Page 28 of Monsters Carve Thrones

He barely moved beneath me, his chest rising and falling with a lazy rhythm as his eyes stayed shut. Within minutes, his breathing evened out again, sleep pulling him back under. I let it, pressing one last kiss to his chest before slipping out and into the bathroom.

And when I crawled back into bed, I let my eyes drift shut, sated and warm in the arms of the most dangerous man I’d ever loved.

***

My head pounded like war drums. My mouth felt like sandpaper, and the sunlight leaking in through the window was just plain disrespectful. I groaned as I rolled onto my back, blinking slowly. The bed beside me was already empty, the sheets still warm with Rafe’s lingering heat. I could hear him in the kitchen, humming under his breath like he hadn’t drank an entire bottle of whiskey with us the night before.

“Why do you sound like someone who got eight hours of sleep and a massage?” I grumbled, dragging myself out to him and wrapping the comforter around me.

“Because I feel refreshed,” he called back with a smirk in his voice.

I narrowed my eyes as I stumbled toward him. “That’s funny… ‘cause I rode you last night. You should be feelingused,my guy.”

He turned around, mug in hand, brows lifting. “Wait… seriously?”

I gave him a smug look and stole the mug. “You don’t remember?”

“Bits and pieces.” He scratched his jaw, watching me over the rim of a second cup. “You ride me often enough, I can’t keep track.”

I sipped the coffee and smirked. “Well, you filled me real good for a guy who was mostly unconscious.”

Rafe snorted, leaning against the counter, shirtless and sinfully relaxed. “Damn.” He winked. “Guess we’re checking that box.”

My cheeks flushed hot, and I tried to hide it behind another sip. “Yeah… it was kind of hot.”

He smiled lazily, reaching past me to grab the creamer. “Remind me to return the favor again soon.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I said, nudging his hip. “I love it.” A beat of silence passed before I glanced at him sideways. “So, where’d you go last night?”

His expression shifted just slightly, and he leaned his weight onto the counter. “Had some business to take care of. Tied up some loose ends. One of Moreau’s men, who thought he still had leverage.” He gave a slight shrug. “He doesn’t anymore.”

I blinked slowly. “Jesus.”

He gave me a faint smile. “Don’t worry. We won’t have to hear from him again.”

Before I could respond, a loud groan came from the couch. “Ughhh… why is everything so bright in this fucking house?” Laura’s voice entered our space, thick with sleep and regret.

I jumped, coffee nearly spilling from my mug. “Shit! Laura?”

Rafe chuckled, utterly unfazed. “Oh yeah. Laura slept over.”

I looked over to find her tangled in one of our throw blankets, mascara smudged, hair an actual bird’s nest.

“I want death,” she muttered.

I laughed, shaking my head and sipping my coffee. “We have Advil and cereal. Choose your fighter.”

She flopped dramatically back onto the couch, eyes squinting through the haze of morning. “By the way… I heard you two talking about your freaky sex kink.”

My stomach dropped. “Oh my God.” I buried my face in my hands, already flushed.

Rafe, of course, chuckled under his breath as he cracked eggs into a pan. “What, you jealous, Laur?”

“I’m jealous of anyone getting laid at this point,” she muttered, propping her feet up on the coffee table and accepting the cup of coffee I handed her. “Especially when it soundsthatfun.”

I laughed, still pink as I sat beside her. “I didn’t know you were conscious enough to eavesdrop.”

“Sleep is a myth when you’re on a couch with no blackout curtains and your boss is moaning about getting filled‘real good,’” she said, mimicking my voice with a wicked grin.