Page 124 of The Fallen Man

She came, gasping his name and clinging to him, and he finished moments later. She wrapped her arms and legs around him like she had the night she’d woken up crying as if she was never planning on letting go.

“Sérdenko,”he groaned and scooped an arm under her so he could shift them to one side.

“Sérdenko,”she repeated, mashing the pronunciation.

He repeated it for her, and she repeated it back, almost making it sound right.

“What does it mean?” she asked.

“Mmm… heart? But cute. Like a diminutive ofsérce moje.Which meansmy heart.”

She smiled, looking pleased. “But I can’t think of anything to call you that’s romantic like that.”

“Well, I expect you to work hard at it,” he said, giving her tiny kisses between each word. “Bae, boo, baby. We’ll have to invest in a thesaurus.”

She giggled, turning her head away, and wriggling in his arms as he left kisses all over her face. This was better. This felt like them. He stopped kissing, and she immediately snuggled against him.

“The unfortunate part about this,” she said from her place on his chest, “is that I’m going to have to get up at some point and finish my shower.”

He laughed but tightened his hug. “But that’s whole minutes away. Possibly hours.”

She laughed but then became quiet, and he reveled in the feeling of her heart beating against his chest.

“Jackson,” she said, “I really do wish I had some romantic wayof saying it.”

“What’s wrong with Jackson?” he asked.

“No,” she said, looking up at him. “A romantic way of sayingI love you.”

“What’s wrong withI love you?”

“It doesn’t really cover it.”

“Mm,” he said, “I see. Well, say it Ukrainian. Maybe it will sound bigger.”

“How do I say that?”

“Ya tebe lyublyu,”he said.

She stared at him. “OK,” she said slowly, a smile curving up the edges of her mouth. “I’ll say itagain. Ya tebe lyublyu.”

“It does sound better when you know what you’re saying,” he said with a grin.

“Shut up and kiss me,” she said, and he complied.

20

Caitlin

Deveraux House

Caitlin waited nervously on the couch in the library. “I feel like I should be doing that,” she said, looking at Jackson pouring the drinks at the bar.

“No, I like doing it,” said Jackson with a smile.

She smoothed her dress and tried to take deep breaths. “So,” she said, standing up, feeling like movement might help. “All your family is coming?”

“You’ll like them, I swear,” he said.