For a brief moment, the lights surge to blinding levels before the bedside lamp explodes. The lampshade contains the shrapnel, some of it embedding in the cloth, and the rest falling in a rain of glass against the table. Raiden catches and holds my sheepish gaze before barking out a laugh, languidly untangling himself from the confines of my legs and flopping onto the bed beside me.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” he says between ragged breaths, pulling me into his side.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I pant, twisting to a more comfortable position. “But I suppose your reputation will survive another night, at least.”
The second my cheek lands on his chest, exhaustion hits me like a tidal wave and I’m out like the lights.
Chapter 13
Kodiak
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Taking a picture ofthe piece of art laid out before me, I send a copy to Raiden. Not only to marvel how fucking perfect our mate looks right now, but because I know damn well he’ll be framing a copy to keep at his desk. Hopefully some constant subliminal messaging will finally get the message through his thick skull; he gets the best sleep of his life with Amara curled against his side. No waking up from nightmares, and he spends the next day getting twice as much done because he’s actually rested and refreshed.
But I’m more than a little annoyed he thought we should hold off on sex, only to fuck our mate into a coma the second they were alone.
Crawling onto the bed, I start at Amara’s wrist, kissing a path up her arm to her shoulder. “You naughty little temptress, seducing our fearless leader into finally getting some sleep. I’m so proud of your devious mind. And a little scare-roused of how thoroughly your pussy can suck the soul out of a man’s body and render him unconscious.”
She groans, burrowing her face into Raiden’s neck, and fuck does my heart feel like it's about to burst out of my chest.
“Desperate times, and all that jizz,” she mumbles, missing my chest shaking with silent laughter. “Five more minutes.”
Brushing my thumb over her cheek, I stroke a hand over her head and down her tangled mass of hair. “Would if I could, love. I tapped in for the last four conference calls, but this next one is out of my wheelhouse. I'm going to have to steal your pillow, and you need to get something to eat before you wither away.”
Raiden's eyes fly open like something out of a horror movie. “What do you mean, four calls? How long have we been asleep?”
Stroking my grumbling mate’s arm, I grimace. “Two days, bossman. I know you desperately needed it, but we were getting worried that Amara hadn't woken up yet. What the hell did you do to the poor woman?”
Raiden rolls out of bed, immediately catching himself and diving back to plant a swift, firm kiss on Amara’s forehead with a hasty apology before he's flying out the door butt-ass naked. Amara is slower to get up, still looking groggy. As the sheet pools on her naked lap, I flick my gaze down to the red gem innocently nestled in her belly button and back to her face before she catches onto my train of thought.
I don't know if it was her trip with Carina, Raiden trying to literally fuck her into next week, or what, but right now my money is on that stone knocking her on her ass.
Stone’s already demonstrated his underhanded tactics for putting people to sleep.
Reluctantly, I slide from the bed and rummage through her dresser. Stone stocked up while Amara was out on the town, and while I want to give her anything, I’m sad to see our time of her wearing our clothes coming to an end. Hell, I’d prefer she run around the place naked, but if she’s coming down with a cold or something, I don’t want to make it worse.
