Page 177 of The Obedient Lie

Chapter Forty-Two

BASTION

She was still asleep when I woke up.

Sprawled between us, tangled in the sheets like shebelongedthere.

One bare leg hooked over my thigh, her cheek pressed to Luca’s chest.

The blanket had slipped low on her hips, and her hair fanned across the pillow like something out of a painting.

God help me, I didn’t even want to move.

Not yet.

I just wanted to look.

To soak in the kind of peace I didn’t believe we could ever have.

Luca was awake too.

I could feel it — the way his hand stayed anchored on her hip, thumb lazily stroking back and forth like he didn’t want to let go either.

“She’s still sticky,” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.

I smirked. “From you or me?”

“Both,” he said, voice a little rougher now.

I slid my hand over the curve of her ass, dragging my fingers between her thighs just enough to feel the truth of it.

Warm.

Soft.

Marked.

Ours.

“Morning, baby,” I whispered, leaning in.

She stirred, blinking up at me with a sleepy smile that damn near wrecked me.

“You look smug,” she mumbled.

“You look wrecked.”

Luca chuckled behind her. “Andperfect.”

She groaned, dragging the blanket higher. “Stop.”

“No chance,” I said, tugging the sheet back down to her waist. “Not when you’re still leaking us.”

Her eyes flew open.

“Bastion!”

I grinned, brushing her inner thigh again, feather-light. “We might need to check. Just to be sure.”