Page 54 of Moonlight Hearts

“Of course.Of course I’ll text, Amory.”

“Okay.I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more, my heart.”He kissed my forehead.“Do you want to go shopping for kitchen stuff with me today?For your party?”

“It’s our party.I haven’t invited anyone yet.You don’t have to buy anything if people are already busy.”

Soyer moved, looking around.“I have a fix for that.May I use your phone?”

I didn’t like all the movement, it was too close to getting up.I rubbed my forehead against his chest, hoping that would convince him to stay in bed.

“The fancy phone you gave me, you mean?”

“Yes, your phone.Can I use it?”

“You made me feed it my fingerprint, remember?You’ll have to get my finger first.”

He snorted.“Your hands are all over me, where they belong.I want to call Elias from your phone.May I?”

That made me look up.“Elias?”

“Yes.I think you need to see what he can do, finally.”

I stretched again, then rolled onto my side and pointed to my phone where it lay on the bedside table.“You can call him, sure.Phone’s over there.”

“Good.Don’t move.I like the look of you on your back.”

That had me both blushing and speechless while Soyer stretched over me, his body intimately close, his knee coming to rest between my legs so he could get to my phone.

He held the device out, then proceeded to unwind my arms from around him.I stuck out my finger, and before he pressed the screen to it, he kissed it, giving me a mischievous smile full of promise.

He was frowning as he went to my contacts, sighed, then hit the Call button next to Elias’s contact, all in such a way that I could see exactly what he was doing.Before Elias even picked up, Soyer hit the speaker button.

“Amoryyyy!Amory.You call me in my confinement.”Elias sniffled.“You are a delightful ray of moonshine in an otherwise bleak day.Are you coming to visit me today?”

Elias sounded hopeful.Soyer was rolling his eyes.

“It’s me, young Hawthorne.”

There was a pause on Elias’s end.“Mr.Bennet?Do I have your contact saved wrong?I do apologize, Mr.Bennet, but your voice is a balm as well.”

“I’m using Amory’s phone.”

I cleared my throat.“I’m here too.”

I heard an intake of breath.“Is there an announcement?There is, isn’t there?And you’re telling me first, before even Villainous Valentin and Sinister Simeon.”

Soyer was grinning as if he were enjoying this.“In a way.Amory has decided that he wants to have a stuff-’em-dead-giving party, and he was about to run all over town inviting people.I thought you’d be much more efficient and thorough.”

Another pause.“You are having a Thanksgiving party?”He sounded suspicious.

“You’re invited,” I said.“Simeon and Valentin too.We’re going to make juice.”

“I’m going to make juice, but yes, young Hawthorne.You and your keepers are of course welcome in our home to feast with us.”

“In your home.Mr.Bennet, you mean to tell me this shindig is going to be taking place in your house?”

“Where else?”