King Tomb (Forever Evermore, #3)(58)
He grunted softly, mumbling sleepily, “Don’t wiggle your ass like that or we’ll be in this bed all morning long and people might wonder where the hell we are.”
I stilled, whispering, “Sorry.”
He squeezed my hand, his voice gruff with sleep. “Plus, I have to pee.”
I blinked then chuckled softly. “I married a romantic.”
“A realist, more like.” He sighed. “Hell, now I seriously have to pee.”
Glancing at the time, I then stared at the poor alarm clock, which appeared to be on its last leg, as if it had been in one too many fights with my Vampire husband and had lost most of those battles. “You know, when you have to start duct taping your alarm clock so it’ll stay together, it’s probably time to get a new one.”
“If you can’t duct it…,” he rumbled, stretching behind me, his legs interweaving with mine, the coarse hairs on his legs tickling my smooth skin.
I blinked. “Maybe I could find one for you that’s industrial grade.”
He snorted. “I’d rather not have an alarm clock with Bambi buttons or duck designs or cartoon characters on it.” A pause, then polite words. “But thank you for the thought.”
I scowled at the ugly alarm clock. “I wouldn’t get you one like that, but even if I did, it would be better than that eyesore.”
“I like that eyesore, so don’t even think about it.” He pulled me onto my back and lay on top of me in one swift motion. Remarkable, sleepy green eyes stared down at me, his red and black hair a rumpled mess all over his head. He actually appeared adorable like this as his gaze scanned my face, which I would never tell him since he was a man who prided himself on being tough and cruel, so he would probably take my assessment as a knock to his virile ego. Leisurely, he lifted his hand and placed his index finger on my chin, and he began gliding it down the curve of my jaw, making me want to lean into the touch as he watched his digit’s motion. “And I didn’t mind you so much sleeping in bed with me.” His lashes lifted, granting me better access to his striking eyes as he spoke quietly, “How about you?”
My lips curved, and I told the truth. “For the first time in a long time, I slept like a baby.” I tapped his straight nose softly. “And speaking of which, I need to go check on ours.” And give us both time to cope with what we had done together last night.
His lips twitched. “Are you sure you’re up for the walk of shame?”
Yeah, I knew I would be seeing a few Mysticals out at this pre-dawn hour heading back into their own tents, some with heads raised and grinning while others stared at the ground, wondering what the hell they had been thinking the night before. “I can do it, if they can.”
His wide lips straightened as he stared me in the eyes for a long moment. “We’re good?”
I bit my lip, watching him as closely as he was me. “I think so.”
“I think so, too.” His eyebrows furrowed. “I mean, it was only sex between a married couple.”
Yeah, we both sounded as if we were trying to convince ourselves of this…and we were. “I’d better go. I want to be there before Isa wakes up.” It had definitely been more intense than your everyday, simple sex between a married couple.
We had — if this was a way to explain it — met each other in a flawless unification of connecting bliss, the give and take between us perfectly matched. So no, it hadn’t been your everyday, run of the mill sex.
And we obviously needed time to process this as he nodded once quickly. “I understand.”
I felt my lips twitch with humor as he continued staring. “You’ll have to get off me then.”
He sucked in a quick breath, rolling off me to sit on the edge of the bed, his strong, muscled back to me. “This is a little weird.”
Yeah, I got that too, so I threw him a line. “No weirder than the fact that I would love to sink my teeth into each of your mocha hot-as-f*ck ass cheeks.”
There was a beat of silence, then he chuckled quietly, shoulders slightly shaking as he glanced over one to me. “That is a bit weird.”
I shrugged, keeping the blanket over my chest, oddly shy even after last night. “But that still doesn’t stop me wanting to do it.”
His eyes skimmed down my face, a small smile lifting his lips as he murmured deeply, “Yeah, definitely.” Then he raised a cocky eyebrow, speaking plainly instead of in code as we had been. “Perhaps next time?”
I waggled my eyebrows playfully, knowing he was seriously offering as I lifted on one arm and kept myself covered with the other. “Most definitely.” And yes, I would be having many helpings of this man, no matter the obvious cost to my soul…because it was already beginning to feel like he completed it.
It was after reminding Ezra to make sure he showered — and to not allow a Shifter into his bedroom until he washed his sheets so no one knew he’d had sex with a wolf Shifter, since the sexual fluids of a Shifter gave away their animal — and after he had called off his guard, that I left his tent unseen. I picked up Isa at Antonio’s tent and spent a few mommy-withdrawal early hours with my daughter before handing her over to Bindi. Eventually I walked into the conference room of headquarters, surprised at what I saw.
I stopped directly inside the tent’s flap and quickly assessed the additional occupants to the room. Apart from the usual Elders, the room also contained Elder Fergus, Elder Kincaid, Elder Nelson, and Elder Venclaire. Eyes widening, I smiled instantly — a real one — as Elder Kincaid rose from a leather chair, stalked toward me, and wrapped me in a huge bear hug, crushing me. I barely wheezed, “I missed you, too.”