Page 101 of Fighting With Light

“I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be right here,” she whispers as if she read my mind.

I dip down and press my lips to her nose and forehead because even her lips look a little beat up from the sun and salt water. She leans back and licks her lips, and with my hand still on her throat, she grabs the waist of my board shorts and tugs me closer, pressing her mouth on mine.

Her fingers grip my long hair and pull, forcing my lips to release hers. “I know what you’re doing, and it won’t change anything, Tarzan. You said we needed their help, so we need to ask for it.”

I groan and lean my forehead against hers. “Are you sure you don’t want to go have a gourmet dinner and I don’t know… sex?” I offer.

Her eyebrow lifts, and she pats my chest. “You’re avoiding, and I won’t let you use me to do it. Plus, I’m gross, and I feel crusty from salt water, so that’s a definite no. What time is it at home?” she asks.

I glance at my diving watch. “They are only an hour behind, so it’s sixthere.”

“Okay, well, text them, tell them you want to talk, and set a time. While we get that organized, we’ll order dinner and I’m going to go wash the ocean off. Can you do that for me?” she asks.

“Fine,” I grumble.

She smiles and taps my face.

“Good boy,” she says, stepping out of my arms and saunters to the bathroom. “Can you get me some of those empanadas? I like those things,” she asks.

“Anything for you, princess,” I mutter.

That smile hasn’t left her face as she closes the door behind her.God help me, I love that woman.

I find my phone and open the group text we’ve had going. Kai has dropped some pictures of Theo, my nephew, in there, and I stare at them for a moment. Kai is holding him in his two large hands and Theo’s wide eyes look up at his father with one of those cute baby grins on his face. He’s wearing a little onesie that saysMama’s boy,and it’s the cutest damn thing.

I’m proud of my brother for doing what he did. It hasn’t been easy…on any of us because it affects each of us in different ways. But seeing him happy and thriving despite our father is encouraging.

I glance at the closed bathroom door. It makes me think that if my brother Kai, who swore off women because he didn’t want to drag them into our mess, can own up to his love for Cordi, a woman he’s loved from the moment he met her, then I can face Aelia, tell her I love her, and we can figure out how to make this work. Hell, maybe I should just marry her. My heart trips over itself at the thought.

Take a breath, Liam, that’s not just trying and seeing how it all plays out, that’s a sprint to the finish line and dragging her behind you. You haven’t even told her you love her, so why would she marry you, dumbass?

I shake my head at that scary thought and type a text out to my brothers. I tell them eight their time, which gives Aelia and me about an hour to get ready. My phone buzzes with everyone’s agreement, and I gather all my information because I know my family and they are going to have a list of questions that I can hopefully answer.

The reason I’m so nervous about it is because I don’t want them to think that I was just being a smart ass, or I don’t know…reckless. Sure, I am all of those things, but not with this, and not when it comes to protecting my family. Emerson said he wanted to be on offense. Well, this will help us get there. My father is campaigning like his life depends on it, only I think it does. Costa has him in a chokehold, and it wouldn’t surprise me if my father loses. Then a lot of things go bad for Costa.

Dad doesn’t have us to use as pawns to project the perfect family anymore. No, he shot my mother. Rather, he called a hit on her because he was mad. Because he was trying to prove a point. He wanted to remind us who has the control, but really it just showed his hand. He’s scared, and he’s grasping at straws to figure out how to win this election. Going so far as hacking voting machines to steal the votes to win.

Aelia opens the bathroom door and steam wafts out. “You’re still standing there?”

I shrug. “Text for the meeting is sent, and your dinner order is on the way, your grace.”

She grins and steps towards me gracefully. “And as your ruler, I would like for you to take a shower because you stink,” she says, scrunching her nose. I sniff my armpit. I don’t smell that bad. We’ve been outside in the sun all day.

“Is that an order or a suggestion?” I ask her.

She steps up and drags a finger over my chest and down my abs. “It’s whatever you want it to be, but if you don’t take a shower, then you can’t sleep in my bed.”

“Oh,yourbed?” I ask, the corner of my mouth tipping up. She always makes me smile.

“Yes, my king, it’smybed and I allow you in it.”

My eyebrow ticks up at her, and I can’t hide my smile anymore. “Any more proclamations, princess?”

“Shower, do what we need to do, feed me dinner, and there might be something in it for you,” she says saucily.

“Are we trading sexual favors for food?” I ask her.

Her pursed lips drop open, and she giggles. “I don’t know. I didn’t expect you to play along for that long-lost track of the innuendo.”