“Maddy, I swear, I won’t let any harm come to you. Not to you, and not to our baby. I promise it. Do you hear me?”
She didn’t answer. Her tears came freely, and she fell into my arms. I wrapped her in a hug, rubbing her back. Glancing over her shoulder, I noted the fear and sadness on everyone’s faces. It should have been the most joyous moment, one to celebrate. Instead, Viola had infected everything with her venom. Even this had been spoiled. I gritted my teeth, visualizing the terrible things I’d do to that bitch once I got my hands on her. I was done with her stealing things from me. If it were the last thing I did, I’d make sure she paid and paid dearly.
123
MADDY
Iwas pregnant. No amount of denial could change it. Nico’s cousin, Eliza, gave me a pregnancy test she had stuffed in the back of her medicine cabinet. Despite my deepest hope, two lines appeared on the stick. I couldn’t turn my back on the facts—I had to live with it.
My heart was a little broken. Iwantedkids—always had. The idea of having a new person growing and sheltering inside me had been one of my deepest dreams. The problem was, I hadn’t expected it to happen while I was hiding out behind a magic forcefield with the whole world searching for me and a psychotic mastermind pulling strings to bring me to her. So much danger and so little time to relax and enjoy anything. My fear of the unknown increased a hundred percent now that there was more at stake than my own life.
Regardless of what everyone told me, if it came down to the people I loved versus myself, I wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice my life for them. Now? Now someone else was relying on me to stay alive. They were growing inside me, sleeping peacefully within my womb. All the excitement I should have experienced wasmarred with fear. It saddened me and overwhelmed me with anguish.
Nico found me in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and crying. Not pretty girl crying with delicate drops shimmering on eyelashes. No, it was that nasty, snotty, ugly crying. My makeup was running down my face, my eyes bloodshot, my nose red, and tissues piled on the floor. Definitely the sexiest I’d ever looked. Had to be. No question.
“Hey,” I said, the end of the word tilting up into a high-pitched whine. I sounded ridiculous.
“Maddy, baby, are you okay?” He sat with me and put an arm around my shoulders.
I unloaded all my fears and anxieties on him and told him the thousand different terrible scenarios I’d played through my head since finding out. He listened without interrupting, not even when I shared the nightmarish visions I had about how Viola could use this against us. By the time I was done, I was pretty much cried out.
Nico ran a hand through my hair. “You’ve got valid concerns.”
“Really?” I squeaked, my throat raw from sobbing. “Some of it sounds crazy to me.”
He nodded in agreement. “Maybe a few. But you still have good reasons to be worried. This is huge. A massive change. I know you’re scared. So am I. The thing is, there’s still joy to be had. The little surprise is one of the best things to happen in my life. In either of our lives.”
I blew my nose, then laughed. “I didn’t think one time without a condom would be enough.”
“Well, all it takes is one time. But you were also in heat, which increases your chances of conceiving. That’s my fault. I should have thought about it and grabbed one.”
I’d been insatiable that night. Waking up with my clit swollen and throbbing, my fingers thrust inside me, desperate for it to be him. The entire three days were hazy at best, but some things were still clear in my mind. I’d never experienced anything like it in my life. From the moment I woke up, I’d basically accosted him.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Well, it’s nice that you think that, but I didn’t really give you a chance. Don’t blame yourself. I don’t.”
The memories of what we’d done to each other clicked through my mind like a slideshow, sending a warm tingle through my stomach: my mouth on his cock, his tongue buried inside me, Nico’s cock thrusting into my ass and pussy. My cheeks went red as I recalled the visions.
Nico put a finger on my chin and turned my face to his. A rumbling growl rose from his chest. “What are you thinking about?”
My face grew unbelievably hot. “Probably something I shouldn’t. Not at a time like this.”
Nico leaned forward, kissing me before I could say another word. He pulled me close, and I sank into his body, letting my thoughts and worries vanish. He urged me upward, and I stood. He walked me over to the bed—our lips melded together, tongues dancing. Our breathing became one as he led me to the bed.
Lowering me gently to the mattress, Nico broke the kiss and gazed into my eyes. “Nothing will ever hurt you. You are mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
The warmth that had been building inside me surged into an inferno. I grabbed his shirt and tugged him onto me, kissing him with urgency. My tears had dried, and all I wanted was him and a few moments of peace and happiness.
Nico undressed me, piling my clothing next to the bed. His hands slipped across my skin, slow and gentle. Across my belly,down my thighs, the slope of my collarbone, and the curve of my breasts. The entire time, he gazed into my eyes, connecting to me wordlessly. I ached for him but wanted this to go on forever. The feel of his body against mine filled me with hope and confidence, and his fingers gliding over my skin made me wet.
When his thumb flicked across my nipple, I gasped and arched my back as electric energy seemed to shoot from the tip of my breast down to my clit. My free hand fumbled with his zipper and quickly tugged him free. Already hard, I stroked him and watched as the blanket of pleasure fell over him. His eyes glazed over, and a grunt of satisfaction burst from his chest.
Nico slid a hand between my legs, his fingers finding me hot, wet, and ready. One finger slid inside me, then another. I sucked in my lip, clamping my teeth down as he curled his fingers to stroke me. A breathy moan escaped me. Our eyes remained locked. The rigid flesh in my hand pulsed with heat, and I wanted it inside me. I’d never wanted anything more.
“I want you,” I murmured.
With a nod, Nico shimmied out of his pants and nestled himself between my legs, his cock resting on my belly, his balls pressed against my pussy as he leaned down to kiss me. I ran my hands along his back, pressing my tongue into his mouth. He cupped my breasts, gently pinching my nipples in a way that was sure to drive me mad.
With a slight flick of his hips, his cock slid down my slit. With aching slowness, he entered me. My mouth dropped open in a silent scream as he filled me. I looked down and watched as inch after inch of him vanished within me. When he was fully sheathed inside me, he pulled me to him, hugging my body to his, holding me like that without moving like we were one being. One living thing. Nothing had ever felt so good. Soright.
