Page 76 of Grave Sight
He had exactly what he needed, and smiled into the kiss.
Raum
The two sergeantsleft after a shared lunch at Raum’s place. Ezra was staying a few extra days, calling it a mini-vacation, before he flew home to San Francisco. Raum had volunteered to take him home in the underhill, but Ezra warned him that there needed to be public records of his travel on his passport, so there would be no questions asked about how he got home to the States. Ezra was more careful with Raum’s secrets than Raum was.
Lilith was exploring the apartment, sticking her tiny nose into everything,merpingand trilling throughout the living room as she went under furniture or climbed onto a windowsill to look outside.
Ezra was on the phone with a friend back in San Francisco, pacing a bit in the kitchen as he talked. Raum made sure the front door was locked after seeing the sergeants out, and he went to the couch, giving Ezra space.
He sat on the middle cushion, and Lilith abandoned her explorations and came to him, jumping up into his lap with a trill in greeting. Raum smiled and pet Lilith as she began to purr, kneading her paws on his thigh. He was thankful to be wearing jeans—her claws were long and sharp.
Lilith settled on his lap, and he petted her in long, slow strokes along her back, her eyes closing in bliss.
Ezra came into the living room, hanging up the phone and putting it on the coffee table.
“Everything okay?” Raum asked. Ezra came over to the couch and sat beside Raum, and he lifted his arm, tugging Ezra in close.
“Just got reamed out for forgetting to contact her if shit hit the fan, and I forgot to text her that everything worked out, too. Oops.”
“Pretty long conversation for a scolding.”
“My old mentor, Dr. Royal, heard some rumors about a cursed object. A book, actually. An object called a death tome.” Ezra leaned into him, snuggling. Raum kissed his hair. “She wants me to look into it for her since she can’t leave—she’s teaching a summer class, and then she has the fall semester. She’s a professor, too.”
“Sounds interesting. Do you need to leave?” Raum asked. He wanted Ezra to stay, but Ezra had a career he worked hard for, and he traveled a lot for it.
Ezra shook his head and then put his head on Raum’s shoulder. “No, not yet. I told her I was taking some personal time off after this last contract. She’s sending me everything she knows in an email later.”
“So you’re okay staying?” Raum asked, making sure.
Ezra tilted his head back, smiling. “I’m all yours.”
Lilith’s purrs filled the air as Raum kissed Ezra.
