Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(106)

Edwina flitted forward, wielding a throat lozenge. “One more, dear, just to be on the safe side.”

I caught Avery’s amused grin as I took it and popped it in my mouth even though I didn’t need it and I didn’t want it. She was concerned. It made her feel better. I wanted her to feel better and, furthermore, I wanted her to be my new Mom so I didn’t want to scare her off with Leah Attitude before she took on the role.

The attitude would come later, the first time she told me to behave myself which would happen, no doubt about it.

Lucien had been wrong. He wasn’t home in five minutes. He was home in four. It was embarrassing to admit but I watched the freaking clock.

To hide the fact that I’d had such a girlie, obsessed with a hottie vampire who was going to join with me that very night thing, I didn’t bother to rise from the beanbag when he came in.

I should have known better.

He hooked the keys on the holder, nodded to Edwina’s greeting, shook hands with Avery and then came direct to my beanbag.

“Yo,” I said, looking up at him.

Mistress Cool.

His mouth twitched. My female parts rippled.

Before I knew it, I was plucked out of the beanbag and found myself in Lucien’s arms. Not like a normal, give your concubine a hug upon arriving home.

No.

He had my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms automatically went around his shoulders to hold on and his hands were at my ass.

His head tilted back to look at me and he murmured, “How was your day, sweetling?”

“I wrote everything I wanted to say on a pad of paper all day,” I answered. “Do you know how annoying that is?”

“Was it that difficult?” he asked, his black eyes dancing with suppressed humor.

It wasn’t.

“Yes,” I answered huffily.

I got another lip twitch, one of his hands left my ass, slid up my back and tangled in my hair.

“Your torture’s over,” he muttered before pressing down on my head so he could kiss me.

Not a normal, because you have company, give your concubine a seemly peck on the lips upon arriving home.

No.

A full on, mouths open, tongues dueling, ravenous, feasting snog.

I was panting when it was done and I’d totally forgotten Avery and Edwina existed much less they were in the room.

I’d like to take you upstairs right now, his mind told mine and his voice sounded deliciously hungry in my head.

One could say, at that precise moment, I’d like that too.

I decided not to speak.

Then he asked, his voice in my head sounding both sweetly intimate and even more sweetly teasing, Throat lozenges?

I couldn’t help it and I didn’t know why I couldn’t but I giggled.

Edwina, I answered. All day. I’ve had six hundred of them at least.

His eyes were on my mouth, his mouth was grinning.

Ah, he murmured in understanding.

Avery cleared his throat. “I think we’re missing something.”

I looked at Avery then at Lucien before I pushed against his shoulders and placed the blame squarely and publically on him.

“You’re being rude.”

His brows went up but he dropped me to my feet and curled me into his side with an arm around my shoulders.

“You’re staying for dinner?” Lucien asked Avery and I marveled that even a courteous invitation from Lucien sounded like a command.

“Leave now and miss Edwina’s cooking? I’d rather…” Avery started, I tensed and Lucien’s and Avery’s heads snapped toward the front door.

“Company,” Avery muttered.

Reflexively, my hand lifted, fingers fisting in Lucien’s shirt at his stomach as I looked up at him.

This was wussy behavior, I knew, but we hadn’t had a lot of luck with the front door. Usually, someone at my front door meant a call to the handyman.

Lucien’s head was cocked and I knew he was listening.

Then he mumbled, “Fucking hell.”

“What?” I asked.

His eyes caught mine. Then he said, “Buchanans.”

He said this right before there was an imperative and constant knocking at the door, confirming Lucien’s words.

Only Aunt Kate could knock on a door like that. It was her signature. Even when she was coming over for a cup of coffee and a gab, she eschewed doorbells and knocked on the door like she was Queen of the World and how dare the lowly commoner inside not anticipate her arrival, sweep open the door and throw rose petals at her feet.

“Aunt Kate,” I whispered.

“Kate,” Lucien agreed.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” Edwina fretted as she fluttered toward the hall. “How many are there? I don’t know if we have enough food.”

Avery followed Edwina but Lucien curled me into his front.

I looked up at him when he asked, “If it seems your family will interrupt our plans for this evening, if I’m forced to eject them bodily, how would you react?”

He was teasing again. It was frustrated teasing but he still did it really, really well. I was seeing the benefits of having a kind of like boyfriend who was centuries old. He had a lot of good stuff down pat.

“I’ve decided I’m mad at them. They’ve been ignoring me,” I admitted. “But not sure about bodily ejection. Could you, you know, Mighty Vampire Lucien Command them to leave?” I said the words “mighty vampire Lucien” in a fake pompous voice which was why I think Lucien yanked me in his arms and gave me a tight hug as he threw his head back and shouted with laughter.