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As the night wore on, Anna caught my eyes each time Neri leaned into me, whispering something sweet in my ear. I braced for a scowl and blinked in surprise when Anna swooned instead. And when Jack stood at the head of the table, the top button of his pants undone from the indulgence of rich food, he raised his sweating beer glass and toasted me.
Me.
He saluted me with his drink and made my heart fucking burst with a simple but perfect welcome into his family.
“To Aslan. To Neri. To love and belonging.”
Anna stood and wrapped her arms around him, and Neri sighed with utter happiness beside me. And I’d almost broken into fucking tears again, because how lucky was I that Jack was a romantic at heart? For all his gruffness and sternness, beneath his shell, he believed in love as much as I did.
He didn’t judge me for my circumstances.
He didn’t question Neri’s choice to be with me or belittle our convictions because of our tender age.
He accepted that fate had intervened, and...there was no stopping it.
He let me propose to her.
He let her accept me.
He knew this was for life because he’d found his ever after with Anna.
It was a testament to him as a man that he understood that I’d found my ever after with Neri.
I didn’t care that I’d lived with them for years—that this was my fifth Christmas with the Taylors. In that moment, in that delicious, wonderful moment, I felt truly at home for the first time since I’d left Turkey.
* * * * *
Boxing Day arrived, and no one got out of bed until ten o’clock.
Well, that wasn’t technically true.
Neri slept in her room; I slept in mine. After everything I’d been given last night, I hadn’t dared broach the subject of sleeping arrangements. I didn’t care if Jack never let us share a room, just as long as we could share a house. But just as she’d been sneaking into my sala since she was thirteen, I woke at dawn to my door creaking open. The first rays of sunshine shone shyly as she darted to my bed.
I groaned as her warm, delicious body wriggled under my blankets.
I scooted against the wall, making room for her.
She lay on her side and let me spoon her.
I cradled her close and tried to go back to sleep, to give the stiffness and pain from my endless injuries time to heal, but Neri slipped her night shorts down her legs and arched her lower half deeper into mine.
I sucked in a harsh breath.
The feel of her silky bare thighs. The heat radiating from her core. The way she teased my rapidly hardening erection with her ass.
Fuck.
All the familiar forbiddenness between us and the sneaking around that’d become second nature made my heart lurch with fear that we’d be caught. Jack could march in at any moment and see the blankets moving as I thrust into his daughter.
But then my ring on her finger flashed in the dawn as Neri whispered, “I didn’t tell you last night how much I love my ring. You couldn’t have chosen a more perfect one. And that inscription? If I wasn’t already head over heels for you, I’d be in trouble of becoming obsessed. But...I do have a tiny problem.”
My eyebrows drew together. “Oh? What problem is that?”
“You proposed again.”
“I did.”
“I accepted. Again.”
“Thank everything holy.”
A smile painted her voice. “But then we went to separate beds.”
“Out of respect to your parents.”
“Yes well, they’re still sleeping. And it’s the perfect opportunity to bind yet another proposal.”
My brain still clung to dregs of sleep. “Bind?”
“Consummation, Aslan. Stay with me, sleepyhead.” Twisting in my arms to look over her shoulder, she drowned me with all her affection. “We should consummate all over again, don’t you think?”
“Consummation comes after the wedding, not at the start of an engagement.”
“Fine. Forget the wording and obey me, husband. Your wife is asking you to—”
“Fuck her?” Winding my arm tighter around her middle, I hooked my boxer-briefs with my spare hand and shoved them down just enough to free myself.
“Unless you’re too sore from what Dad did?” True concern filled her tone. “You should probably see a doctor. I wonder if Jedda would—”
“Jedda? Who’s Jedda?”
She stilled and bit her lip. “Just a family friend. She’s, eh...she’s a nurse.”
I froze. “I can’t see anyone official; you know that.” I kissed her ear. “I think our engagement has gone to your head. Just because we’re not forbidden anymore doesn’t mean I’m suddenly legal, canim.”
“I know, but you might be seriously hurt.”
“I don’t care. I’d rather hurt than be taken away from you. Especially now I have you.” I shuddered with terror. “No way could I lose you after this.”
She melted in my arms. “I feel the same. It would tear out my heart if I lost you.” Sighing heavily, she paused for a moment before whispering, “At least let me go and grab you some painkillers. I’ll be right back.” She went to leave, but my arm snapped tight around her.
