Corvin hauled Livia into his arms and carried her over the threshold of their room. Livia held her breath until Corvin released her, returning her feet to the ground.

He gave their wedding guests a smile. “We plan to enjoy the rest of our evening alone. Good night.”

Then he shut the door and locked it. He inhaled a deep breath and released it. He turned to Livia.

“We’re married, Liv.”

“Yeah, now what do we do?”

Corvin unbuttoned his suit coat and removed it. “Get in more comfortable clothes.”

“You mean get rid of our clothes?” Livia asked, voice uncertain.

Corvin strode across the room to drape his jacket over a chair. “That’s not what I said. We got stuff to do.”

“What stuff?” Livia asked.

“We’ll need to take your hair down. We can’t wash it like that. Then it’s lucky to make offerings,” Corvin said.

“Offerings?” Livia asked, confused.

“To welcome you to Lupus House,” Corvin said.

“You’d do that?” Livia asked, curious. “I never took you for being superstitious.”

“Liv, it doesn’t make sense, but… it’s kind of nice. It’s a welcoming ritual. A symbol of making you my family.”

Livia smiled. She’d let him make his sweet gesture. “Okay.”

Corvin had untied his tie and was unbuttoning his dress shirt. Livia looked around the room.

“Corvin?”

“Yeah, Hun?”

“What are we changing into?” Livia asked awkwardly.

“Oh,” he shook his head. “I’m so distracted. Sorry.”

Livia realized Corvin was nervous. Her stoic, calm husband was actually worried about how this night would go.

“There are things in the bathroom,” he said.

Livia walked over to him, intending to comfort him. She touched his chest to get his attention as he removed his cuff links.

Livia froze, realizing that her palms connected with his bare skin. The surprise distracted her from her purpose. Corvin’s full attention was on her instantly, further flustering her. They stood there silent for a few moments. Livia tried to pull her thoughts together and stop analyzing the feel of his skin against her palms. She could feel the heat of his body, so her hands must be cold—

“Liv?” Corvin inquired.

“I came over here…” Livia swallowed. “To say—”

Livia’s eyes fell to his chest, and her thumb ran across a patch of his chest hair. She was surprised at how soft it felt.

Corvin laughed. “You’re distracted by my body.”

Livia cringed. “I’m sorry.”

Corvin laughed again. “I’m flattered. It’s alright. It’s nice to be admired.”

“You don’t need to be nervous,” Livia’s voice was far from reassuring. She cleared her throat, trying to speak with more confidence. “All I need is for you to be nice to me.”

Clearing her throat hadn’t helped anything. Instead, the reassurance came out soft and full of vulnerability. Livia felt like an insecure child and tried to shake the feeling off.

“I don’t need presents, fancy…beds…or any of those romantic things. Just be nice to me.” There! She’d sounded like herself. No-nonsense and decisive.

Corvin’s entire countenance softened. He pulled her face into his hands. He peered into her eyes. “Are you scared, Liv?”

Livia struggled to answer. “I feel…very intimidated,” she admitted.

“You don’t need to be,” he said. He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. “I plan to be very considerate of you every moment this evening. I want tonight to be comfortable and pleasant for you.”

“I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

Corvin pressed his forehead to hers. “You’ve just agreed to spend your life with me, Liv. When we are ready, there will be plenty of time to try everything.”

Livia sighed, flooded with a desire to be physically close to him. In her fantasies, it’d be easy to press her skin to his, bask in his closeness, and enjoy his affection without conditions. For an instant, she melted against him, titled her lips up to him to capture in a passionate embrace.

Then reality descended. She was limited in how long that would last. She tucked her chin in, suddenly cautious. She shouldn’t get carried away. Livia pulled away, trying to bury her ache and temper her desire with practicality.

“There’s clothing in the bathroom?” she repeated.

Corvin didn’t comment on the change in her demeanor, abrupt as it was, and answered. “Yeah. Go look.”

The bathroom had transformed from that morning. Livia hesitated as she stepped inside. Dimmed lighting gave the bathroom a welcome glow. A fresh bouquet of lavender rested in a vase on the center of the counter. There was some kind of incense burner there with two lines of oils on either side. A fresh candle waited to be lit under the urn.

On the far end of the counter, there was a tin full of freshly laundered towels. Two robes hung on the hooks outside the shower. Two small vintage leather suitcases were on the counter at Livia’s immediate right. One had Livia’s name applied to the side, and the other had Corvin’s name.

Livia undid the clasps and lifted the lid. A clear case held detangling spray and an odd brush that Livia hadn’t seen before. She lifted the packet out to inspect the brush closer.

Corvin came in, wearing only his suit pants. “What’s that, Liv?”

“Some weird kind of brush,” she said.

“Oh! That’s the one I asked Garnet to get,” he said, touching the other side of the bag. “It’s a detangling brush. It’s supposed to be gentle on snarls, so brushing doesn’t hurt.”

Livia looked at him. “You plan to brush my hair?”

“If you’ll allow me,” he said.

“That’d be nice,” Livia whispered.

“What other things did they put in there?” Corvin gestured to her case.

“I’m not sure. I gave Garnet my red pajamas. I hope they’re in there.”

Livia lifted the lid. She did indeed find her red pajamas

“Why don’t we take a break from this? And do the welcome ritual?” Corvin suggested.

He moved to the candle on the center of the counter. He brought Livia close to him with a guiding hand on the small of her back. He gestured toward the lines of oils.

“This line is for me, and this line is for you. Choose your favorite.”

Livia selected a lavender scent. Corvin decided on Lemon. They both poured several drops of oil into the bowl of the burner together. Then Corvin added water until the rim of the bowl was filled.

He grabbed a match and used it to light the candle. His voice murmured softly, “Wise-eyed Minerva, bless us with the wisdom and hospitality of ancients as we walk on this new path together as husband and wife. Let us be a shield of protection against all threats without or within so that we may be each other’s sanctuary. Let us learn the art of pleasuring each other so that our love may be a source of joy and rejuvenation.”

Livia had only expected to watch Corvin with patronizing amusement during this ceremony. She didn’t expect to feel a peaceful moment of reverence. To feel like somewhere out there, a presence listened to the righteous hopes of her husband. Livia had to blink back tears. They stood in silence as Corvin gently placed the candle under the bowl of the burner.

“Do you think she’s really listening?” Livia asked.

She sensed Corvin’s seriousness as he pondered the question. “I don’t know. I’m skeptical of the gods being actual personages, but I’ve seen too many things to deny there’s something out there. A he or she, a reflective energy that listens and holds space for all our hopes and pains.”

“But you don’t know that it’s Minerva?” Livia asked.

“I don’t think the being or energy is Minerva precisely. I do think Minerva reflects an aspect of their character. Despite our limited human attempts to define and approach this being, they listen and sometimes answer. I wonder why sometimes they answer and sometimes they don’t. It’s a mystery—a thing that can’t be known.”

Livia quietly pondered Corvin’s words. “I don’t know either,” she whispered. “But this was beautiful. I’ll remember it always.”

Corvin pulled Livia into a hug and held her. Then he stepped away. He lifted the lid of his case. He sorted through the contents then he picked up a clear bag that was similar to hers. “Ah, Garnet, you’re the best.”

There were a bunch of small colorful bottles in the clear bag. “What…is that? A bunch of different travel shampoos?” Livia asked.

Corvin unzipped the bag, walked over to the end of the counter, and started arranging them in matching pairs. “There’s conditioner too.”

“Why are there so many?” Livia asked.

“So you can choose your favorite,” Corvin said.

Livia snorted. “I don’t recognize any of those—”

“This tea tree one with lavender in it looks really nice.” Corvin handed it to her.

Livia opened the lid and smelled it. She loved the strong scent. “Hmmm. What else is there over there?”

Livia and Corvin spent the next ten minutes smelling and discussing shampoos. Finally, Livia decided to go with the tea tree oil Corvin recommended. While Corvin chose a fruity smelling one.”

“Liv, Hun, you’re still in your veil,” Corvin said. “Don’t you want to take it off?”

Livia patted it with a tentative hand. “I don’t know how.”

“How did they attach it?” he asked.

“There’s a comb and bobby pins,” she said.

Corvin pulled a small bench out from under the counter and gestured for her to sit. Livia sat and bent her head forward so he could get at the veil better. Corvin removed it and draped it over her lap. Then his fingers gently pulled the bobby pins from her hair. Soon, most of her hairstyle was undone except for the six braids.

“Are you still comfortable, Liv? Do you want me to keep going? Unbraid these?” Corvin ran his palm under the locks.

“Yes, unbraid them.”

Carefully, Corvin unraveled each braid. Livia’s hair looked wild and unmanageable. Corvin grabbed the bag with the detangling brush. He sprayed Livia’s hair with the detangling spray. Then brushed her snarls until her hair was sleek and smooth again.

“Liv, your hair is so beautiful,” Corvin set aside the brush and ran his fingers through the top layer of her hair.

“Really?” she asked.

“Even when you have it in your braid, you can tell it’s thick and smooth.” Corvin studied her face in the mirror, pressing his hands deeper into her hair.

Livia jerked away as uncomfortable sensations skipped down the back of her neck. Corvin removed his hands from her hair. “You don’t like that.”

He returned the spray and brush to their bag and then moved to Livia’s suitcase. He hesitated. “May I get into this?” he asked.

“Yes,” Livia answered.

Corvin lifted the lid and returned the bag. He pulled out Livia’s red pajamas and set them on the counter. Then he rifled through the rest of the contents. Livia watched his face for any clues of what was in there, but he remained expressionless as if he wasn’t affected at all by the scandalous things Livia knew were in there.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“This must be the swimsuit I asked Garnet to get.” Corvin removed a scandalous string bikini.

Livia told herself not to blush, but she did. Seeing her skin flush in the mirror only made her turn redder. She tried to salvage some of her composure by remaining calm.

“Fabulous,” Corvin said. “What do you prefer for our shower?”

“I have a choice between being naked and that…thing?” Livia asked. “What are you wearing?”

A mischievous grin appeared on Corvin’s face. He got into his bag and pulled out a Speedo. To top it off, it had an image of the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the front.

Livia’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me!”

Corvin started laughing. Livia did, too, because it was a ridiculously embarrassing thing to wear.

“Do you think the tower will look 3D?” Corvin joked.

Livia gasped and hid her face, scandalized thoroughly. “Corvin!”

He broke into a gale of laughter again. “It’s alright, Liv. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to wear something so completely atrocious. Accepting the opportunity will provide perspective on all my fashion choices.”

Livia laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks. Finally, she gasped and regained her composure. “I guess if you’re brave enough to wear yours, I’m brave enough to wear mine.”

In a way, it was nice that it was so funny. They laughed through all the awkward and embarrassing bits of the experience, like when Livia couldn’t figure out how to tie her top. She held the suit against her body and sought Corvin for help. They discovered that the strings were held together with a price tag that needed to be ripped off. Corvin made short work of untangling the strings after that. Livia hands were shaking, so Corvin offered to tie them.

“I doing a square knot, Hun,” he said. Then after he was done, “Wait…will we be able to untie it?”

Livia laughed. “Watch us cut it off—”

Corvin chuckled.

“Your aunt is banned from buying swimsuits,” Livia said.

“Yours actually looks quite nice,” Corvin said, giving her an admiring look.

Livia shook her head. “I hate it. The strings are going to feel like spaghetti when they get wet.”

“I’d say we could just take it off then, but we’re not even sure about that now,” Corvin joked.

Livia laughed again. “Do we even have scissors? Can you imagine us going out to the front room and asking for scissors from your family tonight?”

Corvin laughed. “I’d rather sneak through the house ninja style—”

“Only if you’re in that atrocious speedo while you do it,” Livia said.

Corvin laughed heartily at that suggestion, eyes tearing up with mirth.

“Only then would you be truly motivated to remain completely unseen,” Livia added.

Corvin laughed even harder.

Livia loved seeing him so happy. She relished the sound of his warm, genuine laugh. She hoped they laughed like this often. Corvin reached out, still chuckling, and grasped her hand.

He tugged her toward the shower. Livia sobered, but the effect of their laughter had a buffering effect on her nerves. She followed him into the shower.

“Let’s check out the water,” he said smoothly. He turned on the water and started to adjust it. “Justin tried to explain how to not get too cold. Do you have any advice?”

“I just try to watch the color of my skin.”

“I’m not as fair as you,” Corvin said. “I’m not sure that would work. But going by your skin tone is fine.”

Corvin adjusted the temperature, more finicky than Livia would be. Finally, he said, “Try that.”

Livia put her hand under the stream. The instant sensation of pleasantness flowed over her. “Ooo, that’s perfect,” she said.

Livia stepped into the stream to get her whole body. Then she tilted her head back to wet her hair. The cold water felt so divine she closed her eyes, and a sigh of relief escaped her throat.

“May I join you?” Corvin asked, easing up behind her.

“I’ll move.” Livia tried to step aside, but Corvin grasped her hip to keep her in place. “How, then?” she asked him.

Corvin’s chest came to rest against her back. “Let me be close to you,” he said.

Livia was nervous at first, stiff and unsure. But the cold water washed away all her discomfort. Corvin wasn’t in any sort of rush. He waited patiently for Livia to adjust to his closeness. Livia was confused for a moment that she wasn’t uncomfortable yet.

“Is it really this easy?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Corvin asked.

“The cold water just washes away all the weird sensations?” Livia asked.

“That’s the theory,” Corvin said. “I find this quite nice. How about you?”

“It’s not uncomfortable,” Livia said. She took a deep breath and turned to face Corvin.

He smiled. “Hey, Fabulous.”

Livia stared at him. Not sure what to do with him. This was exceedingly strange and not in the way she’d expected. She thought she’d be more scared or nervous. Instead, she was baffled, which was ridiculous.

“What’s that look mean?” Corvin asked.

“What am I supposed to do?” Livia asked.

Corvin laughed. “Let’s just wash my hair to start off.”

Corvin slipped past her to where he’d set their shampoos on the stone bench at the end of the shower. Corvin sat on the little waterproof cushion that Garnet had placed in the center of the bench. Livia drizzled shampoo into the center of her palm, enjoying the smell of crisp citrus.

She pressed her hand through Corvin’s hair spreading the shampoo through it. “Smells good,” she said.

“I like it,” Corvin murmured.

Livia liked how Corvin’s eyes closed, and his features relaxed as she gently massaged the shampoo into his hair. She even took extra time to massage the nape of his neck, which Corvin let her know he enjoyed with appreciative noises. The whole experience was just as fun as making him burst out into laughter. Livia loved seeing Corvin enjoy himself.

The shower head detached from the wall, and Livia carried it over to gently rinse Corvin’s hair. She replaced the shower head to smooth the conditioner through his damp locks. After she spread the conditioner, Livia cradled Corvin’s head in her hands and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead. The same way he often kissed her. He tapped his own lips with two fingers. “One more right here,” he invited.

Livia leaned over, intending to kiss him quickly, but once their lips touched, all her intentions deserted her. Corvin didn’t help matters at all. Livia would have reeled herself in if he’d shown the slightest hesitance, but each brush of their lips only increased his eagerness.

Livia finally pulled away ages later than she’d originally intended. “We should rinse your hair,” she murmured.

Corvin captured her lips in one last hungry kiss and grinned. “Go on, then.”

Livia rinsed the conditioner from Corvin’s hair. Then returned the showerhead. “Done,” she declared.

Corvin opened his eyes. “Your turn?” he asked.

“Sure,” Livia agreed.

Corvin stood, and they switched places. He poured the shampoo into his hand. The sharp scent of tea tree oil and lavender filled the air. Livia inhaled, enjoying the smell.

Corvin was more tentative than Livia had been, which made her nervous. He picked up on that. “Anything wrong, Liv?” he asked.

“No.”

“You sure?” he asked.

“You’re just being so careful. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You just haven’t given any indication that you like it.”

“Oh.”

“Do you like it?” Corvin asked.

“I don’t know,” Livia answered honestly. “It’s kind of a neutral thing. Sorry.”

“Do you want me to be softer?” Corvin asked, his touch lightening further.

“No, don’t. I like that less,” Livia insisted.

“So, more firmly?” Corvin asked. He stopped and waited for her to respond instead of going straight ahead.

“Corvin, I don’t think this is my thing,” Livia said.

“You don’t want me to do it more firmly?” he asked, surprised.

“Not really,” Livia admitted. “That would make me anxious.”

“Alright, Hun, do you want me to stop?”

“Just… don’t try to make it all romantic. Just be normal,” Livia pleaded.

Corvin hesitated, then worked the shampoo through her hair. Livia let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders lowering. Corvin rinsed her hair, and Livia liked that. She tilted her head back and enjoyed the feel of the cold water running through her hair.

“You do like that,” Corvin murmured.

“Feels so good,” Livia agreed.

Corvin moved the showerhead around her head, letting the water massage her scalp. He worked the conditioner through her hair and then lifted parts of her hair to let the stream of the showerhead hit her scalp better. Livia closed her eyes and enjoyed the experience.

With her hair thoroughly rinsed, Corvin replaced the shower head and turned off the water. Livia startled out of her pleasant reverie. “It’s over?”

Corvin turned back around. “Liv, we’re Taurus and everything, but we can still get hypothermia. We can’t take a cold shower forever.”

Livia tried not to show her emotions, but she was disappointed and couldn’t hide it. She’d loved these moments with him in this cool, quiet sanctuary. Corvin looked concerned. He crossed to her and eased down on the bench cushion next to her.

“You sad, Liv?” he asked.

“This was so nice,” she said.

Corvin leaned close to her as if making her a co-conspirator in a plot. “Tell me, if you could have had anything else during our shower, what would you have asked for?”

“More kissing,” Livia answered instantly.

The smile that lit Corvin’s face was brilliant. “More kissing?”

Livia nodded.

“Well, there’s no reason we can’t kiss now,” he offered.

Livia leaned up and pressed her lips to his. She expected that her sensory issues would flare up and interrupt them at some point. But their kisses went on and on.

Corvin pulled Livia onto his lap. She ran her palms across his muscular shoulders as he tilted her head back to spread kisses over her neck. The memory of the morning was fresh in her mind, so she tensed each time his lips brushed her skin.

“Fabulous, relax,” Corvin urged, speaking against her skin.

“This morning—” she tried to explain.

“I know,” Corvin lifted his head. “Try to stay in this moment. The situation is different. You’re safe. If things get uncomfortable, we can turn the water back on.”

“I’ll try,” Livia said. But it wasn’t easy to just relax. Her defenses had built up for a reason, and laying them aside wasn’t automatic. Corvin lowered his lips to her neck, and her body tensed before he could even kiss her.

Corvin pulled her back up to face him. “Livia, I want you to feel like you can let me kiss your neck. I don’t want what happened this morning to create a barrier between us. Do you understand?”

Livia nodded.

“So, I will press a little, work with you until it feels good. Are you okay with trying that? We can try another time.”

“I want to try,” she said.

“Alright, if you’ve had enough, you can stop me any moment, Hun. Do you understand that?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, let’s try again,” Corvin said.

He leaned her back, Livia trusted him enough to expose her neck to him, but that didn’t mean she instantly relaxed. Her body clung to the tension even when her mind was willing. It was so frustrating.

“Breathe, Liv,” Corvin said. “Don’t hold that energy in; let it flow in and out. Imagine with each breath that your anxiety gets lighter and lighter…and lighter.”

Corvin’s warm voice spoke with the rhythm of her breath. There was something more intimate about that than sitting in his lap, scantily clad in a bikini. It added another dimension to their closeness. Livia could feel her nervousness easing, her muscles relaxing in response to his steady voice.

Corvin ran his nose along the length of her neck. Livia tensed a little but was able to relax again almost instantly. That felt good, like progress, and her frustration eased. Corvin set his lips against her skin. She did tense again but was able to relax again with an exhale.

“Good, Liv,” Corvin said, lifting his lips from her neck. “How did that feel?”

“Not bad,” she said.

“But not good yet?” he asked.

“Not yet,” she agreed.

“That’s not bad, Hun,” Corvin said. “I’ll take neutral. That’s progress.”

“Try again,” she urged him. “One more try.”

Corvin kissed lower on her throat, around her collarbones. Light, affectionate kisses that sent a sweet skitter over her shoulders. Livia laughed.

Corvin murmured, “I like that sound.”

Instead of going up, Corvin kissed along the top of her shoulders. The sensation was quiet and sweet, and Livia loved it. “Good,” she whispered.

“Other side?” Corvin asked.

Livia nodded.

Corvin’s kisses trailed slowly over to her other shoulder, and Livia couldn’t stop the laugh that spilled out of her throat as he spread kisses there. He chuckled with her this time.

Corvin’s lips moved to the center of her throat again. The sensation was sharp but good, like pouring honey straight on your tongue. Livia gasped and wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck.

She thought about telling him to stop, but she burned with curiosity. She wanted another taste of sweet honey. Corvin was hesitant and slow like he needed to figure out what she wanted.

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

His lips nipped her neck again, and Livia melted as pleasure slipped through all her defenses. The thing about pleasure was that it was powerful, and the fact it was powerful made it terrifying.

“Stop,” Livia whispered.

Livia was relieved that the whisper was enough. Corvin instantly pulled back. He searched her face.

“You okay, Hun?”

“It felt so good,” she said. “It still feels so good.”

“Why’d you tell me to stop, then?” Corvin asked, but he was smiling, not scolding.

Livia inhaled a ragged breath. “I keep expecting it to feel uncomfortable the way it usually does. But it’s different.”

“How is it different?” Corvin asked, curious.

“Usually, everything inside me shuts down but this…wakes everything up. There’s this spark…that just wants to burn.”

Corvin teased. “Hun, are you lusting after me?”

Livia whispered, lowering her eyes to his chest. “There’s a lot to lust after—”

Then she trembled. She didn’t want to be afraid to feel this way, but wanting something didn’t make it untrue.

“Feels scary?” Corvin asked easily.

Livia nodded.

“That’s pretty normal,” he said. “But I think it’s an amazing step forward that you can explain the difference between the two experiences to me.”

Livia’s eyes moved back up to his, widening. “That is…that is pretty significant,” she agreed.

“Could you do that before?”

“No,” Livia admitted. “But…the feeling is not unfamiliar. It’s just never been so clear before.”

Corvin touched his nose to hers. “We’ll be alright, Livia. This is already loads of progress.”

Livia smiled. He was right. Her heart was light, excited even. She tilted her head and initiated a slow, luxurious kiss that turned into a multitude of kisses. Livia experienced a sense of freedom she’d wished for, but thought would always be impossible. Their passionate make-out session was better than she’d imagined in her most secret fantasies.

Corvin eased back. “Why don’t we move out to the bed?” he suggested.

“We’ll get it all wet like this,” she said.

“Then let’s dry off and get into our pajamas,” Corvin said. “I’m done with this speedo.”

Livia laughed and slipped off his lap. They exited the shower and grabbed towels. Corvin disappeared to change in the bedroom and left the bathroom for her. Livia had to work at the square knot Corvin had tied a few moments, but it eventually slipped loose. She changed into the red pajamas Corvin had given her for Christmas and walked into the bedroom.

Corvin had already changed into pajama pants and a cotton tee. He stood in front of the cooler at the end of the bed. “You in the mood for a snack, Liv? They put a pretty amazing cheese board in here.”

“Sure,” she said, but she frowned. “Is that supposed to…help…somehow?”

Corvin laughed. “No. The other things are underneath. There’s cold water too. You want water?”

“Yes.”

Corvin and Livia curled up on the bed, the cheese board between them. There were also olives and grapes. It really did look fantastic, like Corvin said.

They discussed the food as they snacked. It was comfy and relaxing, and Livia enjoyed Corvin’s easygoing nature. He was so relaxed and open with her, letting his emotions animate his expression. His voice was warm and full of inflection. They laughed a lot.

Livia started to wonder if the night was good enough, though. “Are you happy, Corvin?” she asked.

He looked at her surprised and had to chew the grape he’d popped into his mouth before he answered. “This is great, Liv. I haven’t laughed so much since I was a kid.”

Livia smiled. “It was pretty funny.”

Corvin smiled back. “I’m sure we’ll joke about this night forever.”

“Do…you want any more?” Livia asked hesitantly.

Corvin studied her. “What do you mean, Liv?”

“I mean, should we try…you know?”

“Sex?” he asked.

Livia shrugged, acting like she didn’t care. Corvin didn’t respond right away.

“The rest of the night has been so perfect,” he said. “I kind of want to remember it this way.”

Livia couldn’t decide if she was relieved or not.

“Does that hurt you?” Corvin asked.

“I don’t know,” Livia answered. “Part of me is sad, but it’s a relief too. I just want to give you everything. I love you.”

Corvin sighed. “You know, Hun, this being Taurus thing does feel different. I’m still getting used to it. Can we wait? Until I’m more used to it and you’re more comfortable discussing strategy. I’m not comfortable trying until you know what the options are. That’s because I love you and want you to feel safe and comfortable.”

Livia thought about that. She was starting to feel tired. It’d been an exhausting weekend. They’d both been going non-stop for two days now. It wasn’t simply the physical exhaustion either. The thought of making another decision right now was emotionally and mentally daunting.

“Corvin, I—don’t think I can absorb any new information right now.”

He laughed. “I feel about the same way, Liv. I’m exhausted.”

“So, we can’t have those discussions now. I think I’d just get irrational and upset,” she admitted. “I’m over-sensitive about things sometimes. It’s way worse when I’m tired. I’m sorry.”

“Liv, it’s okay to have limits,” Corvin said. “We’re both at ours tonight. So, let’s snuggle under the covers and see how we feel about it tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “Thanks, Corvin.”

“It’s been an amazing night with you, Liv. I’ve loved every moment.”

“I’ve loved it too,” she said.

They put away the cheese board and finished off their water bottles.

“We should brush our teeth,” Corvin said.

Livia looked at him. “That would require energy.”

He laughed. He pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. “I won’t care as long as you won’t.”

Livia crawled under the covers with him. “Deal.”

Corvin rolled over to switch off the lamp light. The room fell into darkness. He rolled back toward Livia.

“You scared, Liv?” he whispered.

Livia’s eyelids were relieved to close. “I’m too tired to be scared, Corvin.”

It crossed Livia’s mind that she should kiss him goodnight, but she drifted to sleep before she could even move.