“That’s it.” His voice was a heated whisper in my ear.
The most intense pleasure rolled over me in tight, hot waves, and all I could do was hold on as his hips pounded in a tempo that was earth-shattering. Our mouths crashed together His tongue tangled with mine, and the tightly coiled knot of tension whipped through me fiercely, lighting up every cell in my body.
The arm under my shoulders held me in place as he ground his hips into mine. There was one more deep, breath-shattering thrust, and then my name was a rough shout as his body spasmed, his release hot as his hips jerked. My hands glided lazily up and down his sides as one last shudder overtook him.
Caden’s lips brushed over my shoulder and then the line of my jaw. Limp and sated, I watched him through half-open eyes. His hand found mine, and he brought it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the center of my palm. “I have a very important question for you, Brighton.”
“Hmm?”
He brought my hand to his chest, over his heart. “Can we stay like this for the rest of the day?”
A slow grin tugged at my lips. “Like this?” I asked. He was still inside me, not as hard as he had been, but not remotely soft.
Biting down on his bottom lip, he nodded. “What about all weekend?”
“I would…I would be down for that.” My heart was swelling so fast in my chest. “Though I don’t think we can stay like this.”
“I don’t know.” His hips rocked, eliciting a sharp gasp from me. His grin became downright wicked. “I’m quite happy to be right where I am.”
I started to reach for him when, somewhere from the floor, a phone rang. I looked, brows furrowing. My phone was downstairs. “I think that’s yours.”
“It is.” He bent his head, kissing me. The ringing quieted, and for a few seconds, I got a little lost in him, but then the cell started ringing again.
“I think you should check that.”
“I should.” Caden cursed under his breath. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
Giving me one more quick kiss, he eased out of me and smoothly shifted to his feet. My gaze dropped to his ass as he snatched his jeans off the floor.
That was one lovely backside.
Feeling better than I had in, well, longer than I could remember, I rolled onto my side.
Caden had his phone out and to his ear, answering with an abrupt, “This better be important.”
My brows rose, and I started to grin, but I saw the muscles along his back and spine tense. The pleasant languidness vanished.
“I’ll be right there,” he said, ending the call as he turned to me.
“What is it?”
“It’s Benji, Faye’s missing cousin. He came back to the hotel.”
Sensing the hard edge to his voice, unease blossomed. “It didn’t end with a happy reunion, did it?”
“No.” The fire had dimmed in Caden’s eyes. “He attacked.”
Chapter 12
I was already sitting up, scanning the floor for my discarded clothing. “How bad is it?”
“Not as bad as it could’ve been, but he wounded some of the guards,” he told me as he pulled on his briefs and jeans. “And he injured his mother pretty badly.”
“Oh God,” I whispered, pulling on my leggings. “I assume he’s dead?”
“Surprisingly not.” His gaze flickered over my chest, lingering in a way that caused warmth to creep into my cheeks. He picked up my bra. “Faye and Kalen were able to apprehend and contain him.”
Shock flickered through me as I took the bra from him, quickly donning it. “Holy crap, that’s huge, Caden. We may find out where they’re getting the Devil’s Breath since you guys checked Neal’s bar and didn’t find any evidence of it.”
“It is huge,” he agreed.
I pulled on the loose sweater and then shoved up the sleeves. “We just need to get Benji to talk.”
“And that’s going to be easier said than done.” He pulled his shirt on over his head. “You remember how Elliot was.”
I thought of the youngling. He’d been crazed, almost as if brainwashed by the Winter Court. “But we have to try.”
Caden’s gaze flicked to mine, and then he came forward, smoothing my hair back from my face. “You look so delectable right now.”
I didn’t need a mirror to know my hair looked like I’d been, well, rolling around in bed.
“But we don’t have to do anything,” he continued. “I want you to sit this one out. Stay here, and I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”
My brows lifted. “You want me to just sit and wait for you?”
“You don’t have to sit and wait, so to speak.”
I narrowed my eyes as I stepped back, out of his reach. “Why do you want me to sit this out?”
He lowered his hand. “You’re still recovering, Brighton. That’s the only reason why.”
Taking a deep, even breath, I reminded myself that he was coming from a place of concern, and there was no reason for my head to spin Exorcist style. “You took my word when I said I was ready earlier.”
His head tilted slightly. “I did.”
“And we just had pretty active sex,” I said, proud that my cheeks didn’t catch fire.
Caden’s eyes heated though, and his voice roughened. “We did. I would’ve loved to do it again.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over me. “And again.”
A delicious little shiver danced over my skin, and it took me a second to get my mind back on track. “If I was ready for that, why wouldn’t I be ready for a questioning?”
“You mean an interrogation.”
“Whatever.”
“What we did and what I’m about to do are two different things. You won’t like what you see down in that room.”
“I’ve seen some really grotesque interrogations carried out by the Order, Caden, but you’re right,” I replied. “What we are about to do will be a hell of a lot easier than what we just did.”
“And what you guys just did was very loud and seemed very active.” A voice came from the doorway—the open doorway. I turned, finding Tink standing there. “I definitely think Brighton is physically ready…for just about anything.”
Oh my God.
“Dixon got scared,” he continued. “He’s hiding out under the coffee table right now. Traumatized by all the sexing going on.”
I had no words.
“By the way, you guys left the door open,” Tink explained.
My lips parted as I shot Caden a quick glance. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by that fact. Meanwhile, I wanted to bury myself under the bed. How could we have been that distracted?
Well, I knew exactly how we were that distracted.
“I was kind of worried at first. The sounds were interesting.” Tink grinned as my eyes widened. “Shouting. Crying. Moaning. A totally different kind of crying—”
“Oh my God, Tink. You can stop now,” I exclaimed. “Seriously.”
“What?” He lifted his hands. “I’m just happy you finally got some—”
Tink shouted as I picked up my flip-flop and winged it at his head. Caden chuckled, and I had half a mind to throw the other shoe at his face. He ended that thought with one smoldering, fond look.
“Come on,” he said, his gaze light despite what had happened. “You need to find better shoes if you’re coming with me.”
Relieved that he wasn’t going to try to keep me wrapped in a bubble, I nodded and started for the closet.
“How about these?” Caden asked.
I looked over my shoulder. He held one of the knee-high boots, all helpful like.
He winked at me. “I have such fond memories of these.”
“I’m going to throw that boot at your head,” I warned.
Caden grinned. “It would be worth it.”
* * * *
Sitting in the front seat of Caden’s SUV, with him behind the steering wheel, and Tink in the back seat, I still found it weirdly funny that Caden, the Kin
g of the Summer fae, drove. Shouldn’t he have a driver or something?
Tracing the outline of the iron cuffs on my wrists that hid the daggers, I wondered if at some point, as the baby grew, I would have difficultly handling iron. I didn’t think so since contact with my skin didn’t mean contact with the baby, but I supposed that was something I needed to keep an eye on. Wishing there was a guide for expecting fae mothers who were also members of the Order, I wiggled my toes inside my black combat boots. Obviously, I hadn’t put on the other boots.
They did, however, end up back in my closet instead of in the bag to donate. “For later,” Caden had said, which had caused Tink to launch into a discussion about how dressing up kept his sex life lively—something Caden didn’t want to hear since it involved his brother.
Tink kept catching my gaze in the rearview mirror, and each time, he raised his brows. I knew he had a lot of questions. I couldn’t blame him for that, considering I’d tried to convince him to take me to Florida just hours before. There wasn’t time for that at the moment.
There also hadn’t been time for me to tell Caden I was pregnant. I had been okay with keeping the truth from him when I had a good reason to do so, but now that there was none, it was pecking away at me. Each passing minute was one more minute where he didn’t know he was going to be a father.
How would he take it? I didn’t know. He loved me, I knew that beyond a doubt. But even if I’d known from the moment I woke up that I could be his Queen and all would be as well as it was, everything was still new. There’d be no time for just him and me. It would always be him, me, and our child. Though I didn’t think we needed the time to get to know each other or to become comfortable. The latter was already there, and it was…it was truly like we were two halves coming together. We may not know every little thing about one another, but we knew each other.
Wait.
I would be his Queen.
My stomach dipped as I stared out the window, the rows of homes and wrought iron fences nothing but a blur.
He hadn’t made it super official, but no way in hell would I say no. We would marry, and I would be his wife. A Queen. Would I have like queenly duties? What would the queenly duties even be? I gave a little shake of my head. I needed to focus. Right now, none of that was exactly important. Dealing with it could come later. What we needed to deal with was Benji, and then afterward, I would tell Caden about the pregnancy.
I glanced over at Caden as we turned on South Peters, experiencing a weird little hitch in my chest. A part of me still couldn’t believe that this was real—that we could be together.
Caden pulled around to the side of the rundown, brick and metal building that looked like something you’d see on one of those ghost hunters shows.
“This part is so cool.” Tink gripped the back of my seat as he popped his head between the two.
Caden drove up to what appeared to be a loading dock for deliveries—two wide metal doors that were covered in splotches of rust—and then right through the doors. I didn’t close my eyes, but I did tense. I’d entered Hotel Good Fae a few times like this, and it always freaked me out. I kept expecting to crash into a cement wall.
“Magic,” Tink murmured in my ear.
“Uh-huh.” My eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lighting of the parking garage.
He pulled into the first parking space near the elevator, one I was sure had been reserved for him. Killing the engine, Caden looked over at me, and his gaze met mine. There was a flutter in my chest and then my stomach. I smiled at him.
“Ready?” he asked, and I nodded. He glanced back at Tink. “You?”
“Why, thanks for asking.” He sat back, looking between the two of us. “I am ready for some answers to the questions that have been burning me up inside, but with my dark hair comes great responsibility, and a newfound maturity.”
I blinked slowly.
“So I realized that now is not the time to ask those questions.” He held up his hand. “But as soon as you guys are done with what you’re doing, I expect the three of us—no, wait. I’m sure Fabian would also like to be included. The four of us will have a sit-down.”
“It’s doable.” Caden grinned.
“It is.” I met Tink’s gaze. “But it’s going to have to wait a little bit. There’s something I need to talk to Caden about first.”
Tink’s eyes widened, and I was grateful that I could feel Caden’s gaze on me. “What do you need to talk to me about?” he said, drawing my gaze back to his. “We can make time now. Benji isn’t going anywhere.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tink clasp his hands together under his chin. There was no way I was telling Caden that he was going to be a father in front of Tink. That would be like going on a reality show.
“It can wait,” I told him.
Caden’s gaze searched mine, and then he nodded. Exhaling roughly, I ignored the pout Tink sent in my direction and climbed out. I didn’t make it far before Tink curled an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.
He lowered his head, whispering, “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is more than okay.”
Tink pulled back, smiling. “I am going to need an extremely detailed report. You know that, right?”
I laughed. “I do.”
“Good.”
It was then that I realized Caden hadn’t walked toward the elevator. He’d stopped halfway across the parking garage. Tink and I caught up with him. “Where are we going?”
“To a place where Tanner handles certain…unpleasantries.”
This is the first I’m hearing of such a thing. I glanced at Tink, and he shrugged. “There is such a place?”
Caden nodded. “Only a few know of it. I’m surprised my brother didn’t tell you.”
Tink snorted as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “He knows I abhor violence unless it’s violence I’m causing.”
I frowned at him as we reached a nondescript white door. Caden placed his thumb against the keypad, and above, the red light turned green. The door unlocked, and he pushed it open. We stepped into a white hallway, and I could already hear Tanner speaking. There were also other voices I couldn’t make out. Caden turned to me, extending his hand.
My gaze dipped to his palm and then rose to his. He…he wanted to hold my hand? It was such a simple gesture that wouldn’t mean much to others, but it would be huge.
He was the King.
To the others who were here, I was just some human. They didn’t know what I was or what he’d done. Him holding my hand was a statement, and obviously, I hadn’t the chance to talk to Tanner or Faye or Kalen. They would be so confused.
But I placed my hand in his, and my heart did a back handspring when he curled his fingers around mine, squeezing.
“You guys are so adorable,” Tink said, tugging the hair I’d thrown up into a messy bun.
“You are,” Caden said. “Especially when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing.” I watched Tink walk ahead, his long-legged pace taking him around the corner of the hall.
“Your face is the shade of a rose,” he told me.
“It is not.” I could feel my cheeks heat even more. “We need to focus on what’s important.”
“I am.”
I glanced up at him and felt a little unsteady as my gaze met his. “Benji and finding out where they’re getting the Devil’s Breath is important.”
“It is. But you’re more important to me. You will always be the most important thing.”
“You…” I swallowed, closing my eyes. “I wish we had time for me to tell and show you how perfect I think you are.”
“I’m not perfect.” He touched my cheek. “But I don’t have a problem with you showing me later how much you think I’m perfect.”
Heat simmered in my veins. I planned on doing just that after I told him what needed to be shared.
But by the time we reached the end of the hall, I’d filed all of that
away. What we were about to deal with needed our full attention.
The first person I saw when we turned the corner was Ren. Dressed in black, he leaned against the plain white wall, his back to us, ankles crossed. Tink was beside him. Fabian behind him, his blond hair draped over broad shoulders. He was the first to see us, his expression somber, and then there was a slight widening of his pale eyes.
Ren looked over his shoulder. “I was wondering when you were finally going…”
Either he trailed off, or I just didn’t hear what he said because my gaze had been snagged by those remaining in the hall. Faye and Kalen stood with Tanner. There was an older male fae, as well, his silvery skin pale. He’d been pacing while Faye spoke to him quietly.
Maybe it was my imagination, but everyone seemed to stop and notice our joined hands. The message Caden was sending out had been received. We were together.
It was Kalen I zeroed in on because one side of his lips curved up a moment before he bowed slightly. “My King.”
There was a flurry of the other fae beginning to do the same, but Caden stopped them with a slice of his hand through the air. “Is he in there?” He nodded at another nondescript door.
Stepping forward, Tanner cleared his throat. He looked shaken, and seeing Caden and I together had to be a part of it. He was likely seeing the crumbling of his entire Court, right in front of him. I wanted to tell him that it was okay, but now truly wasn’t the time.
And time always seemed strange like that, because minutes kept ticking by, and they were never the right ones.
“Yes.” Tanner sent a quick glance at me. “He’s restrained.”
“How is he?” Caden asked.
It was the man with Faye who spoke. “He is… He is not well.” His voice cracked. “My King, he is not well at all.”
Caden’s hand slipped from mine as he stepped forward, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder. “How is your wife, Balour?”
The Summer King Bundle: 3 Stories by Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 46