Tall, Dark & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel #1)(65)

“But he did find out. Your mother, even though your grandmother was under the assumption that she had custody of the kids, attempted to get welfare on the kids’ behalf. New Hampshire contacted Trevor and Trevor hunted you down and threatened to take Joshua back and put you both in prison for kidnapping.”

“He had no case against me and he knew that. He wanted money though.”

“And you were to pay twelve hundred dollars a month until Joshua hit eighteen.”

“Yes.”

“And you really thought that was going to work?”

“I was trying to buy time until I figured out what to do. I can’t lose him. He’s more than a brother to me. I’ve raised him. I couldn’t give him up.”

“So, that’s why you put yourself in such a large hole. You didn’t want to lose Joshua?”

“Yes.” She wiped a tear off her cheek.

“Baby, why didn’t you come to me? I would have helped you.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t do that to you.”

“Were you afraid that I would rip his throat out or lose my job?”

“Both.”

He sighed heavily and held out his hand. “Come here.”

She walked over to the bed and took his hand. He pulled her onto his lap, making her straddle him. She released his hand and pulled her heels off, letting them drop to the ground.

Ephraim cupped his hands on her h*ps and pulled her forward. “Can I have a kiss? I’ve missed you.”

Her hands dropped to the bed on either side of his face as she leaned over him. “I don’t know. I thought you said you were done with me.”

His hands gently caressed her hips. “I’ll never be done with you. I’m sorry for being such an ass**le, but you hit a bit of a nerve for me.”

“About babies?”

“Yes.”

“So, you can’t have babies? You know that for sure, don’t you? You tried with that woman?”

He raised his head to brush his lips against hers. “I don’t know anything for certain, baby. I have no clue. As far as that woman is concerned the answer is no. I never slept with her. She wanted to years and years ago. Her Master, who at this very moment is not too happy with me, tried to make a deal with me and offered up twenty females to me to see if I could impregnate any of them. I could keep the babies in return the master wanted to be like me.”

“Did you?”

His fingers threaded through her black hair. “No, I didn’t do that. I didn’t want a child with a vampire.”

“So, how do you know you haven’t fathered a child before?”

“That’s easy. I never finished inside of a woman before.”

She searched his face to see if he was joking. “Never?”

“No, never. It was one of the best ways to prevent by-blows.”

“By-blows?”

“Bastards.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“Sorry, that’s what they were called back then. My father told us what to do.”

“Your father encouraged you?” A thought occurred to her. “I’ve heard stories that men back then brought their son’s to whorehouses, did yours?”

He used her h*ps to push her up so that her neck was right above his mouth. He began pressing kisses to her neck. “No, he didn’t bring me. The last time I saw my father was just before I was taken away. Before that I looked like a little boy. No self-respecting whore would have touched me. He brought my brothers when they were fourteen though so he probably would have.”

“Oh.”

“So, what did your father tell you to do?”

“Pull out. Never come inside a woman unless she’s meant to carry the heir. That’s what we were taught.”

“So, you never once….” her voice trailed off suggestively.

“Not once.” His hands slid down her back until they cupped her bottom. He gently squeezed and caressed her while his mouth licked and kissed her neck.

Madison used her feet to push the covers off Ephraim. She was not losing this opportunity. She’d waited too long for this. For him. Using one hand she undid the knot on her skirt and pulled it off, throwing it to the ground. She sat back down on his lap. She could feel his erection through the material of his boxers.

Ephraim watched hungrily as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. She threw the blouse to the side, revealing a black bra and matching panties.

“A goddess. You look like a goddess.” He was mesmerized by her beautiful black hair and golden skin. He ran his hands down her neck, br**sts, stomach and back.

“Do you want to see more?” she asked in a sultry voice.

He swallowed loudly and nodded firmly. “Please.”

She reached back with one hand and unsnapped her bra, letting it slide down her arms. Ephraim gently pulled it from her arms and threw it on the floor.

Without waiting he ran his fingers down to her h*ps and slid a finger on either side of her panties and snapped the string of the waistband apart. Madison sat up so that he could pull the ripped panties away, leaving her naked.

His eyes drank in her body. She was so beautiful from her golden brown eyes to her butterscotch ni**les. She was everything in the world that was perfect and she was his. He growled possessively as his fangs descended. “Come here.”