The release tears through me, slow and devastating, leaving nothing untouched. It empties the rage from my chest, steals the strength from my knees, and silences every ghost that has followed me into this room.
It’s the single most intense orgasm I’ve ever had in my entire life.
For one perfect moment, there’s no war.
No blood.
No enemies.
No empire balanced on my shoulders.
There’s only Amelia.
Only us.
By the time she rises again, I’m not the same man she found standing beneath the water.
I catch her face in both hands.
Her lips are soft beneath mine.
The kiss I give her isn’t hungry.
It’s gratitude.
It’s surrender.
It’s every word I can’t force past the knot in my throat.
She wraps herself around me again, and I pull her beneath the spray, holding her close enough that there’s no space left between us.
The water keeps falling.
The house stays quiet.
And for the first time in days, the war outside this room feels far enough away that I can breathe.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mia
I smile as the memory of this morning plays through my head.
I was sleeping, tucked beneath warm blankets, when Maverick leaned down and kissed my forehead, waking me up.
“Thank you, baby,” he whispered. “I love you.”
Then he was gone.
Quick as that.
But that’s okay. He needs to focus on whatever he’s doing, and I need to focus on drinking this coffee before waking up the girls.
Priorities matter.
“Never cared for American coffee, but you certainly seem to enjoy it.”
Laughing, I look over to find Stefano and Luca standing near the kitchen entrance.
