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Catching my breath, I let out a low moan. “Oh yeah, that’s it, sugar. Deeper…deeper…I can’t believe how delicious you feel inside me. Never leave me…never stop.”
“I’m here for the long haul, baby. I’m yours…and I’m not going anywhere.” And then he picked up the pace, and everything fell away in the raw heat of our passion as I came, and came again.
By the time we were dressed and headed downstairs, it was nearing eight. Iris and the others were up and in full swing. Camille looked like she had the headache from hell, and she was shoveling in the waffles and bacon like she hadn’t eaten in a week. Menolly was, of course, in bed for the day, but looking out the window, I could see Smoky, Roz, and Vanzir erecting poles for the long tents we’d be putting up for the ceremony.
Once the tents were up—pale blue awnings and walls—we’d cover them with wreaths and silver ornaments.
Iris hadn’t wanted to hold her wedding in a fancy hall. She wanted it here, at her home, with all of her friends and family attending. Bruce’s mother and father were coming in via the barrows from Ireland and she was nervous. Time to meet the in-laws. Right now, though, she was holding Maggie, rocking back and forth with a cup of tea.
Hanna and Trillian were preparing breakfast. In the past couple of months, Hanna had adapted quickly, learning to use most of the household gadgets without fear. Trillian was teaching her how to read, and she’d learned enough English that her broken speech was passable in stores. She’d thrown herself into the task, grateful to be away from Hyto’s madness, away from the unending cold and gloom that had accompanied her indentured servitude.
I sat down at the table, Shade sitting beside me, and grabbed a clean plate off the stack. I stabbed two waffles and eight slices of bacon. Shade loaded up, too, and I blinked, suddenly thinking about our monthly food bills.
Even with the gardens Iris had put in, and the occasional cow Smoky brought home to fill the freezer, we were going through quite a bit of money. I also knew that Smoky supplemented the budget from his treasure trove. No one knew just how much he had stashed away, but he was a dragon, and over the centuries he’d accumulated quite a nice haul.>He was wearing a pair of brown cargo pants, holding an olive green ribbed turtleneck. His abs—rippled, muscled, with scars here and there from the past—led up to a chest that looked strong enough to bend bars. He probably could, being part dragon.
I glanced over at the bed where his boots—hiking boots—sat on the floor. I licked my lips, staring at his feet. They were handsome feet…and many a times I’d grappled those ankles in cat form. He’d just laugh and scoop me up and rub my belly while I purred, and then he’d throw my fur mice for me.
The sight of him standing there, a soft, slightly sly smile on his face, made my heart stand still. Maybe it was the fact that Iris was getting married. Maybe it was the realization that we’d lost five members of the Supe Community to some mad bomber. But right now, right here, all I could think of was how happy I was that Shade was with me. He was here, alive, and I loved him.
I slipped over to him, dropped my towel, and reached out. He took my hands in his, leading me back to the bed, where he sat down and I straddled his lap, staring into his eyes.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” His gaze was heavy, lidded, sultry. I ran one finger down his nose, then hooked it into the corner of his mouth gently.
“For being here. For being with me. For becoming my anchor. My rock.” And then, leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his, feeling the creamy velvet of his hands catch me around the waist and pull me to him. His fingers sizzled against my skin, lazily tripping up and down my spine.
As he stood, I wrapped my legs around his waist and he turned around to lay me on the bed. I let go of his neck and fumbled with his belt, unbuckling it and unzipping his pants. He slid them down and off, standing between my legs still, staring down at me with a gentle smile as his erection grew.
I sucked in a deep breath, staring at him, feeling the pulse in my stomach grow as my nipples stiffened. I bit my lower lip, waiting, as he ran his gaze over my body, his eyes lighting up as he knelt between my legs, his arms on either side of my waist.
“You up to this today?” Shade always waited, always let me take the lead. I hadn’t been used to it at first, but now I welcomed the question. I was growing stronger, and he seemed to recognize that I needed to learn how to be in charge.
I nodded. “Oh yes. The damishanya twisted my stomach, but the shower made me feel better. I need you.”
And I did. The loss of my friends, the attack on the hall, the realization that Iris was growing away from us—that she was not just here to make our lives complete but that she had a life of her own—had all conspired to bring the tears to the forefront. I tried to blink them away, but they were stubborn and before I could help it, they spilled out, trailing down my cheeks.
“What’s wrong, baby? What’s wrong?” Shade stared at me for a moment, and then, quick as a cat, he was by my side instead of looming over me, taking me in his arms and holding me.
“I…so much has happened. The explosion…Iris is pregnant…Camille’s assault—and our father didn’t even give a damn.” The pressure in my chest was hitting me hard and I ducked my head as I cried, leaning into his arms, shaking.
Shade scooted so he was up against the headboard of the bed, pulling me with him till we were leaning back against it. He brought the covers up over us and tucked me against his shoulder.
“Camille will be okay. Your father will—or will not—come around.”
“You don’t understand. All our lives, Camille was the strong one. If she can be hurt so badly, then anything can happen. You know how you always rely on someone to be there? To be the backbone? That’s gone. She’ll be okay, but there was a time when…I really thought she was dead. And everything changed.”
“But don’t you see, my love, that means that you have to step up and be the strong one. For yourself—not for anybody else, but just for you. And you’ve done that without realizing it. Do you know how strong you are? How incredibly proud I am of you?”
I looked into his face. His eyes were ancient—and I could smell the soft hints of bonfire smoke in his aura, a comforting scent that had become, for me, a cologne.
“Thank you.” I let out a sigh. “I do know that I’m stronger. I do know I’m growing up and I’m actually happy about it. But…it’s just…”
“Just what?”
Sucking in a deep breath, I finally shook my head. “Nothing. I just don’t deal with change well.” I shrugged, coughing off the phlegm that had gathered thanks to my waterworks. “I’m a cat. You know that we have trouble when our routines are interrupted.” As I tried to dash away the tears, he caught my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.
“Shhh…no—no, don’t blow this off so quickly. Don’t shortchange your emotions. Tell me everything.”
