Taivon: Book Three of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Oh, I'm not...”

“You're absolutely glowing, Heather. Seriously, you are. I hope I look as good as you when I reach forty.”

“I'm not-”

“Thirty, then?”

Taivon heard a little bit of a giddy chuckle, followed by more talk about Alix's books. He could only listen and watch through a tired eye as she talked animatedly, using her hands and making faces that had him smiling. Like always.

She had so many of those picture perfect moments where if he were to snap a photo, it would capture that bright, wild smile and that pure joy in her eyes. Of course, the darkening light in the cab wouldn't come close to capturing all of it, but that smile, in any light, was something he wanted to see every day, for the rest of his life.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the pilot said over the intercom, “we'll begin our descent in...”

Taivon put his hand on top of Alix's and twined their fingers together before gently placing a kiss on her cheek. This made her stop, breath hitch, and she turned around to kiss him fully on the lips before right back to whom he assumed was Heather.

“Almost th-th-there,” he told Alix.

Her hand gripped his knee as the older lady introduced herself to him. She was nice. Very much a talker, too, just like his mom. It would never cease to amaze him how Alix could talk to complete strangers like they were old time friends. He hoped his family was half-way decent this weekend.

When they finally landed, Taivon was awake and more than ready to finally get off the plane and see the rest of his family – mainly Titus, Anna, and little Ella. He couldn't wait to have his goddaughter's little body in his arms, with those big, blue eyes looking up at him.

And Titus. His big brother was his rock, always would be. It had been too long since he'd called his brother back to just simply talk. He'd like to say it was just because he didn't have the time, but really, he was scared, all because of her.

Turning to Alix, he wrapped his arm around her waist as they got their luggage and then the rental. It was a small car and smelt like a fake clean, but with the warm, Texan sun and familiar stretches of land surrounding the highway, Taivon felt at home. Alix, however, was unusually quiet.

“Hey,” he said, his voice breaking through the quietness of the cab. “You a-a-alright?”

She lazily rubbed her fingers up and down his bare arm. “Yeah.”

“You're qu-quiet. And if th-th-there's one th-thing I know it's that Alix R-Romaro is never qu-qu-quiet.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” He ran his hand up her thigh. “I love th-that you're s-s-so loud.” A little higher, until one finger dipped under the hem of her shirt and rested against her warm skin. “Reponsive, fuh-fuh-for me.”

“How in the hell are you not exhausted?” she asked, with a loud yawn.

“I'm not exhausted bec-c-cause I actually sl-slept on the p-p-plane, instead of talking th-the whole t-t-t-time.”

“And how was I not supposed to talk with her? She was so sweet! And she was reading one of my books! I...” She paused, and he looked away from the road and at Alix just in time to see her eyes widen and her mouth form a big O.

He smiled. “What was it called again? Spring's Edge?”

“Summer,” she said. “It's called Summer's Edge.”