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“Sit down.” I cut my eyes at my lap.
She drew a breath and I thought she might refuse, but she obeyed, perching sideways on my thighs, stiff backed, mouth cinched tight. She could purse that beautiful mouth at me all she wanted. That only made me want to do dirty things to her puckered lips.
I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her up against my chest. My free hand slid between her thighs.
“Is this where you punish me?” Her stubbornly lifted chin dared me.
My already erect dick thickened.
I rubbed the seam of her jeans. “You’re already wet, aren’t you?”
She shook her head but couldn’t quite bring herself to lie out loud. Meanwhile, her inner thighs squeezed my hand, and I felt the heat at her center.
I dug my fingers into her thigh. “The truth, Eden.”
“Then don’t ask me questions I don’t want to answer.”
“You’ll answer anything I ask.”
Her chin lifted. “Yes, Talon.” The words were obedient, the tone anything but.
I could’ve called her on it but I didn’t. Her attitude, her willingness to push back at a man who could snap her in two without even trying, was one of the things that had drawn me to her in the first place.
I ran my hand over the firm curve of her abdomen. “How are you feeling?”
She slanted me a look like it was a trick question. “Okay, I guess.”
“You’re eating okay? Taking your vitamins?”
She bristled. “Yeah.”
I lifted a brow. Was she really going to give me attitude about this? “You should’ve been doing that all along.”
She absorbed that, biting her lower lip. “You don’t think I hurt the baby, do you?”
“No,” I said, some of the sternness bleeding out of me at her obvious worry. “But let’s see what the midwife says. I made you an appointment—tomorrow afternoon. She’s got the equipment for a proper exam.”
“Olivia? That was fast.”
“I’m paying her extra to fit you in.” I rubbed her stomach reassuringly. “I want you both to have the best care.”
“Yes, of course.” She deflated, no longer bristling or even challenging me. Instead, sadness wafted from her…sadness and disappointment. “Thanks,” she added, picking at a hole in the knee of her jeans, evading my eyes.
A groove formed between my brows. What had I said?
“You don’t believe I want you healthy?”
“No. I mean yes, I believe you.”
A beat passed while I mentally replayed her words. Then it hit me. She thought I only cared about her health because of my spawn.
I covered her hand with mine, halting her from worrying the frayed blue threads. “Look at me.” I waited until she raised her gaze to mine, then said, “Both of you. I want you both to have the best care. If Olivia finds anything—anything at all—I’ll fly in an OB-GYN from Halifax. Or from Toronto or Montreal—wherever Olivia recommends. I’m not taking any chances with either of you.”
I waited for her nod before adding, “As for your punishment…”
She stilled. “Yeah?”
“I appreciate that you apologized.” I stroked a finger down the length of her throat. “But I can’t just let you off. You disrespected me and the syndicate. Not to mention Brien, the man I swore a blood-vow to protect. The man who’s like a brother to me.”
