"You taste like the sweetest of nectars. If we could stop time, would you let me stay right here? I could feast on you for hours and never get enough." He began deliberate strokes over her clit, pushing her climb toward madness.
"Darian! Please! Don't tease me anymore," she begged.
She felt his body move between her legs as his hands slipped under her body to release the clasp on her bra. He pulled it from her body, exposing her breasts.
"How can one woman be so perfect?" His voice was louder now that he was closer.
His hot mouth wrapped around her nipple, and he tugged and twisted mercilessly. When his hand reached between their bodies to circle her clit, she cried out and bucked against him wanting more, needing more.
"Open your eyes, my love," he whispered.
Her eyes flew open to see him leaning over her, his lavender eyes bright.
"My love?"
"How could I not love the crazy female who kneed me to prove that I wouldn't hurt her? How could I not love the woman who is willing to descend into hell rather than lose me? I have so very little to offer you, not even a certain future, and you give to me at every turn--your trust, your faith, your body. How could I not love you?" He buried his face between her neck and her shoulder.
"I've loved you for so long," she sobbed. It felt like a dream having him here with her. She wrapped her arms around his head and her legs around his waist. She would never let him go.
He pulled back to look down at her. "I wish I could give you more."
She sniffed and let her tears fall over her temples. "All I have ever wanted was you."
"I don't deserve you."
She began to protest, and he kissed her lightly on the lips. "I don't. I know this. But Goddess willing, I will have enough time on this Earth to make up for the sadness I have caused you."
"I wish I had found you a month ago," she whispered.
When he realized she was referring to her conception cycle, his eyes filled with tears. "I can do no less than try to hold on for the next year. Nothing could honor me more than for you to have my child."
"I'll hold you to that, princess." She smiled.
His eyes danced, and he leaned down to nip her collarbone, making her laugh. "We need to talk about this nickname you've given me."
"I like it." She grinned.
"You need a nickname, too, then," he said, kissing her neck.
She sighed. "I have one."
He pulled back and looked down at her. "What is it?"
She shook her head. "Nope, I'm never telling you. I'll never hear the end of it."
His smile was wicked. "I'll find out." He reached down, and seconds later, she felt him begin to push inside of her. She lifted her hips to end his slow impalement. He kept eye contact and chuckled. "None of that. You've been in control all your life; it's my turn."
Inch by inch, as he stretched her, she realized two things: One: Sex toys couldn't compare to the heated flesh that she felt. Two: She should have been using larger toys. She was just about to tell him to stop when her body stretched again, accommodating his size. She breathed out a sigh of relief.
His eyes were filled with concern. "Are you well? Should I stop?"
"You stop and I'll kill you. Just give me a second to adjust."
His eyes crinkled when he smiled, and he kissed the tip of her nose. "Trust me?"
She nodded. He took her at her word. He leaned down and bit her neck as he plunged deep into her. The pain from the bite turned the burning sensation from his stretching her into pleasure, and her body short-circuited between the pain and pleasure.
"Gods! Yes! More, Gods, more!"
With a deliberate rhythm, he worked his body in and out of hers, each thrust causing them both to cry out. She had never felt so strung out like this. The time he spent not touching her had built up her desire to unimaginable proportions. Each time he didn't touch her intensified a hundred fold the times he did.
When he began to increase his pace, she knew he was close. He reached between them and placed a finger on either side of her clit. Every time his hips surged forward, he stroked her with his movements. When he threw back his head and roared his release, she easily followed him.
For a few seconds, they enjoyed the feeling of being intertwined before he pulled out of her. Grinning like a schoolboy, he stared down at her. Breathing heavily, she flipped him off. Laughing, he headed toward the bathroom and came back with a washcloth.
He cleaned her gently, kissing her belly and using his finger to tickle her opening. When she clutched down involuntarily, she groaned. She would be feeling this tomorrow. He disposed of the washcloth in the bathroom, returned to bed, and pulled her into the curve of his body.
"It's so quiet," he murmured.
"I thought so, too, after visiting your room." She yawned and snuggled into his chest.
"You'll move to my room tomorrow."
"Oh, I will, huh?" She poked at his side, making him laugh.
He pulled back so he could look her in the eye. "Would you do me the honor of moving into my quarters?"
"Yes, my prince." She yawned again and got comfortable. For the first time since meeting him, she fell asleep hopeful of the future.
*****
Amelia woke the next morning to soft kisses on her face. When she opened her eyes, Darian was smiling down at her. "Morning, sleepyhead."
"What time is it?" She sat up and saw that he was already dressed in his black fatigues.
"Not even seven. Breakfast is at eight. I thought you'd like time to get ready." The difference in him was amazing. There was life in his eyes, and he hadn't stopped smiling.
"You look..."
He laughed. "I hardly recognize myself. I woke up this morning and the darkness was nearly gone. I haven't felt this good in years."
"So it's still there?"
He nodded. "Maybe it will always be there, which means you will have to help me keep it at bay." He grinned at her and tugged at the sheet covering her body.
"Darian! Horndog! What have I created?" She jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom.
"Need help?" he offered.
"No, thank you. If you come in here, I won't get anything done."
His masculine laughter was cut short when she shut the door.
Men!
She replayed the events from the night before. Squeezing her legs together, she shook her head. She turned on the shower and quickly went through the motions of getting ready. She put on her makeup and smiled at her fresh-faced appearance. She loved her job, but didn't feel like doing a complete look every day. Wrapped in her towel, she walked into the room and pulled out her suitcase. Darian watched her get ready.
"What happened to your suitcase?"
"I was in a rush trying to get ready for you last night."
"So your suitcase exploded?"
She nodded. "Pretty much."
She dug her way through her clothes and pulled out her favorite jeans and a cream sweater. She was debating between her green boy-cut panty set and the blue when she heard Darian clear his throat behind her.
"Blue."
She turned. He was staring at the navy blue lace set as if it were the rarest treasure on the planet.
"Blue it is." She stood and let the towel drop, quickly pulled on her bra and panties, and could have sworn she heard her mate whimper. Bending over, she shimmied her breasts into place. She grabbed a pair of socks, put those on, and then slid on her jeans. Finally, she pulled on her sweater.
"Warmth!" She snuggled her face into the neckline.
"Come on, love, I can smell breakfast from here." Darian stood and held out his arm.
She had imagined how life with him would be. He'd never know how happy it made her for him to escort her down to breakfast.
Amelia hummed happily as they walked into the dining room. The men stood, nodded at her, and sat when she did.
"She's alive!" Beth declared with a smile.
Amelia blinked,
thinking that Beth was referring to the amazing night she had shared with Darian. Her confusion must have shown because Meryn elaborated.
"You're up before noon." Meryn yawned.
Ryuu was already passing out cups of steaming beverages. He turned to her. "Itoko-sama what would you like before breakfast?"
"Before breakfast?"
Darian chuckled at her side. "We have learned to appease the beast before we start eating." He pointed to a bleary-eyed Meryn who was blowing on her mug.
"The beast, huh?" She turned to Ryuu. "I'll just have a cup of coffee."
Ryuu nodded and picked up a carafe. "Cream? Sugar?" He turned over her cup. As he poured, the rich smell of coffee filled the air. "Yes please, both, and lots of each."
Ryuu poured milk into a tiny creamer on his serving cart. He set the creamer and a sugar bowl on a small silver tray and set them beside her coffee cup.
"Thank you, this smells amazing." She lifted the cup and inhaled deeply.
Ryuu nodded, his expression intent. "We take our coffee very seriously around here."
"Thank the Gods we do! Ryuu, can I get what you normally serve Rheia? The coffee with the espresso?" Keelan collapsed into his chair. Ryuu immediately headed for the kitchen.
"What's the matter buddy? Sandman kick your ass?" Colton laughed.
Keelan looked up with a murderous glare. "Why in the fuck are you so happy?" he growled.
Colton jerked back as if he had been electrocuted. Everyone around the table stared. To Amelia Keelan just seemed more like Kendrick than usual.
Colton stood, his eyes wild, and looked down at his mate. "Fix him! He caught a case of Meryn!"
Rheia rolled her eyes and pulled her mate back down into his chair. Penny giggled at her father's actions.
Meryn growled. "I am not contagious, asshole."
Ryuu swept in from the kitchen, a tall mug in hand. "I made it extra strong." He set it down in front of the witch and stepped back.
Eyes half closed, Keelan took his first sip and grimaced but kept drinking. His eyes opened slowly, and he blinked, looking around the table. "What's for breakfast?"
"We have an assortment of bagels and pastries," Ryuu answered turning to head back into the kitchen.
Keelan nodded and yawned. "Sounds good."
Aiden stared at him. "Everything okay?" he asked in a very neutral voice.
"Yeah, I'm just working through some stuff. Oh! Here, I finished it last night when I couldn't sleep." He stood and walked to the other side of the table, stopping in front of Meryn. He handed her something, and she stared at it for a second, looked up at him and then back down, and squealed. She popped out of her chair and threw herself at Keelan, hugging him tight.
Amelia exchanged looks with Darian who shrugged. Amelia turned back to Meryn. "Meryn, what is it?"
Meryn was hopping up and down, trying to kiss Keelan's face. Aiden scooped her up and set her back down in her chair. She was so excited she was practically shaking. Keelan made his way back to his chair and sat down.
"He made me a sonic screwdriver!" Meryn waved the cylindrical metal object around.
Beth turned to Keelan. "I didn't know you knew that much about science."
Keelan shrugged and took another sip of coffee. "Who needs science when you have magic?"
Meryn turned it over in her hands. "What does it do?"
"I recorded the sound that the sonic screwdriver makes from the show; it plays that when you press the button," he explained.
Meryn looked crestfallen. "Is that all?"
Keelan shook his head. "No, it plays that sound when you press the green button and launches a stun spell when you press the white button. Each spell is set to knock out a full-grown vampire, the paranormal race least susceptible to electric shock. I think it has a hundred charges stored. When you run out, Ryuu should be able to charge it for you."
Meryn covertly began eyeing her mate, her finger twitching over the button.
"No," Aiden said.
"But..."
"No, Meryn, you cannot test it on me." Aiden gave her a stern look and kissed her forehead.
Amelia could tell that her baby sister-cousin was dying to see it in action.
Meryn turned and stared at Colton.
"No," Rheia said.
"Y'all are no fun." Meryn set her screwdriver down next to her plate, but kept looking at it longingly.
"Breakfast is served," Ryuu announced as he wheeled the cart in. One by one, everyone picked what they wanted. Amelia was stuck. She wanted a bagel but also wanted something sweet.
Darian leaned in. "Get both."
She kissed his cheek and did as he advised. She selected an asiago cheese bagel and a raspberry and cream cheese danish.
"Look who is all kissy-face this morning," Meryn teased.
Amelia looked up and Meryn winked. She grinned back and gave Meryn a thumbs up. The men chuckled.
Darian turned to her. "Speaking of last night, you said you had three brothers and three half-brothers. As far as I know Caiden, Kyran and Tristan are the only Ironwoods I know."
"Well, technically, Caiden, Kyran, and Tristan are my half-brothers. Thane, Justice, and Law aren't related to me at all; they are Caiden, Kyran, and Tristan's half-brothers. But growing up, we never made the distinctions, and they all looked after me."
She heard a fork drop and looked over at Colton who was staring at her.
"What?"
"You can't mean Thane, Justice, and Law Ashleigh?" he choked out.
"Yeah, why?" she looked around in confusion; even Darian looked impressed.
"Because they are like ghosts. They work completely outside the system and don't report to anyone. Frankly, they are fucking badass." Colton's voice was full of reverence.
Meryn glared at Aiden. "More people you forgot to mention?"
Aiden shook his head. "Baby, no one tells them what to do. Even the council can't order them to do anything; they live by their own code. Every fifty years or so, I extend the offer for them to join a unit, but they always decline."
"So how are they related to your brothers?" Gavriel asked.
Amelia spread cream cheese on her bagel. "The Ironwood brothers and the Ashleigh brothers have the same mother. The Ashleigh brothers were born about fifteen hundred years before Caiden, but unlike the Ironwood brothers, the Ashleigh brothers are triplets."
"Rumors are true then," Gavriel said, rubbing his chin.
"It explains their strength," Aiden added.
"How is that special?" Meryn asked. Rheia was the only other one who looked confused.
Amelia realized that they didn't know because they were human. "Meryn, multiple births are really rare amongst paranormals. The essence of what we are tends to demand all of the mother's resources in the womb. Shifters have their animal, vampires their strength, fae their light and witches their magic. Usually, in instances of multiple births, one baby becomes dominant and tragically kills their sibling by taking all the nutrients. Twins are rare and triplets are considered divine gifts."
"We have a set of twins serving in the units don't we?" Meryn asked.
Aiden nodded. "Yes, Nigel and Neil Morninglory, they are twin witches from Storm Keep."
"What was it like growing up with legends for older brothers?" Colton asked, his face alight with hero worship.
Amelia laughed out loud. "Difficult. I used to call Thane all the time to complain that Caiden hated me and didn't want me to have any fun. Thane would let me cry and vent then explain how much Caiden loved me because he wouldn't let me jump from the castle battlements like the boys did. Even though we're not related by blood, they spoiled me terribly."
"Do you think they'll like me?" Meryn asked in an unusually quiet voice.
Amelia stared and then she remembered Meryn was now family. She had forgotten such an important fact after being with Darian. "They are going to freaking love you! Especially Thane. He's like you and Kendrick; they don't like people either."
Ai
den choked on his danish. "Oh Gods! She is related to them now."
"Ha ha! Wait until I tell them you locked me in your trunk." Meryn grinned.
Aiden turned milk-white. "Now, baby..."
Amelia heard a roaring in her ears, and it felt like ice covered her heart. "You did what?" she asked through clenched teeth. It felt like the floor had shifted under their feet.
One moment she was glaring at Aiden, the next, Darian turned her and took full possession of her lips. His tongue teased hers, and she felt her anger drain away. When he pulled back, the concern on his face was clear to see. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, thank you for the help." Amelia couldn't believe what she had almost done.
"What just happened?" Beth asked, gripping the table.
Embarrassed, Amelia covered her face. She had almost lost control of her magic like an untrained child. "I'm so sorry! I haven't lost control like that in a while. I normally don't get angry like that. It's just the idea of poor Meryn locked away..."
Colton laughed. She removed her hands and glared at him. He held up his hands in surrender. "You didn't get the full story. Aiden put her in his trunk after she knocked him out with the back of his toilet and used his head as a kickboxing bag. She ended up denting the shit out of his trunk."
Amelia blinked and slowly began to smile. "Ryuu did mention that bear shifters were susceptible to toilet decks."
Aiden growled. "Anyone would be. Those things are heavy!"
"Again!" Penny yelled, her face glowing with excitement.
Rheia shook her head. "No pumpkin dumpling, the ground shaking isn't good for the house." Penny frowned looking disappointed.
Aiden winked at the small child. "How about we give your grandmother a couple hours off this afternoon, and you can help me train the men again?"
Penny brightened and rewarded Aiden with a smile. " 'Kay!"
Aiden looked like he would swagger in his chair if he could. He was that proud of himself for making the small child smile.
Amelia felt Penny's excitement and could relate. The days she got to 'play' with her brother's units were some of her best memories growing up. She'd have to give Penny pointers before they left.