“They work together so well. Look how fast they are.”
“They’re shifters,” Gedeon’s voice held amusement. “You’re fast at anything you do.”
“I suppose.” She leaned her chin onto the heel of her hand. “I like her, Gedeon. Evangeline. I’ve met so many people in our business, but she’s the first person I’ve ever met that I felt comfortable around. The kind of comfortable that I’d be willing to kick off my shoes and put my feet up and just talk and laugh with for an evening.”
“She is rather special,” Gedeon agreed.
“And she’s with Fyodor Amurov.”
“Because he’s a smart man and he recognized right off that she was someone extraordinary. Just as I’m a smart man and I recognized that you are. Men like Fyodor and Timur, they search everywhere, all over the world, looking for that one woman, but honestly, Lotus, they don’t expect to find her. It isn’t just that the world is a big place and there aren’t very many females left, it’s that they know they aren’t good men, and they don’t deserve a mate, let alone someone extraordinary.”
Meiling’s gaze jumped to Gedeon’s face. She knew he was talking about himself. He identified with Fyodor and Timur Amurov. “I love looking at you, Gedeon,” she whispered. “Just looking at you. When I do, I feel safe.” She studied the angles and planes of his face, feature by feature. “And happy. Looking at you makes me happy.”
He cupped the side of her face with his palm, his thumb tracing her lips. “Men like Fyodor and Timur... men like me. When we find that one woman who rocks our world, we hold on tight to her and do everything in our power tomake her happy. I know you want to be friends with Evangeline, and I think the feeling is mutual considering she asked the bodyguards to make certain you waited until rush hour was over.”
“She did, didn’t she?”
“She’s coming this way now,” Gedeon said. “And she’s beaming.”
Meiling looked up. Evangeline was beaming, but then, she always was when Meiling saw her.
17
GEDEONspread drawing paper on the small table he shared with Meiling in the early morning hours at the Café Du Monde. There were very few customers, but that wouldn’t last long. Within the next half hour, the tables would fill, and the line would be long. They had grabbed a table close to the side exit on the open platform. Near them was a smaller table, and a single male sat there reading while he enjoyed his coffee. Three tables over were three women dressed in suits. A table over from them held four people, who all obviously worked together opening a restaurant.
Meiling pushed back hair that had escaped from the single ponytail she’d quickly pulled her hair into that morning when she’d crawled out of bed and into the shower. Gedeon looked up from the paper to examine her in the early morning light. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her lips looked bruised. There were smudges on her shoulders where skin was exposed. He could see bruising onher neck as well as teeth marks. He hated to think what her body would reveal if he had her strip right there. He should have checked her over before they started out this morning. It was only day three of Whisper’s heat. He had no idea if other heats were as violent as Whisper’s. Hell. He should have asked. Anyone looking at her would think she was a victim of domestic abuse.
“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. Theyhad 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.”
