Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 138334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 692(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 692(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
“What?” she asked, giving him a sweet, joyful smile.
“I was just thinking the cops are going to arrest me for domestic abuse if they see you.”
She brought a hand to her neck and covered one of the bite marks. “I didn’t put on any concealer because we were going into the swamp. If it bothers you, I can go back to the house and put some makeup on.”
“Lotus, really? I’m the one who puts those marks all over your body. When I see them on you, all I can do is remember how they got there. I didn’t get to have you when we woke up so I intend to take full advantage when we go into the swamp.”
She laughed. He knew she would, and he’d waited for the sound. He loved that sound and the feeling it gave him of fingers trailing down his spine in a long caress. Sometimes he felt her palm stroking his cock. Other times, it was her cheek rubbing like a cat against his chest. Always, when she laughed, there was some kind of physical reaction.
“Why am I not surprised, Leopard Boy?”
She had introduced him to the art of teasing. He was introducing her to the art of sex. All kinds of sex. She took her lessons seriously and she liked to practice. She wanted to be good at everything she did. He knew a part of her didn’t like that he had had so many partners and she was determined to be his best partner in every aspect of sex. No matter how many times he reassured her that she was perfection for him, she hadn’t yet built up her confidence when it came to their sex life.
He flashed a lecherous grin and tugged at her hair. They had a show to put on, but he needed to know she was good. They could put this off for another day or so.
“You have a good visit with Evangeline?”
Meiling nodded. “Too short, but good. She’s so nice, Gedeon. I liked Ashe too. She’s edgier than Evangeline. I’m glad she’s there, though. Next time we’re in San Antonio, I’m hoping to meet the twins. She has a little nursery set up down the hall from the bakery. Her nanny watches them while she and Ashe work. She can feed them and go in and play or visit them and be close if there’s a problem. That’s so smart. Fyodor had a monitor system set up so she can see them anytime, whether she’s behind the counter or in the kitchen.”
Gedeon remained silent while he reached for her hand and pulled it across the table to his chest. “We talked about having children, but when we did, we glossed over it. You are aware during the heat cycle, birth control will not work. It will rarely work at any other time for us. It all depends on the female and the male.”
She nodded, but her gaze slid from his. “I’m aware.”
“And we fuck like bunny rabbits. More to the point, I’m pretty brutal, baby. I’m rough. The possibility of you getting pregnant is high.”
“Maybe,” she conceded.
“Look at me, Meiling. Eyes to mine. This is important to both of us, although we should have had this conversation before the fact, not after.” He waited until she complied, and he was staring into her dark brown eyes. She looked at him with trepidation. Her fingers had curled into a fist against his chest. He reached with his free hand and uncurled her fingers one by one. He brought them to his mouth and sucked each one inside.
Meiling’s eyes widened, and her breath hitched. She looked around and then her shocked gaze settled back on him. “Gedeon.”
“Yes, Lotus, it’s Gedeon. You want to have children with me, don’t you?”
“Yes, but . . .” She trailed off, a delicate frown marring her face.
“I need to hear your objection, baby, or I can’t fix it.”
“Did you see all the bodyguards everywhere? I mean everywhere. Not just in the building, but outside of it. They were everywhere, Gedeon. If we have children, we’d have to hire bodyguards. Given our pasts, we’d have no choice. They’d have to be protected at all times.”
The tension in him subsided. “That’s what you’re concerned about? Their safety? I’m prepared for that. Lotus, I surround you with bodyguards when I’m not with you. You object so I just have them pull back a little further, but they’re required to stay on you. Naturally our children would have bodyguards.”
She leaned toward him. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“I’ll let you if you let me lick the sugar off your lower lip,” he teased, and proceeded to do just that. He framed her face with his hands and first took off the smudge of powdered sugar from the beignets and then brought his mouth down to hers.