AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pushed deep. Then again. And again and again and again.
I gave a small scream, still climaxing, caught in a sensual haze of heat and light and pleasure. He clamped a hand on my hip and thrust, hard and fast, until he stilled, pulsing deep inside me as he came with a drawn-out groan.
His breath scraped in. Then he kissed me between the shoulders and relaxed, his head on the pillow behind mine, his arm resting on my hip. Gradually, his breathing slowed to half my rate, but somehow, we were in sync, me drawing two breaths for every one of his.
My eyelids drifted shut. I was almost asleep when he smoothed his palm down my rounded belly.
“I should leave. You need your rest.”
I put my hand over his. “Stay.”
The baby twisted and turned beneath our joined hands. Talon chuckled, his fingers spread over my lower abdomen. “He’s busy tonight, our son.”
Our son.
It was the first time he’d claimed the baby in both our names, the first time he’d called him his “son” instead of “spawn” or “the child.”
I was still smiling when he rolled me onto my back so he could kiss me, long and sweet. When he lifted his head, he nuzzled my ear.
“It’s almost dawn—I have to leave. But you sleep in. I’ll tell them not to bother you in the morning.”
“Mm-kay.” I snuggled into the comforter, dimly aware of him dressing and leaving.
In the morning, there was a new phone on my nightstand.
What the—?
I snatched it up, almost afraid to find I was dreaming. But it scanned my face and opened. A text message popped up.
TALON: This is for you. Fyi, I’m monitoring your calls and texts but use it whenever you want.
I sat up and scooted back against the headboard, then scrolled to the contacts, where I found four phone numbers: Talon’s, my mom’s, my dad’s, and Freya’s.
I grinned and pressed the phone to my chest. It was the best gift Talon could’ve given me, proof that he was softening toward me. Plus, it had to mean he was starting to trust me again, didn’t it?
I texted Talon a thank you! so he’d see it as soon as he came out of his day sleep, then touched the phone icon next to Mom.
It rang a couple of times before she picked up. “Hello? Who is this?”
“Mom?” I dragged in a breath. “It’s me, Eden.”
18
Talon
Cain threw a roundhouse punch at my head. I ducked and slammed my fist into his solar plexus, and he stumbled backward. I came upright to find Brien aiming a flying kick at my chest. I dodged left and he overshot me, landing in a catlike crouch on the mat.
I spun around, taunting, “You candy-asses can’t take me even when you double-team me.”
We were in the castle gym and I’d challenged them to a fight. No weapons except our hands or feet, which meant no claws or fangs, either. I’d needed to take the edge off. Esposito was fucking with my mind. He was clearly in big trouble. If he owed money, why hadn’t he contacted me? Had he made some kind of deal with the vampire he did owe?
Brien and Cain traded looks. Then Brien smiled, a chilling stretching of his lips that would’ve made a vampire lower in the hierarchy freeze in his tracks. Even I felt a shiver shoot up my spine.
“What did you call me?” he asked.
I grinned. “Candy ass—.” My breath whooshed out as he slammed into me, dropping me to the mat.
Cain chuckled. Brien was faster and stronger than me—he was the primus, after all—but I slithered out of his hold as we hit and slammed an elbow into his jaw before rolling back to my feet.
