Forbidden: King (The Four 4)

Impulsively, I took off running, and he laughed and chased me. I was filled with pure joy, both for this moment, and for getting to share it with Eden. When we reached the top of a hill, I grabbed him in another embrace. We watched as the world around us transformed into something pristine and dreamlike, surrounded by that beautiful hush that comes with falling snow. I tipped my head back, feeling the delicate snowflakes melt as soon as they reached my skin.

Eden touched my jaw. When I met his gaze, he said softly, “I love you, Seth.”

My breath caught, and I whispered, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”

I kissed him, and what started out sweet and gentle soon became urgent. I couldn’t get enough of him. It would never be enough. He clutched me to him, wrapping me up in his warmth. He became my entire world in that moment.

When we finally separated, it was only by a few inches. His eyes searched mine as I whispered, “I love you, Eden. I’ve wanted to say that forever.” It didn’t seem like nearly enough, just a few simple words to try to convey how much I absolutely adored him.

He took my hands in his and kissed each one in turn. Then he smiled at me, and it was so beautiful—bright and radiant and full of joy. He looked as happy as I felt.

We held hands as we walked back to the cabin in the lightly falling snow. When we reached his bedroom, we took off our clothes before climbing into bed together, and then we held each other securely.

Things between us felt different, somehow—more solid and anchored. We kissed and caressed each other with a kind of reverence, bringing the words we’d spoken in that snowy landscape to life.

As things heated up, Eden took charge. I loved seeing how he’d evolved since our first time together. Even though this had all been brand new to him just a few days ago, now he was confident and in control.

We ended up fucking wildly, passionately, until both of us were satiated. Afterwards, we settled in comfortably, wrapped up in a warm quilt and in each other.

He kissed me deeply before saying, “You’re the very best part of my life, Seth. I want you to know that. I also want you to know you inspire me.”

“In what way?”

“I hadn’t realized I was just going through the motions before we became a couple. I spent every day doing things I thought I was supposed to, locked in by a misguided sense of obligation. But now, everything’s different. I feel like the world is full of possibilities all of a sudden.”

“That’s amazing.”

He shifted a bit so he could look at me as he asked, “What would you say if I told you I wanted to quit my job?”

“Really? Because just a couple of days ago, you were telling me you couldn’t do that.”

“I’ve been thinking about it ever since, and I was wrong when I said I couldn’t quit. That job’s been tearing me apart for years. But it really doesn’t have to be that way, does it?”

“It definitely doesn’t,” I said, as I gently rubbed his back.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do after I quit, and that’s hard for me. I always like to have a plan.”

“I know you do, so I get what a big deal this is. But I’ll be with you every step of the way while you figure out what’s next.”

He kissed my forehead and told me, “I’m counting on that.”

We spent the next couple of hours in bed, deep in conversation, until hunger finally motivated us to get up. After we showered and got dressed, we went into the kitchen to make lunch.

When we reached for the same bowl at the same time, Eden’s hand grazed mine. He laced our fingers together and kissed my knuckles, and then he murmured, “I can’t wait to live with you.”

I grinned and reminded him, “You’ve already lived with me.”

“Yeah, but not like this. Not as a couple.”

I caressed his cheek and nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.”

After lunch, we built a fire and got comfortable on the couch with some hot tea. Meanwhile, the snow was still coming down. It fell lightly, but it was sticking when it reached the ground, so the world outside our windows looked like a Christmas card.

Once we finished our tea, Eden retrieved his tablet from his duffle bag and composed a letter of resignation. He gave two weeks’ notice, effective immediately. When he hit send, he exhaled slowly, and I asked, “How do you feel?”

“Relieved, so I know I made the right call. I expected to feel guilty, but instead it’s like this huge weight has been lifted off.”