Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
My God, it took all my effort not to laugh. He was just too adorable.
“It’ff unnetheffary in my world,” he said with his mouth full. He swallowed eventually. “Like, the whole thing…? I don’t care about it. It’s silly to me. But…” He wiped his hands on his legs this time. It seemed he’d wipe them anywhere but on the napkin. “It could be because I already have that extra thing that ties me to KC. We share a name. I love belonging to him that way—like I’m his.”
I smiled. Perfect explanation.
“We’re gonna get married one day,” he continued frankly. “We’ve talked about an adrenaline-induced spectacle. But the act itself is for legal reasons. Daddy says it’s a shortcut to better benefits and stuff, and I very much like shortcuts. And it’s not like I’m gonna complain. I don’t have any bad thoughts about marriage, just…” He shrugged.
I understood. Marriage simply didn’t exist in his world when it came to showing love and belonging.
“What about the meaning behind it?” I wondered. “It doesn’t have to be marriage, you know. It can be a collaring or…” Here goes. “An engagement? Wearing a ring that showcases a certain status?”
He pondered that for a moment.
“Daddy and I decided that if or when we get married, we’re gonna do tattoos,” he mentioned. “That’s probably mostly for my sake. I like cock rings, not wedding rings.”
Thank fuck I didn’t have food or wine in my mouth, because the couple at the table in front of us would’ve had to fish it out of their hair.
Jesus Christ.
Noa snickered, most likely in satisfaction at being able to shock me. I wasn’t that easy anymore.
“I mean it, though,” he chuckled. “I love being marked by my Owners, and a tattoo would definitely be permanent. Rings get in the way of primal fun.”
That was one way of looking at it.
No matter—it was time to move on. I’d gotten the gist anyway. Noa definitely liked the symbolism—even if it looked different—and that was what I was getting at.
“The reason I ask all this,” I said, gathering his hand in mine, “is because I would like to steal Colt and Lucas’s engagement idea and ask KC to be engaged to me forever.”
At long last, I’d stunned Noa. His mouth fell open, and his eyebrows crawled higher.
A ball of nerves tightened my stomach, and I felt the need to push forward.
“I have to add three things,” I told him. “One, this will not happen if you’re the slightest bit uncomfortable—and two, if it makes you feel left out. Which brings me to number three—I don’t want you to think I don’t want a special symbol for what you and I share.”
His expression changed a little, and I could tell he’d gotten stuck on the last thing I’d said.
“Are we keeping score or something?” he asked. “All this ritualistic stuff doesn’t make anything more or less special to me, Lucian. I won’t feel left out… What you and I have is already awesome.” He paused. “Now, if you’re willing to get a tattoo with me, let’s fucking go. Mister Sloan is a tattoo artist, you know.”
“Let’s…let’s wait-list that one,” I said, sounding like a stuttering fool.
He smirked, but it was a soft, affectionate smirk. “Go ask my Daddy for a lifetime engagement. He loves you so much. I know he’ll say yes, and he should.”
Fuck. Sometimes, this little boy could shell out emotional torture as if he was getting paid to do it. My eyes smarted a little; I couldn’t help it. Those words had struck me as hard as the time he’d given me that bell for my birthday. The one where I could call on Cam to serve me. Inside the bell, Noa had engraved “His love will find freedom in your every call.”
“I love him too,” I murmured. “You and Cam have helped me realize just how much.”
KC too, of course. We had both had problems sharing our deepest thoughts and feelings over the years, but now… Christ, we were closing in on thirty years as best friends. And now he was more vocal. He let himself be vulnerable with me, and I couldn’t describe how that made me feel. Every fucking morning I woke up, I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper.
“That’s good.” Noa smiled impishly and touched my cheek. “You’re cute, Uncle Lucian.” The brat went for his soup again. “You’re also kind of a proposal whore.”
I barked out a laugh that was probably a little too loud for this romantic establishment, but I blamed Noa.
Who knew—maybe I’d get a tattoo with him one day. If I’d do it for one person, it would be him.
Day two
If it weren’t for Cam and Noa looking forward to the other islands we were visiting, I would’ve been very happy to skip them all.