“That remains to be seen,” Balthazar replied. “Keep Tristan on him.”
Issac nodded. “Consider it done.”
“Good.” Balthazar’s lips met her ear. “We should leave soon, Lee. I have a place in Stockholm we can hide in.”
She shook her head. “We’re not going to Stockholm.” She had warded homes all over the globe. They would mist to one of those locations instead. “Vera needs my blood before we go.”
Not enough to swallow.
Not enough to truly trace.
Just a few drops.
A tease.
A… ataunt.
Leela swallowed.I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.
It went against her instincts, but this was only temporary. And it would hide the child.
Aidyn. She’s the reason I’m doing this.That poor little soul had done nothing wrong. She didn’t deserve to be hunted. Neither did Lizzie or Jayson. Leela knew what she was getting into with the Seraphim; they didn’t. That made this the logical route. A sound plan.
Temporary.
Except Balthazar was going with her. And that complicated things. “You should—”
She yelped as he spun her in his arms. “It’s done,” he reiterated. “Tell me where to cut you.”
Leela’s thighs squeezed in response to the dominance underlying that statement.Fuck, I’m in trouble.
“You are,” he agreed, his voice a low murmur.
It wasn’t the first time she’d had that thought, nor was it the first time he’d responded to it. The dark promise in his gaze told her he was going to collect on her punishment soon, too.
By making her crawl.
She shook her head, denying the inclination. He would have to work a lot harder than this to earn such an act from her.
She only knelt for men when they deserved it.
His eyebrow cocked upward.
She arched hers in kind, holding his gaze.
Thisfelt normal. Natural. Thus calming her immensely. Because squaring off with this male grounded her in the moment, in this reality, dispelling her fears and allowing her to breathe.
He cupped her cheek, his thumb skimming her bottom lip, his gaze following the path.
So bold. So intense. SoBalthazar.
He didn’t ask; he took. Because some part of him knew she would always give him permission. Perhaps because he could read her mind to know her intent. Maybe because it was just the way they worked together.
Regardless, she loved that he didn’t waste time with questions or permissions. He just knew where the lines were and did his best to skate along them without crossing into forbidden territory.
Except, she wasn’t sure a forbidden territory existed with him.
She might just let him take everything instead.
