He could smell her.
He could feel her power contained but still emanating through her.
And it took no effort at all to pull her face up in his mind’s eye, that delicate neck, her beautiful mouth, her gorgeous hair.
Her arms around him tightened.
“Darling? Are you okay?”
Noc took her wrist and pulled it to his side, forcing his wife to circle around to his front.
She kept hold of him, and when he stopped her, she tipped her head back to catch his eyes.
He let her wrist go and lifted his hand to cup her jaw.
Holding her there and drawing his other arm around her to pull her close, he dipped his face to hers and studied the woman he loved, so goddamned beautiful, even more right then, lit by moonbeams.
“My valiant,” he whispered.
He saw those beautiful blue eyes of hers warm.
And then he saw them grow bright with wet.
She lifted up on her toes so that fucking amazing mouth was a breath from his.
But she didn’t kiss him.
She whispered back.
Two words he never believed.
Two words he knew she believed down to her glorious soul.
“My hero.”
The End