Chapter 396: Clear-Headed

Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Clear-Headed

Liam discovered the morning after his heat ended that very little had actually changed.

His temperature had returned to normal sometime during the night, the heavy sweetness that had saturated his pheromones for three days had faded back into ordinary saint’s breath, and the overwhelming instinct to remain wherever Arik placed him had disappeared.

What had not disappeared was the realization that being taken care of was pleasant.

Liam woke beneath warm blankets with Arik sprawled beside him, one arm occupying enough of the mattress to qualify as territorial expansion, and found absolutely no desire to return to pretending he disliked being carried when tired, having cocoa placed in his hands, or being tucked against Arik while they watched terrible films.

He had spent years confusing independence with refusing comfort.

Apparently he could be an engineer capable of redesigning imperial infrastructure, the Empress Consort of Nuria, and a man perfectly able to make his own decisions while still enjoying when his husband pulled a blanket over him.

Useful discovery.

There was another discovery.

Liam was extremely turned on.

That became Arik’s problem approximately ten minutes after waking.

Arik opened his eyes to Liam straddling his hips.

For several seconds, the Emperor of Nuria simply stared upward.

Morning light filtered through the partially opened curtains, pale gold across rumpled bedding and Liam’s bare legs where his sleeping shirt had ridden higher around his thighs. His brown hair remained thoroughly disordered, crimson eyes clear and alert, and there was none of the haziness that had followed him through the previous three days.

Arik’s mouth curved.

"Well."

Liam placed both hands against his chest.

"Before you say anything, my heat is over."

"I noticed."

"My temperature is normal."

"Yes."

"I slept nine hours."

"Almost ten."

Liam ignored the correction.

"My physician said yesterday that the glandular response had stabilized, my pheromones are normal again, and I have complete mental capacity."

Arik was visibly trying not to laugh.

Liam narrowed his eyes.

"This is important."

"It is."

"You are smiling."

"I woke up with my husband sitting on me while delivering a medical declaration of competence."

"Because you spent three days refusing to do anything sexual with me."

"For very good reasons."

Liam shifted slightly over him.

Arik’s amusement became noticeably less academic.

Liam smiled.

"Exactly."

Arik’s hands settled at his thighs, but he did not attempt to move him.

"You are sure?"

"Yes."

"And what exactly does my extremely competent Empress Consort want this morning?"

Liam leaned down until their faces were only centimeters apart.

"My mate."

Arik’s expression softened.

"And my husband."

"That sounds suspiciously like the same person."

"It had better be."

Arik laughed, caught him around the waist, and rolled enough to pull Liam closer without dislodging him completely.

Liam braced one hand beside Arik’s head.

"I am serious."

"I know, Eshara."

Arik kissed him.

Slowly at first, because after three days of holding Liam through heat without allowing instinct to dictate anything, Arik apparently intended to enjoy the difference between compliance and deliberate choice.

Liam immediately deepened the kiss.

That answered any lingering question.

Arik’s hand moved beneath the loose edge of Liam’s sleeping shirt and spread warmly over his back.

Liam made a satisfied sound against his mouth.

Then his ether communicator rang.

They both stopped.

Liam opened his eyes.

Arik did not.

"No."

The communicator rang again from the bedside table.

Liam glanced toward it.

Arik tightened his arm around his waist.

"Do not."

"It could be important."

"It is seven thirty in the morning."

"That generally increases the probability that it is important."

"It increases the probability that whoever is calling has poor boundaries."

The communicator rang a third time.

Liam reached.

Arik attempted to keep him in place.

Liam stretched farther.

"Arik."

"I am defending our morning."

Liam finally managed to grab the device.

The caller identification appeared above the surface.

His expression changed instantly.

"It’s Mother."

Arik released him.

"That qualifies."

Liam accepted the call.

Enia’s face appeared above the communicator, already dressed for the day and apparently entirely unaware that she had interrupted anything.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

She looked at him more carefully.

"How are you feeling?"

"Normal again."

"Good. I did not want to call during the heat."

Liam’s expression softened.

"I was fine."

"I know. Arik sent updates."

Liam slowly looked down at his husband.

Arik looked extremely comfortable beneath him.

"You were reporting to my mother?"

"She was worried."

Enia’s eyes narrowed slightly through the projection.

"I asked him to."

Liam sighed.

"Fine."

"There is another reason I called."

Liam adjusted his position slightly, forgetting entirely that he was still sitting on Arik.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened. Your siblings have apparently decided they have waited long enough."

Liam blinked.

"For what?"

"To visit Nuria."

Everything else left Liam’s mind.

"When?"

Enia smiled.

"That depends on you. They have been asking for weeks, but I told them you were busy with the reopening, then Agaron, then the election preparations. They want to come themselves rather than waiting until you next visit Wrohan."

"They can come."

Arik looked up at him.

Liam continued immediately.

"When do they want to leave?"

"Preferably yesterday, according to them."

Liam laughed.

"That sounds right."

"I told them I would ask before allowing anyone to begin packing."

"They can come whenever they want. I’ll arrange rooms."

"You have an imperial household for that."

"I know."

"And you do not personally need to prepare an entire palace because your siblings are visiting."

"I know, Mother."

Enia gave him the look that suggested she did not believe him.

Liam ignored it.

"Send me their preferred dates. I’ll speak with security and Rubis."

"I will."

They exchanged a few more words before Enia ended the call.

Liam stared at the darkened communicator for approximately two seconds.

Then he moved.

"My siblings are coming."

"I heard."

"We need rooms."

"We have hundreds."

"I know, but not random rooms."

"Liam."

"And I need to check whether their travel clearances are already recognized under the new Wrohan agreements, because technically they are imperial family guests but not state delegates, and I should probably—"

He swung one leg toward the edge of the bed.

Arik caught his ankle.

Liam stopped.

Slowly, he looked back.

Arik was still lying against the pillows, black hair spread across the linen and a very wide grin appearing on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Preventing my husband from fleeing."

"I am not fleeing."

"You were on top of me thirty seconds ago."

"My siblings are visiting."

"They are not standing outside the palace right now."

"They could be here soon."

"Your mother has not even sent a date."

Liam tugged at his ankle.

Arik did not release it.

"Arik."

"You made a remarkably convincing argument about your mental capacity."

"I remain mentally competent."

"Excellent."

Arik pulled.

Liam slid backward across the sheets with a startled sound, the communicator disappearing somewhere into the blankets as Arik caught him around the waist and dragged him firmly back against his chest.

Liam stared down at him.

"You cannot kidnap the Empress Consort."

"I am the emperor."

"That does not make kidnapping legal."

"It does when the victim voluntarily climbed into my bed and announced his intentions first."

"This is our bed."

"Even stronger case."

Liam tried to maintain his indignation.

Arik’s grin ruined it.

"You are impossible."

"You were extremely interested in me before your mother called."

"My family distracted me."

"I noticed."

Arik rolled them until Liam was beneath him, careful despite the playfulness, his weight supported on one forearm while the other remained secured around Liam’s waist.

"So where were we?"

Liam looked toward the abandoned communicator, then back at his husband.

His siblings were coming.

His family would finally see Nuria properly.

He had approximately a hundred things he suddenly wanted arranged.

Unfortunately, Arik was correct about one thing.

None of them needed Liam within the next hour.

Liam hooked both arms around his neck.

"You caught me by the ankle."

"You were escaping."

"I was going to organize."

"Much more dangerous."

Liam laughed and pulled him down into a kiss.