“Please, no!” It was a breathy whine, fingers tugging at his hair to pull his face away from her neck. “He can’t hurt Elise, please.”
That sobered him.
Ilya stepped back so fast Quinn would have fallen had he not caught her hips. Lowering her to the cold tiles, he stared at her through the steam collecting around them and nodded once. Swallowing hard, he turned on his heel and stalked towards the door.
“You need to eat before he comes back. Downstairs when you are done.”
And with that he left.
Quinn took a shaky breath, holding on to the wall as she shuffled her way to the shower. That had been too close for comfort. She had never intended for either male to go this far so soon. Hadn’t believed it would be possible. It was good, but dangerous.
Climbing under the hot spray, Quinn scrubbed and lathered, making sure there was no hint of Ilya’s musk on her skin. It was interesting that mentioning Elise being harmed broke the spell. She’d been right all along. He wasn’t so certain that Lee would forgive his transgressions if Quinn bent to his demands. They might plan and scheme over her body and womb behind closed doors, but Ilya was still Lee’s man first and foremost. There would be punishments doled out if Ilya thought to touch what Lee still considered his.
With a wry twist of her lips, Quinn rinsed and climbed out. Males were all the same. Thinking with their cocks. Ilya may profess to want her as more than a warm body, and it might very well be true, but he risked her and her child for what would have been a momentary blip of pleasure. Chafing her skin with a towel, she headed into the bedroom to dress.
After pulling on a new oversized shirt and yoga pants, Quinn made her way downstairs. Ilya was right. There was no question in her mind that Lee would drag her back into the bedroom as soon as he arrived, and if she intended to survive his attentions much longer, she needed a real meal.
Ducking her head, she scurried into the kitchen to find Ilya already at work preparing something else. She hated that the steak had been wasted, but it was cleared away long before she arrived, leaving the counter clean and sparkling. A quiet sigh slipping from her lips, she eased up onto her customary stool. Cupping her chin in her palms, elbows to the cool slab, she watched the Alpha at work. Let a smile pull at her lips when he glanced at her, eyes warming as she took in his muscled body.
Ilya grinned, smile lazy and hot, turning to come towards the counter. To her.
The kitchen door burst open, the heavy palm connected to it pushing it to slam hard against the wall. Lee stood in the doorway, legs wide, whole body tensed, as he took in the kitchen at a glance. Spotting Quinn, his lips lifted, the low growl rumbling through his chest as he came at her with a fury that made her scramble off the stool. Sending her chair clattering to the floor, Quinn shrieked when he snatched her up in mid step. Tossing her up onto the counter, he shoved Quinn’s legs wide enough to make her hips groan as he stepped between them. Pushing his face to her neck, he inhaled long and deep, taking in her scent as his hands jerked her shirt out of his way.
Gripping her breast hard enough she knew there would be bruises, Lee called to her. Right there. Right in front of Ilya. Growled and rocked his leaking cock against her, smearing the potent fluids together to stain them both.
“Send the food up,” Lee said, snapping the order out over Quinn’s shoulder while gathering her to him. Shoving a hand down the back of her pants, he squeezed her ass and bounced her against him. “I’m starved.”
The wild smile and the dangerous gleam in his eyes promised it wasn’t for food. Clutching at Lee, she watched Ilya over his shoulder as he carried her out. Her smile was small. Pained.
His scowl was as dark and dangerous as she had ever seen it.
Chapter 8
Quinn laughed as Elise squealed and splashed water all over the place. Her shirt and jeans were already soaked as she bathed the squirming girl, drifts of soap decorating the tub and Quinn’s hair where Elise had flung the fluffy bubbles with glee.
The low register of the purr snaked down her spine, a shiver rippling across her skin in a wash of goosebumps. Tipping her head back onto the male’s shoulder, caged in his limbs as he pinned her against the side of the tub, Quinn arched a single brow as she gazed up at Ilya.
“You should do that more,kiska.” His smile was soft, a near dreamy spread of his lips that did little to ease the harshness of his features.
Her noncommittal hum was met with a twitch of his eyebrows, a not quite frown. The heavy weight of his arm slipped around her hips, pulling Quinn snug against his front as he dropped his mouth to her shoulder. The sound he made was sheer decadence, soothing and blissful as it vibrated across her skin.
Keeping her heavy lidded gaze on Elise, Quinn gave Ilya what he wanted. A quiet chuckle that promised delight and contentment slipped past her lips as she leaned into him. Pushing her body against his, she snuggled into the overwhelming heat of him with a hum, breathing deep the mellow warmth of cinnamon tinted with the sharp bite of anise. When his hand at her hip flexed, moving to cup her thigh, Quinn rolled her shoulder to shrug him off so she could gather up Elise in a towel.
“He’ll be back soon,” she murmured while patting Elise dry, rubbing at pale, fluffy hair with gentle strokes until it stuck up at odd angles and Elise grinned.
“I told you, he called. He will be late.” There was no mistaking the irritated growl that edged Ilya’s rough voice. The hand at her hip tightened in a painful squeeze, pulling her back into his body.
“Not late enough. I’m not going to risk my daughter.”
While slow to release her, he did it. Just as he always did when she mentioned Elise and the danger he was putting her in. Ilya let go and stood with ease before lifting Quinn straight up to her feet. It was irritating how Alphas could haul her around, but she had to admit it was nice not having to struggle to her feet with a squirming baby in her arms.
“You could wean her,” Ilya said, rasp as careful as it had ever been as he trailed behind Quinn towards the nursery. “You would go into heat again soon enough. I could claim you as my own.”
“You want me to give up theonething I can do for her? Do you have any idea how important it is to me? To her?” It was an argument that had played out before over the last several days. Quinn had lost none of her anger, words a vicious snarl each time she refuted the logic of his thoughts.
The long muscles of her back bunched with tension as she laid Elise on the changing table. Fussing over her daughter, she put a diaper on Elise with quick, deft movements. It still amazed her how easy it was to do these things now. It seemed like it was just yesterday Meghan had been fretting over Quinn ever getting it right with Adam.
“Kiska, shh. No, do not weep.” He was behind her, body swallowing her up as he enfolded Quinn in his arms. His purr was loud, careless of who might overhear. Nuzzling her jaw, hand stroking her hair and shoulder, he held her until Quinn faded into sniffles and shrugged him off once again.
