I jumped with surprise at Lucian standing in the hall corner.
He rubbed his nose. “It’s permeating through the cracks in my door.” He pivoted on his heel and disappeared.
Atticus and I quietly laughed.
“It’s only been a week,” I said. “Maybe it’s too soon.”
“My blood healed you completely. Did you not say on that very night that you felt like your old self?”
“That’s not what I mean. I feel wonderful, but what if Violet needs me?”
He caressed my cheek. “She needs to bond with her alpha. You said so yourself. It’s only for the night.” His mouth touched the shell of my ear while he caressed my hips. “Give me this night. I’m going mad. I need to slide between your legs and feel that exquisite heat.” Atticus stroked between my legs.
My belly clenched at the sensual motion of his fingers.
“Get a room,” Virgil sang from the kitchen area.
“Go on ahead of me,” I whispered. “I’ll be there in a minute. There’s something I want to get first.”
“Don’t be long.” He delivered a scorching kiss before striding out the back door.
I loved the way he walked. Some men pretended to be confident and powerful, but he embodied those qualities, and it showed in the way he talked, the way he moved, and most definitely the way he kissed.
I breezed into the kitchen. Atticus and I were temporarily staying in the house since everyone wanted to be around the baby, but we planned to build a cottage soon to give Atticus privacy.
Tak had officially offered him a place in our pack, and he’d accepted without hesitation. But because of his sensitive hearing, Atticus needed a quiet place to unwind, and I didn’twant to be separated from him. Once we built the cottage, I intended on spending my days inside the main house, only using our cottage at night when we retired. There would also be times when Atticus needed privacy for a complete rest, and I wanted to be a considerate partner.
Because no one had been in the heat house lately, I decided to grab something to nibble on as this was our first night alone since the baby was born. Atticus and I had never been intimate the way a couple should be, and I was both nervous and excited. The butterflies were going crazy in my belly, and I hoped that my post-baby body wouldn’t disappoint him.
Virgil peeked at me over the open refrigerator door. “Whatchya need, sugarplum? Let me guess—salami.”
“It’s walnuts, remember? I don’t plan on shifting, you silly goose. Are there any of those blueberry muffins left?”
He opened up the microwave and pulled out a covered plate. “Would you like some milk with that?”
“Enough with the milk jokes.”
“Our fridge looks like a dairy farm.”
“Don’t youdaretouch the bottle on the counter. That’s for tonight.”
He winked. “Didn’t plan on it.”
“That’s what you said yesterday.”
He leaned against the counter. “I wanted to see if it tasted different. I have zero regrets.”
After grabbing a bottle of juice from the fridge, I slammed the door and watched Virgil pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms. His blue robe matched his slippers.
“I can’t stop thinking about when I died,” I said while staring vacantly at the kitchen fireplace. “I was outside my body and could see everything.”
“Sounds trippy. Might have been the drugs Milly gave you.”
I passed by him and stopped. “I could have sworn you looked right at me.”
After a bite of cereal, he shrugged. “I had an out-of-body experience once at a Grateful Dead concert. Remind me to tell you about it sometime. Too much acid is not a good thing.” He set down his bowl and hopped up on the kitchen island. “Have fun tonight. Be sure to give me the play-by-play in the morning. I’m curious how good he fucks. You sipped on his blood, so youknowwhat I’m talking about. I’ve never tasted that much power before.” Virgil munched on another spoonful, his eyes trained on the floor. “He’s had three thousand years to refine his technique, so he better be a god in the sack.”
“Hush up. If anyone asks about the muffins…”
