Sins of Mine - Mary E. Twomey Page 0,16
qualms, though she’s not nearly as dirty as I am. She hops onto the pink pillow near the fireplace, making herself at home.
As if Paxton can sense the tidy princess in me might never be groomed out of my habits, he trots in and snatches up my tablet from the dining room table and brings it to the entrance while I try to work my boots off.
“Gray!” Paxton calls through the house.
The silence that greets him isn’t terribly surprising, but it stings all the same.
Paxton’s blond brows push together. “He was here earlier. I told him I was bringing you home. Did he seriously leave?” Paxton trots up the steps to where our bedroom lies. “He did! That wanker left again.”
When my prince comes back down, I brave a serene expression, as if Gray’s absence doesn’t bother me in the least.
Paxton’s gaze locks on mine, and too many unspoken sentiments pass between us.
Every day, Gray drifts further away from us. There’s a very real possibility that a pack out there might accept him in, and we might never see him again.
I know we should sit down and talk about it, but in fairness, I don’t want to.
“Let me help you with your boots.” Paxton glides to my side, humbling himself to kneel before me and untie the muddied laces I couldn’t get undone.
“I don’t deserve you,” I tell him as he stands. I lean on his proffered arm.
And it’s then that I realize how very true that statement is. He’s a prince. He’ll one day be king, and I’m treating him like an afterthought. What’s more, he hasn’t complained once, but only attempts to slow me down when he’s worried I might crash.
He’s more important than my list, and I’ve pushed him to the background. All four of them, actually. Gray and I haven’t spoken in far too long. Cass is buried in her jobs here, burning the candle at both ends, just like me. Charlotte is… I should really have an answer for how she’s doing, but I haven’t put in the time with the people who took a chance on me when no one wanted me near them.
People matter, yet I’ve been acting as though only my plans and my purpose are allowed to guide my passion.
I set my tablet down next to my boots and wrap my arms around Paxton’s neck. His hands fall to my waist, holding onto my hips because he’s not afraid of my body. “I’ve been awful to you all.”
He tilts his head, perplexed. “You’ve saved us all. We just don’t want to lose you. No part of me wants you to stop being who you are. I just want to see your face every now and then. Does that sound okay?”
I nod, reaching up on my toes to kiss him, slowly and thoughtfully. I love his lips, and have been away from them too many days to count.
Paxton tastes like mints, as a proper gentleman who considers his mate should. His kisses soothe the aching parts of me, blanketing my raw spots with gentleness because he is nothing if not gracious.
His lips are like a dance that lulls all the bad things away. He doesn’t rush, but takes his time unwinding the tightly coiled quirks I thought I couldn’t survive without.
If only I’d known that none of it matters without moments like this.
Paxton’s lazy grin teases me between kisses. “One day, when I’m king, I’ll need you to do the same thing for me—bring me back down to earth when I get stuck in my work cycle.”
It’s then that I realize how vital our relationship is. Not just because it gives me that happy butterfly feeling, but because Paxton possesses the strength and tenderness to anchor me when I go off the deep end, and he expects I can do the same for him. It’s a true partnership, and I can’t believe my good luck that I’ve stumbled into something so grand.
“I love you, Paxton,” I tell him, my voice quiet and purposeful. The living room has a single lamp on, and the rest is bathed in darkness, giving me a moment to be only with him so I can savor the sweetness of our connection. “Thanks for being exactly what I need.”
Emotion pinches his features. When he leans in to kiss me, it looks like his heart is so full, it’s causing him actual pain. “I love you, my queen.”
Though I know we’re heading in the direction of permanence, it’s the