by Zoe Chant
Amy climbed gingerly onto the bed and then hesitated. There was a whole other bed’s width between her and Teddy.
Before she could wonder just which of the dozen pillows she should lay her head on, Teddy moved. He rolled toward her and gave her a warm, drowsy smile.
“Hey, beautiful.” His voice was low and sweet, and he patted the bed right beside him. “Come over here. I’m the cuddling type, I hope you don’t mind.”
Amy crawled across the bed to him, noticing how his gaze dropped to the front of her robe. She hadn’t wrapped it very tightly, and she could feel her breasts swinging as she moved.
Of course, he might just be staring at her dangling necklaces.
But whatever he had been looking at, when Amy reached him, Teddy only drew her close and cuddled up. He gave her a soft, sweet kiss and then tucked her head against his chest, nuzzling her damp hair.
“Cuddly, huh? Just like your name.” Amy smiled, closing her eyes and snuggling into him. She tucked her feet under the covers, but the rest of her felt already blanket-wrapped under the robe, especially with the warmth of Teddy’s body pressed so close.
Teddy huffed. “You’re the only person I’ve ever gone to bed with who can get away with calling me that.”
Amy hid her smile and pressed a kiss to his collarbone. “Lucky me.”
“Lucky me,” Teddy murmured back, hooking one hairy leg over her smooth one. “Still can’t believe I found you.”
Amy could have debated which one of them was luckier, but she was asleep before she put the words together.
***
Amy drifted awake slowly, feeling warm and cozy and—
It was completely quiet. She pushed herself up, looking around wildly as she did. She must be late. It was light out and there was no blare of morning news from her downstairs neighbor’s TV and—
She was in the middle of a king-sized bed, wearing nothing but a bathrobe that was... not really fastened at all. Teddy Gray was sitting up against the headboard, sporting actual bed head and cuddling a sleeping baby wrapped in gold-studded pink blanket.
Amy blinked at him as she caught up with reality. She wasn’t late for work. She was on leave, and she didn’t have to go back to work for at least a month. And last night she’d reunified a family in the form of Teddy and Sophia Gray. She had come back to this hotel room with them. She had spent the night in this fantastic bed with Teddy Gray and they hadn’t even had sex.
Amy tugged her robe together as she turned toward Teddy. “Is Sophia...?”
“Sleeping.” Teddy smiled. “She woke up about an hour ago and let me know my assistance was required—”
Like this, Teddy explained. His dragon speech in her mind felt like he was whispering in her ear.
“So I figured out the diaper change and bottle thing,” Teddy said, tilting his head toward the empty bottle on the nightstand. “You were pretty tired, so I didn’t want to wake you up unless I had to. We did okay, though. Um. Possibly thanks to some YouTube videos.”
“Looks like you got there,” Amy agreed, scooting closer to peek at Sophia. She was sleeping peacefully, one hand closed tight on the edge of the blanket and pressing it against her cheek.
Teddy grinned at Amy but then looked down at Sophia again. “I was actually just going to put her back in her crib. She’s pretty soundly asleep now.”
“Oh,” Amy said as Teddy eased away and stood up, thinking of sleep training and the advice she’d parroted to dozens of parents. “That’s good, it’s probably—”
Teddy turned away from the crib and came back to bed. Amy forgot what she’d been saying when Teddy leaned down to kiss her.
“Oh,” Amy repeated when she pulled back to take a breath. Her whole body was waking up now, and she was entirely aware that she was barely wearing anything at all. Also, Teddy had already brushed his teeth this morning.
“She is sound, sound asleep,” Teddy repeated.He pushed his fingers into the mass of Amy’s hair, which felt like it had dried into its usual messy cloud of curls overnight. “So now it’s just us.”
Amy raised her hand to Teddy’s side, feeling the heat of his body through his thin t-shirt. “I like the sound of that.”
“God, Amy,” Teddy whispered, giving her a gentle push as he kissed her. Amy fell back onto the mattress and Teddy followed her down, kissing her like he couldn’t breathe without his lips on hers.
Her robe fell open, and Teddy brushed it aside, his hand glancing over her breasts and belly. Amy spread her legs and curled her arm around his back, drawing him in. Teddy settled over her, kissing her deep and lingeringly, like kissing was everything he wanted. The soft friction of his t-shirt against her nipples made them harden, rousing the heat between her legs.
Amy slid her hand down to the hem of his t-shirt and slipped her fingers beneath it, finding his warm, bare skin.
“Here.” Teddy knelt up with a dazzling smile and pulled his shirt off, letting Amy see his bare, muscular chest. He hooked his thumbs into his boxers, and she could already see him getting hard.
Amy wriggled her arms out of the robe’s sleeves and lay beneath him entirely naked, waiting for him to make the next move.
Teddy’s gaze swept down her body. He was definitely not looking at her jewelry now. She could see his cock stiffening further inside his boxers, and then he eased them down and stood up to drop them off completely. Amy got her first look at Teddy entirely naked. He was gorgeous from head to toe, and he was hard and eager for her. Long before she was tired of looking at him he was lying down with her again.
She moaned as he settled over her. He trusted a little more of his weight to her this time, his hard cock pressing hotly against her hip. She brought her thighs up around his hips, inviting more. Teddy just groaned and kissed her, rubbing his whole naked body against hers. The slide of skin was delicious, and Amy felt herself getting even wetter, but she wanted more.
She squirmed under him, changing position just enough that his cock wasn’t pressed to her belly but between her legs, the head just brushing against her.
“Amy,” Teddy groaned. “Oh God, I need you, I—”
“Me too,” Amy assured him, tilting her hips up to feel him brushing against her folds. She was already so wet, and her clit was throbbing. She wanted to grind up against him and get some friction there, but she needed him inside her first.
“One sec, beautiful.” Teddy leaned away from Amy to grab at the nightstand drawer. Amy realized why as soon as he moved, and she froze, belatedly remembering what she’d so easily forgotten. Teddy pulled out a condom and pushed up off her just enough to get it on.
“I’m not careless, I swear.” Teddy offered her a sheepish smile, and Amy nodded and didn’t bother telling him she was on birth control. He leaned in to kiss her again as he settled over her, and Amy forgot everything but the feel of his body against hers, the promising touch of his cock at the entrance of her pussy.
“And I usually take my time.” Teddy’s hand was between her legs, stroking her lightly. She pushed into the teasing touch, wanting more. “But I think maybe you’re with me here—”
“I’d like to be,” Amy said. “If you would just—oh, yes.”
Teddy pushed into her in one slow, steady glide, his thick cock filling her perfectly. She moaned as his hips pressed to hers, knowing he was fully inside her. He rocked his hips against hers, giving her just the friction she needed on her clit, and between that and the pressure and stretch of his cock inside her, Amy was quickly gasping as the pleasure built up.
“Teddy, I’m—I’m—”
“Good,” Teddy murmured, kissing her and grinding down just a little harder. She gasped as she felt that fizzy, electric rush starting, rushing up from her toes and down her spine. “Is that how you like it? Just—like—that?”
Amy pressed her mouth hard to Teddy’s to muffle the sound she made as she came, pleasure bursting over her in a rush like an ocean wave. He kissed her through it, gentling her down from that peak�
��but her pussy was still clenching around his cock, hard and almost motionless inside her.
Amy let her head fall back against the pillow and looked up at him. Her lips were tingling from his kisses, and she was probably pink with beard-burn. She still wanted more. She tightened around him on purpose, stroking his cock from the inside, and Teddy’s mouth fell open as his eyes closed.
“Your turn,” Amy whispered. “Come on.”
Teddy didn’t hesitate once she told him to move. He started up a slow rhythm, his cock dragging deliciously out of her before thrusting in again. His hand on her hip coaxed her to meet him at a different angle, and Amy gasped as his next slow thrust pressed against her g-spot, extra-sensitive from coming once already.
She curled her legs around his hips and pulled him down into a kiss, and Teddy started moving faster. His cock kept hitting her at that perfect angle, faster and faster. She could barely breathe between kisses, the pleasure washing over her and seeming to set her whole body on fire.
Teddy’s kisses strayed from her mouth, tracing down her throat as he kept moving inside her, driving her out of her mind. He stopped right at the base of her throat, his kiss turning to a stinging suck. Leaving a mark.
Amy arched up against him and came again, and this time Teddy didn’t keep still as her pussy clenched around him. He thrust into her again and again, dragging out the waves of pleasure until he went rigid over her, his breath catching. He was coming too.
He eased down on top of her, panting, as she came down. Amy lowered her legs from around him and ran one hand through his hair. His curls clung to her fingers, and Teddy tilted his head and kissed her lips again softly.
“Still up for some cuddling?” Teddy asked, shifting over to lie beside her. She heard the sounds of him getting the condom off and waited until he’d tossed it into the trash can with a little swish of plastic that told her he’d gotten it right on target.
“I suppose.” Amy rolled toward him and snuggled up to his chest as his arms closed around him. “Since you like it so much.”
“I like you so much,” Teddy mumbled, tugging a blanket up over them.
“I like you too,” Amy murmured back. She always had.
***
Teo watched Amy sleep in his arms and felt like he was lying at the heart of his hoard, like the bed he was lying on was a magnificent pile of gold. He had everything he wanted here, all his treasures gathered in one place.
Amy slept with her cheek pressed to his heart. Her curly hair was wild now that she had let it loose, showing glints of red and gold that had been hidden before. Teo combed his fingers through it gingerly, careful not to pull as he enjoyed the silky caress. Amy had been so tired last night. There was a pleasure in making sure she could rest, almost better than the enticing feeling of her body against his.
After the night they’d spent together he was more sure than ever that Amy was his mate. The sex had been fantastic—and he was sure he could make it even better next time—but he’d never been so happy just to sleep beside a woman before. Everything was different with Amy.
Everything was different, period. Teo looked toward the crib, reaching out silently to push the gentlest wordless question in Sophia’s direction with dragon speech. He got nothing but quiet sleeping contentment back, which was a vast improvement over the blast of hungry/wet/dirty he’d woken up to a couple of hours ago.
Sophia was happy. Amy was happy. Teo wasn’t doing too badly at being a father and (nearly) a mate, eight hours in.
He reached for his phone to dash off a message for Richard—or the day concierge, probably. George? Daniel? They would tell him when they replied. There were things he needed to get started here before he could take Sophia and Amy home to Gray’s Hollow, and he might as well let them know as early as possible.
Once the email was sent, he cuddled down with Amy in his arms and closed his eyes. They could all sleep in for a little while.
***
The next time Amy woke up, it was to the familiar racket of Sophia crying, sounding as miserable as she ever had at Jamila’s. Amy sat up and realized that she was naked, and that Teddy had taken Sophia out into the suite’s living room. Amy didn’t see the bathrobe she’d worn to bed, but the folded pajamas were still on the far corner of the bed. She pulled them on hurriedly, only marveling for a moment at how perfectly they fit, before she went out to see what was going on.
Teddy was standing by the window, his shoulders slumped in defeat. There was a half-full bottle in his hand, and Sophia, wrapped in her pink blanket, hung limp in his arm as she wailed. She looked just as dejected as her father.
They had obviously reached some kind of stalemate. Time for someone else to give it a try. Amy hurried over and scooped Sophia out of Teddy’s arms, which startled the baby into hiccupping a few smaller sobs before she went back to her wailing. Amy tried propping Sophia up against her shoulder, rubbing her back.
“Teddy? Did you try...”
Her stomach hurts, Teddy said silently. And she wants—I don’t know, her mama? Her home? Not me.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Amy murmured, cuddling Sophia closer and kissing her fuzzy brown hair. She rubbed Sophia’s back more firmly, though her crying sounded generic-miserable and not needing-to-be-burped. It might not be that kind of stomachache.
“Teddy, do you know what kind of formula this is?”
Teddy turned to face her again with a confused and then stricken expression. “There are... kinds? Is it the wrong kind?”
Amy shrugged. “There are a lot of kinds. It might just be different than she’s used to. If you look in her diaper bag, Jamila packed the kind she’s been getting...”
Teddy hurried into the bedroom, bringing his phone to his ear. Amy shifted Sophia in her arms again, sitting her in the crook of her arm, and she tugged out her necklaces to offer. Sophia grabbed the pendant immediately, shoving it into her mouth. She didn’t stop crying, but her sobs were a little muffled.
“Daddy’s going to fix it, sweetheart,” Amy murmured, bouncing her gently as she paced back and forth. “Or pay someone to fix it, but—we’ll figure something out.”
They could figure the formula out, anyway. They couldn’t give Sophia her mom back.
Teddy came back with a formula packet and the empty bottle from the diaper bag, and there was a knock at the hallway door. He went straight to it, taking a glass carafe from a uniformed woman with a tray who said, “Heated to ninety-five degrees, sir.”
“Thanks,” Teddy said absently, and the woman in the hallway smiled at Amy and shut the door behind her as Teddy came over to the coffee table and knelt down to assemble a bottle. Amy walked over to sit beside him, walking him through mixing it and checking the temperature before she took the bottle to feed Sophia.
Teddy sat back with Amy as Sophia latched on hungrily to the bottle. He put one arm around Amy’s shoulders and the other around her arm as she held Sophia.
This is good, she heard him say silently. This is good, right here with you.
Amy leaned into him and closed her eyes. She couldn’t disagree.
***
The peace lasted until Sophia was fed and changed and sleeping again, and it occurred to Amy to go and check on her phone. She had three texts from Jamila. Sounds good! from the night before, followed by, You told him he needs to bring her to court right? and Marnie just called, she got the file, told her dad and Jane will be at court.
Amy glanced at the time on her phone, then the clock beside the bed.
“Teddy?” She called out softly. “Uh... I told you you need to go to court today, right?”
“Yeah, is it open all day?” Teddy said from the other room. “I was thinking we could go after lunch.”
Amy turned her head and looked toward the sound of Teddy’s voice, even though she couldn’t see him. Rich people really did live in a different world, didn’t they? Although she supposed it might also be a small-town thing, or a Teddy’s-never-gone-to-court-over-anything-ever thing.
“No, it’s—there’s a specific hearing scheduled. Um, in less than an hour.”
“Oh!” Teddy came to the bedroom doorway, glancing toward the closet and dresser. “Right. I need a suit, and you—I sent your clothes to be cleaned, they should have them ready by now—”
“Teddy.” Amy tightened her grip on her phone. “I really can’t—I’m not supposed to be there. I told you last night that it wasn’t a conflict of interest. Last night it wasn’t, but...”
Teddy’s worried expression softened. He walked over to kiss her with Sophia sleeping in his arms between them.
“But today it would be,” he said softly, looking like she’d just made some huge declaration. Maybe she had. Even if declaring anything right now was about as crazy as thinking that family court was like a grocery store and you could drop in for what you needed anytime they were open.
“Today it would be,” Amy agreed. “So I can stay longer, if you need help with Sophia until you leave, but when you go to court, I should go home.”
Teddy nodded slowly. “But I’ll call you when we’re done, and we’ll have lunch. You and me and Sophia. And we’ll talk about what to do next. Right?”
Amy smiled helplessly. She couldn’t even doubt it, improbable as it felt. She knew Teddy wanted that as much as she did. Amy ducked her head and kissed Sophia’s cheek, then went up on her tiptoes to kiss Teddy.
“Take anything you need,” Teddy waved at the dresser. “And call down to the front desk when you’re ready, they’ll get a car.”
Amy nodded, trying to just enjoy the blithe way Teddy made normal human problems vanish. “Um, Teddy? When you go to court—”
“Oh, I should call our lawyers,” Teddy said, looking around for his phone. Because of course his family had lawyers who would show up to go to court with them on less than an hour’s notice. Of course.
“Yeah,” Amy said. “But—try to, uh, downplay it a little?”