I giggled. “Sire.”
He rarely smiled, but when he did, it was like the whole world went brighter. He perched down and then patted his hand on his thigh twice, telling me to sit there.
“Someone could see,” I said.
“So what, mommy? Aren’t you officially my mommy?”
I bit my lip. My naughty boy knew exactly what that word did to me. “Then it’s you who should sit on my lap.”
He chuckled. “Come here, Jo. You know I choose this tree because it’s in the back and huge enough to cover us from any unwanted eyes.”
I obeyed, taking my seat on his muscular thighs. “But just for a minute or I’ll end up breaking you.” Although I loved feeling him close, I felt I was crushing him with my weight.
“What the fuck?” He thrust his hips up, lifting me in the process. “Do you want me to show you how long I can bounce you on my cock, little faerie?”
“Oh, I know. I didn’t forget.”
“It looks like you did. A reminder is in order.”
“It won’t hurt.” I clasped my hands behind his neck. “But after my period. Now, let me thank you for that amazing gift.” My lips brushed on his softly, and then I pried them open with my tongue. His taste filled my mouth as our tongues did a familiar dance. He did that move again when he thrust up his hips, letting me feel the growing bulge in his pants. My breath hitched. I was too hormonal to bridle my desire for him. I wanted to fuck him right here on the spot, and I was certain he wouldn’t say no even when we’d be making a big mess, but even I wasn’t that greedy. I wanted to thank him for all the beautiful things he’d done for me, not torture him like that.
My hands slid down to his belt to undo it, but he stopped me.
“No. I really want to thank you.” I spat in my fist to give him a clue.
He grinned. “I love it when you want to jump my bones, but…”
“But what?”
“Can we talk, baby? I want to know what’s really bothering you.”
I slipped out of his embrace and sat beside him. “Nothing is bothering me. I’m very happy, Ty. Really. What you did for me, what you both do for me, is more than I’d ever deserve.”
His eyes bore into me. “Denial is a river in Egypt, Jo.”
I just threw my hands in the air, giving up.
“Fine. I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You want a baby, Jo.”
“What? Not that again. Don’t be silly.”
“Then why did you become so upset when you saw Cameron and Dusty and their boy?”
My heart skipped a beat. “I wasn’t upset. I was taken aback. I thought she was dead. Then when I connected the dots back to the Lanzas, I—”
“That bullshit you tell Furore, not me.” He held my fleeting gaze. “You’re jealous that she has a child and you don’t.”
I wiped my palm over my sweaty forehead. “It’s not even hers. He can’t be. Laius told me they saved him from the fire. It’s not like she chose to have a baby. This life we lead… Ever since I saw her at the event, I’ve been comparing our lives. How similar they are. It’s what drew me to help her in the first place. We both had to be different people to protect the ones we loved. We did everything we could to save our families but failed. Then we ended up living on the cusp of danger, finding our only peace in violence. Nowhere to belong but to the dark side.
“Sharing myself between you and Laius isn’t the only thing that makes me think a thousand times before having a baby, Ty. In our kind of life, it’s just not possible without serious complications. Dangerous ones.”
“And if I tell you Dusty and Cameron got twins of their own.”
My head whipped toward him. “What?”
“Two baby girls. Healthy and safe. The perfect family. It happened just last year. Furore didn’t tell you that part? I wonder why.”
A scowl hooked my brows so hard a headache banged my skull. “He must have his reasons.”
