Page 162 of Us Defiant Few

To live is defying.

To love is poetry.

“We have to go.”

“They can fucking wait,” Takeshi rasped, pulling her back toward him. He locked his lips with hers like an entire army would have to tear them apart.

They kept stealing prolonged kisses that made her heart skip multiple beats, maintaining skin contact wherever possible, making up for all the time they spent apart.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Someone knocked harder on the door.

“If you don’t bring her out in three seconds, Takeshi, I’m rearranging your face, and you’ll look more messed up than my aunt Agatha after a few drinks,” Serene yelled from the other side.

“Winnie concurs! She’ll craft sonnets of your grotesque transformation,” Winnie added with a flourish.

Takeshi growled into Khalani’s neck, hands firmly gripping her backside as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

“Sounds serious.” Khalani grinned.

“I can put the bed against the door,” he offered, and she chuckled, threading her fingers through his hair, genuinely considering it.

“I hear you laughing, Khalani,” Serene warned. “Don’t think I’m leaving you out of this threat either.”

“All right, put me down,” she told Takeshi. He grumbled the whole time as he reluctantly slid her down his body.

“Be nice,” she reminded him.

“I am nice. To you,” he said, keeping one arm around her waist.

She raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a long stare.

“Fine.” Takeshi sighed. “I guess I can be nice to our family too. Sometimes.”

“All the time.”

“Most of the time. Don’t push it, Kanes.”

A mischievous glint lit behind his eyes as he stole one more kiss.

“KHALANI!” Serene screeched.

“Okay, okay!”

She changed out of the hospital gown and put on fresh clothes set out for her, and when Khalani opened the door, she was immediately ambushed by Serene and Winnie, who wrapped her in a tight embrace, nearly cutting off her circulation. She laughed, throwing her arms around them, the pieces of her heart finally fitting together.

But when she winced slightly from the ache in her stomach, Takeshi stepped forward, his frown returning.

“Careful. She’s still healing.”

Serene and Winnie gently released her before turning their attention to Takeshi, studying him like a mystifying puzzle.

“It’s been a full week. Are you back with us?” Serene asked, eyeing him carefully.

“Yes.” Takeshi lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused and for betraying you when Alan was in control.”

Khalani wanted to grab his hand and reassure him once more that it wasn’t his fault. But something told her that this was something he needed to handle alone.