Page 65 of Palace of Betrayal

Her hand brushed his forehead as Waggs checked him over; the Eidolon team were all fully qualified in field medicine because of the work they did for the Queen. Zenobi and Eidolon worked some missions together, but this hadn’t been the original plan for this operation. At least not to her knowledge. She had no clue why they were there and had no energy to ask right now. She was just grateful they were.

“Looks like a concussion, but he seems fine. Maybe a few bruises.”

Her heart finally began to steady at the news Leo was okay. “Thank God.”

“Let me check you out.”

Bebe attempted to brush off the concern with a wave of her hand. “I’m fine.”

Leo squeezed her knee and groaned as he moved to sit up.

Bebe pushed him back down. “You stay down. You must have hit your head pretty hard if it knocked you out.”

“Let him check you over.”

“Fine.”

Bebe knew better than to argue with Leo or her friend, allowing him to check her over as she kept a very close eye on the man next to her.

“You should get an x-ray on those ribs to rule out a break, but I suspect it’s just bruising.”

Bebe had no intention of wasting her time on an x-ray when she trusted Waggs when he said it was just bruising.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she does.”

Bebe attempted to glare at Leo, but it fell flat when he brought her palm to his lips and kissed her tenderly, making her belly turn to goo.

Offering him a gentle smile, she knew she needed to tell him how she felt. This had stopped being a pretend relationship days ago. If she was honest, she wasn’t sure it ever had been. It was a blow from left field, but Cupid had hit her right in the heart when she met Prince León of Soflye. Whether he felt the same she didn’t dare guess, but she had to lay her truth on him and let the chips fall because she couldn’t live her life with what-ifs. She’d spent years doing that very thing and it had got her nowhere fast.

Mitch threw the rope ladder down and the helo quickly filled with Roz, Kanan, who was carrying a bound and gagged Atticus over his shoulder, and finally Brody James. Bebe leaned her head back against the metal of the helo as Gunner flew them out of there and back to dry land. She had so many questions but right now all she needed was a few minutes alone with the man she loved.

Twenty-Four

A hand curled over her breast as the warm water cascaded over her skin. Bebe leaned back into hard muscle and let Leo take her lips in a kiss that was languorous and full of passion. Sliding a hand down the flat of her belly, his fingers found her wet sex. Lifting her arm, Bebe wrapped it around his neck, ignoring the pinch of pain in her ribs. This was what she needed, this connection with him to restore the balance of the last twenty-four hours of hell.

The emotion they shared, the intimacy of having him inside her made her soften against the steely strength of her feelings for him. Releasing her, Leo spun her to face him, gently lifting her so her legs wrapped around his hips, his hard length rubbing against her clit until she was delirious with need for him.

“I thought I’d lost you.”

His words, whispered against her breast as he lavished her with attention, went straight to her heart. His mouth and hands worked over her skin with fervour as if the drive to touch every inch of her consumed him.

“You won’t lose me, Leo. Not if you want me.” The stark honesty she offered him made her pulse beat faster.

“I want to make love to you with nothing between us, but only if you want that.”

Bebe was lost in a haze of lust, her body screaming at her to beg him to fill her. To claim a part of her body like he had her heart. “I’m not protected.”

She knew now wasn’t the time to explain her crusade to get pregnant alone and she hated that she had to stop him from something they both craved. If and when they ever got to that point, it would be by his choice too, not a moment of passion that might leave him with regrets. She cared too deeply to ever trap him and take away his choices.

He kissed her upturned mouth, slanting his head and flicking his tongue against hers as he claimed her. That was the only way to describe it, a claiming. Opening the shower door, he walked with her body still wrapped around his to the bed they’d shared and lowered her to the soft duvet.

Her eyes were heavy with lust and love as she watched him reach into the drawer by his bed and retrieve a condom. He stroked his length with a firm grip, teasing her as he held her eyes. Her body burned with the need for him, the ache in her pussy consuming her as she ran her hand down over her sensitive nipples, his gaze hot as he watched her. Her fingertips pressed her clit, and she heaved out a sigh of pleasure before her hand was brushed away and he was there.

Her hands clutched his shoulders as he eased between her thighs, his cock brushing against her clit and making her moan.

“I love you, Bebe. I love you so damn much.”

She had no time to react or reply before he was pushing into her body, every inch of him penetrating her soul. They kissed, neither of them seeming to be able to get enough as the pressure inside her built. Her legs began to quiver as his pelvis stimulated her aching clit, his cock rubbing along that secret place inside her, with every stroke.