor before settling on me. “I would’ve come inside earlier, but…”
“But Callum and the knights were here,” I said.
He nodded. “Dinner smelled lovely.”
He’d been outside the entire time. Watching us eat together, laugh, and have fun while he’d stood in the woods, alone. Fuck. It was like a punch to the chest.
“There aren’t any leftovers,” I said, that ache in my chest spreading. The knights had gorged themselves, leaving nothing but crumbs. “If you’re hungry, I can cook though.”
Lake’s tail wagged once before he caught himself. “No, thank you. It’s late, and you must be tired.”
“He is.” Maddox crossed his arms. When I sighed, his lips twitched. The butthole.
“You’re not the boss of me.” I forced myself not to smile when his blue eyes narrowed, a playfulness dancing in them. He could be so cute and maddening at the same time. “Come with me,” I told Lake. “I’ll make you something.”
