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“That’s how I feel.” I grinned, remembering what the baby had looked like on the black-and-white screen. “And he is—he was moving the whole time.”
The corner of Talon’s mouth ticked up. “My mom said that when she was pregnant with me, I kicked her black-and-blue.”
I blinked. “Yeah? He’s not that bad.”
“Yet,” Talon responded.
We grinned at each other. “You’re scaring me here,” I teased.
“Sorry. But I’ll be there to help with him.”
My heart did a happy little skip. “Good. That’s good.”
We were still looking at each other. Our smiles faded, but that was okay, because it felt like Talon was drinking me in the way I did him.
His eyes dropped to my abdomen. “I—whatever you need to get you through this, let me know, okay?”
I dipped my chin. “Okay.”
“I mean it,” he said.
“All right. And thanks.”
Fragile wings rustled in my chest, that hope I couldn’t quite seem to shake off. For the first time, it felt like we were partners in this.
Until Talon added, “You don’t have to thank me. I’m the guy responsible. It’s only right that I take care of you both.”
“Oh. Of course.” My heart plummeted.
So that’s what this was about. To Talon, me and the baby were a “responsibility.” Something he hadn’t asked for—or wanted—but was making the best of.
I mean, I admired him for that, but it was like he’d reached out a fist and crushed those small, hopeful wings between his fingers.
“Right.” He ran a hand over his face and sat up.
He must’ve sensed my disappointment because I could practically see him retreating inside his walls. Adding bricks to make them higher. Reinforcing them with concrete.
He glanced over his shoulder and I thought he was going to tell me to leave, but instead, he said, “The primus and prima want to see you.”
14
Talon
Eden moistened kiss-swollen lips. A dull hurt replaced the joy emanating from her. “Tonight?” she asked.
Guilt slithered through my ribs. I had the sudden, shocking urge to tell Brien to go fuck himself, which was messed up. Eden was in the wrong here. One round of hot sex didn’t change that.
Even if it had been five-alarm, make-your-eyes-roll-back-in-your-head hot sex.
Even if I’d been compelled by some primitive instinct to make her admit she was mine…
“Tonight,” I confirmed.
She sat up, the sheet clutched to her chest, a clear sign she felt vulnerable—and why that made my heart constrict, I didn’t know. But it did.
“Why?” Her eyes pinged back and forth between mine. “What do they want?”
“Brien didn’t say. Now get up—you don’t want to keep them waiting.”
