Dark Widow’s Blessing (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 25)

by I. T. Lucas

  At least one of them was still thinking straight. Vivian couldn’t believe she’d overlooked such a crucial detail. Without the protection, she could go into transition prematurely, and that would be a disaster.

  “I’ve never done that before. What if I rip it?”

  He tore the packet and handed her the rolled up rubber. “I have plenty.”

  Gripping his hard length in her hand, she put it on him. “Did I do it right?”

  “Perfect.” He lifted her up and positioned his covered shaft at her entrance.

  Magnus wanted her on top? Vivian wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Was she supposed to ride him now?

  Except, she should have known Magnus would take the lead even in that position. His hands wrapped around her waist, he pulled her forward and back, thrusting up into her with increasing force.

  But even though he was doing most of the work, pretty soon her thighs started shaking from the effort of trying to match his thrusts.

  As always, she didn’t have to say anything for him to figure out this wasn’t working for her. With a hand on her back, he guided her to lie on his chest. Holding her to him, he bucked into her for a few moments longer, and then flipped them around once more.

  Vivian smiled. “That’s better.”

  She liked him on top of her, especially now that the room wasn’t entirely dark and he didn’t demand that she keep her eyes closed. He was such a handsome man, and watching his expression while he was gripped in the throes of passion was a major turn-on despite the glowing eyes and the long fangs.

  Or maybe because of them.

  She found his alienness erotic rather than scary.

  Maybe all those vampire and shifter romances Vivian had read over the years had something to do with how easy it had been for her to accept him the way he was.

  Nah, it was who he was on the inside. That was who she loved, and she would’ve loved him with or without fangs, and with or without muscles. Although both were a definite bonus.

  “I love the way you look at me,” he said, sounding a little slurred.

  “And how is that?”

  “As if you adore me.”

  “That’s because I do.”

  He thrust harder, wresting a gasp out of her. “I can’t get enough of you.” Another hard thrust. “And I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found you.”

  When he started moving faster, talking became impossible. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly as he climbed toward his climax, taking her along for the ride.

  His shaft thickening inside her, he growled, the animalistic sound both frightening and arousing.

  She knew what was coming next.

  Scared and yet curious, Vivian forced her eyes to remain open, but as he lifted his head and bared his fangs, her courage left her, and she turned her face, offering him her neck.

  When he bit her, Magnus wasn’t as gentle as he had been the other time, but then again, she didn’t need him to be. This time around, she was ready for it and knew bliss would follow in a matter of seconds.

  In the absence of fear, the momentary pain was erotic rather than stressful, bringing on another orgasm even before the euphoria-inducing venom entered her system.

  She felt his hot seed jettison into the condom at the same time as the first drop of his cool venom slid into her vein.

  Vivian climaxed. Once, twice, three times, the powerful shockwaves rocketing her into space, and the euphoria that followed keeping her floating on a cloud of bliss.

  Sometime later, she floated back to earth and found herself wrapped in Magnus’s strong arms.

  Had it been seconds? Minutes?

  “Am I going to black out every time you bite me?” she murmured into his chest.

  “Does it bother you?”

  Thinking it over for a moment, she realized that it didn’t because Magnus was there, keeping her safe. She could float for as long as she wanted. The question was, how long was it? While soaring on the clouds, she had no sense of time.

  “I don’t mind the floating. It’s awesome. But I lose sense of time. How long was I out?”

  “Only a few moments. It seems that the blackouts get shorter with each consecutive bite. Apparently, your body grows accustomed to the venom.”

  “Hmm, so it’s like a drug. The more you use it, the less effective it becomes.”

  Magnus chuckled. “Don’t worry. The orgasms are not going to diminish in quantity or quality. But I guess that at some point, you’re just not going to black out anymore.”

  “I hope so.”

  He hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Once you’re immortal, you will have the stamina for much more.”

  Vivian faked a worried expression. “We are never going to get out of bed.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  30

  Ella

  As they walked toward the pier, Dimitri held Ella’s hand, a romantic gesture that was wrong on so many levels. First of all because what they had wasn’t a romance, and secondly because of the bodyguards surrounding them at a not so discreet distance.

  Apparently, Dimitri’s estate wasn’t as impenetrable as he’d led her to believe.

  “Why are you taking so many bodyguards with you? Don’t you feel safe on your own estate?”

  He smiled indulgently. “I never assume that I’m safe. The moment I do, I’ll be proven wrong. Many people live inside the borders of my estate. Delivery trucks come and go. An assassin could find a way to sneak in despite all the guards and the sophisticated monitoring equipment I employ.”

  She frowned. According to her mother, Dimitri's Russian estate was a fortress that the people helping her could not penetrate. And yet Dimitri feared an assassination attempt. Perhaps it was possible for a single individual to sneak in and do the deed. But she couldn’t see a way for the assassin to escape unless he killed Dimitri quietly and no one knew that their boss was gone.

  Which meant at night while he slept.

  With her in bed.

  A shiver ran through her. “I thought I was safe here.”

  He squeezed her hand. “You are. There are always bodyguards around, and I sleep with a gun within reach.”

  She looked up at him. “I didn’t know that. Where do you keep it?”

  “Usually, I keep it under my pillow. But now, with you in my bed, it’s in the nightstand drawer.”

  She could kill him so easily. Take the gun and shoot him. But to what end?

  The guards would kill her on the spot. Even Misha wouldn’t come to her rescue if she murdered his boss.

  It was a sobering thought. Her safety was tied directly to Dimitri’s. Besides, she would never do that.

  “Don’t worry, my love. I’ll keep you safe.” He kissed the top of her head. “And here is my surprise.” He pointed at one of the boats tied to the pier.

  “You are taking me out on the lake?”

  Ella could just imagine the spectacle. The two of them sitting in the boat with a bunch of bodyguards crowding them and doing the rowing.

  “Yes. And we are going to have a picnic over there.” He pointed to the tiny island smack in the middle of it.

  “Sounds like fun.” She glanced at Misha, hoping he would be in the boat with them.

  Except, her bodyguard boarded the other boat.

  Dimitri got inside the one with the nice pillows and offered her a hand. “Hold on tight and step in carefully.”

  When she was seated, one of the guards untied the boat and gave it a push. Dimitri took hold of the oars and started rowing.

  “I can’t believe it. I was sure at least some of your men were going to join us.”

  He smiled. “It wouldn’t be much of a romantic outing with my bodyguards in the boat, now would it?”

  Instead, they were using the other boats, placing themselves at strategic intervals.

  Ella relaxed and leaned against the pillows. “Thank you. This is lovely.” And she even meant it.
>
  If only he were younger and not so controlling…and hadn’t bought her from a trafficker.

  Right. She needed to remember that when he was being so nice to her.

  Except, she wasn’t made from stone, and when this powerful and hard man, with very little time to spare, was lavishing her with attention and doing his best to be soft with her, she couldn’t help but feel a little flattered.

  It would be easy to let it go to her head and forget that this wasn’t a fairytale, and that she was there against her will with a man she resented for taking away her choices.

  When they reached the island, the bodyguards jumped into the water and dragged their little boat to shore, so she and Dimitri wouldn’t get their feet wet.

  Taking her hand again, Dimitri led her to a clearing where a blanket was strewn over the ground. On top of it, four large pillows were arranged around a picnic basket that was big enough for a family of six.

  When the bodyguards left them alone, taking positions on the shore, Dimitri opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  “I’ve noticed that you’ve been enjoying wine lately. Did you develop a better tolerance?”

  Ella blushed. The truth was that she’d flushed down the toilet more than half of each bottle she’d opened. But it wasn’t as if she could admit it. Her carefully crafted happy façade would show cracks.

  “I drank only a little at a time. But it added up.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad that you share my love for good wine.” He poured her a glass and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.”

  He filled up his own glass and lifted it for a toast. “To us.”

  “To us.” She clinked her glass to his, adding in her head, May we part in peace with neither of us dead.

  31

  Magnus

  Even before Magnus opened his eyes in the morning, he knew Vivian wasn’t there. The bed felt cold and empty without her. What a shame. Last night he’d entertained thoughts of making love to her again in the morning.

  Once was not enough for an immortal, but it had been for Vivian. When she’d fallen asleep, leaving him with a hard-on, Magnus had forced the erection to deflate by thinking about nasty things.

  Not the best way to fall asleep, but a man had to do what a man had to do.

  Had she gone to check up on Parker?

  There was no need. The kid’s transition had started without a hitch, and there was nothing to check. It would take time for his growing fangs to push out his canines, and for his venom glands to develop.

  Maybe Ella had contacted her with some news?

  The urge to look for Vivian and check prompted Magnus to fling the comforter off and get out of bed. Besides, his phone showed it was five in the morning, which was his regular wakeup time.

  As he padded to the bathroom, Magnus debated whether he should put his workout clothes on. He needed to pack, but what he had with him wouldn’t take long. He would have plenty of time before Okidu showed up to take them to the village.

  After showering and getting dressed, he walked over to Vivian’s suite to look for her. Through the open door, he saw that Parker wasn’t sleeping on the couch and neither was Scarlet.

  Had he taken the dog out for a walk? But how? The elevators hadn’t been programmed with Parker or Vivian’s thumbprints.

  Instead, he found Vivian scrubbing the counter.

  “What are you doing? And where are Parker and Scarlet?”

  “I’m cleaning, and Parker is asleep in the bedroom with Scarlet.”

  “Why are you cleaning?”

  She rolled her eyes as if it was the stupidest question she’d heard. “We are moving out of here, and I’m not going to leave the place filthy. Once I’m done, this suite of rooms is going to be as spotless as it was when we got here.”

  Magnus chuckled. “You don’t have to do that. That’s Okidu’s job, and I told you how he feels about someone doing it for him.”

  Not that Okidu felt anything, but putting it that way saved a lot of explanations.

  She smirked. “That’s why I’m doing it before he gets here. I’ve already organized our things, but I need bags to put them in. Can you get me some trash bags from upstairs?” She crinkled her nose. “Although to tell you the truth, I hate the idea of arriving at the village with a bunch of trash bags like some homeless person.” She sighed. “Except, I am kind of homeless.”

  He walked over and pulled her into his arms. “Is that what bothers you? Do you feel displaced?”

  She nodded into his chest. “I’m starting a new life, and it scares the shit out of me, which is so weird. I’m supposed to be overjoyed. It’s like a dream come true. Instead, I’m stressed out.”

  “Would having proper luggage help?”

  She chuckled. “And where are you going to find luggage at five o'clock in the morning?”

  “Walmart.”

  He was starting to really like that store. Anandur would be happy to hear that.

  Vivian smiled. “That would be great. If not for all the games and consoles Parker got, we could fit all of our things into one suitcase. But we will need two.”

  “That’s not a problem. I’ll get three.”

  He was about to turn on his heel and head out when she stopped him with a hand on his bicep. “Let me make you breakfast first.”

  “I can grab something on the way.”

  She shook her head. “I’m feeling guilty enough as it is for sending you out on an errand so early in the morning. Let me at least feed you first.”

  “But you’ve already cleaned the counter.”

  “So I’ll clean it again.” She pointed at the chair. “Sit.”

  “Yes, ma'am.”

  A few minutes later she put down two steaming mugs on the table and a plate with two sandwiches. “Here you go.” She pushed the plate toward him.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I can’t. My stomach is queasy. I’ll eat later.”

  Magnus wasn’t hungry yet either, but he took a sip from the coffee and a couple of bites from the sandwich because it seemed important to her.

  “How is Parker doing?”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “As happy as can be. Change is easier for kids. It’s us grownups that have trouble with it.”

  “I know exactly what you’re talking about. Moving here from Scotland wasn’t easy, even though I came together with many of my friends, and I knew practically everyone in the village. I still don’t feel completely at home here.” He took her hand. “But all of that is going to change with you by my side. Home is wherever you and Parker and Ella are.”

  Vivian smiled. “It’s so nice of you to say. I hope the two of you will get along, but that’s not a given.”

  “I’m sure we will. She’s your daughter, so she must be awesome.”

  Vivian’s smile wilted. “She is an amazing person. I hope this ordeal hasn’t affected her too much, but there is no way that it hasn’t. No one can go through a thing like that and emerge unchanged by it.”

  He squeezed her hand. “She’ll bounce back.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I’ve lived for a long time, Vivian, and I’ve been through some shit. I can’t say that it didn’t affect me, because it did. But in time I’ve gone back to who I was before. We each have our set happiness level. Sometimes it goes up, other times it goes down, but eventually, it returns to where it was before.”

  She nodded. “I know what you mean. After Josh was killed, I felt as if my life was over as well. I was so depressed. But I had two kids that needed me, and wallowing in my sorrow was not a luxury I could afford. At first, I did everything on autopilot, crying myself to sleep every night and fighting the tears all day long. And in the meantime, I also had to learn a marketable skill so I could support my family. It felt as if I was trying to climb a steep mountainside with my fingernails. And then one day, I surprised myself by laughing at a joke. It took years, but at some point
the pain subsided enough for me to enjoy life once more.”

  She looked up at him with adoring eyes. “And the best surprise was that I’ve fallen in love. I thought that would never happen to me again.”

  “And I thought that it would never happen to me at all. Life is full of surprises, is it not?”

  32

  Ella

  “Put your riding clothes on,” Dimitri said when they returned from the lake. “I heard that you’ve made good progress.”

  “Okay. Although after all the food you made me eat, my poor mare might collapse under me.”

  Ella rubbed her protruding stomach. Hopefully, it was the food and not something else. Except, this morning her belly had been as flat as ever, and pregnancies didn’t progress that fast. It was the roasted duck with spring potatoes and asparagus, followed by the best strawberry shortcake ever created by human hands.

  He chuckled. “I’m not worried. But if you’re tired, we can skip it.”

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll be out in a moment.” She ducked into her closet and pulled out one of the riding outfits he’d commissioned for her.

  The truth was that she hadn’t even had to pretend to enjoy the time they’d spent together. Dimitri was not only knowledgeable about many things, but he was also very eloquent, and listening to him had been fascinating.

  Ella doubted she’d ever meet someone of Dimitri’s caliber again. But if she were smart, she would have taken the out he’d offered her and said that she was tired. Instead of getting to know him better, and letting her defenses down, she should be keeping an emotional distance.

  It wasn’t that she was falling for Dimitri. That wasn’t going to happen no matter how nice he was to her, or how fascinating she found him. She didn’t love him and never would. But even admiration was dangerous. He was the enemy, and she needed to remember it.

  He knocked on the closet door. “Are you ready? We don’t have much daylight left.”