“Dios mio! Dear God, Gillian, I am sorry!” Aleksei was horrified that he might have hurt her.
“Don’t be,” she gasped up at him. “I’m fine. Just don’t stop.”
She pulled his mouth down to hers and deliberately nicked her tongue across his razor-sharp canine. The blood hit his tongue and drove him into a near frenzy. He forgot about the near mistake. It had been so long without her. All the worry he had gone through, all the need he had suppressed, all the love he had held at bay . . . None of it mattered. The only thing he could think of was the woman beneath him who loved him for what he was and what they could be together.
As they strained together, he raised his head, looking into the perfect Nile green eyes he loved. Gillian saw the question there, and nodded. The dark head dipped down, nuzzling her hair out of the way. In perfect timing with a thrust from his hips, his teeth penetrated her neck. Gill bucked beneath him. The sheer pleasure from the dual entry nearly caused her to black out.
Aleksei moaned against her throat. Her blood was like no other. The taste of her in his mouth, the feeling she was producing as his perfect sheath, was overwhelming. He opened his mind to her and found a welcoming touch in return. In that moment, they each gave everything they had to the other. Trust, love and the sheer pleasure from the act they were sharing brought them both to a shattering release. He poured into her as she poured into his mouth. He stopped before he took too much blood, but she pulled him in deeper, milking him and locking him as tightly as she could against her core.
“I love you,” she said breathlessly, and immediately regretted her Marilyn Monroe vocal inflection.
“I love you too, cara. With all my heart.” He opened a tiny cut in his own throat, then pressed her willing mouth against it. His mind took over, making it pleasurable and fulfilling for her. The pulsing suction of her lips on his throat brought him fully erect again. He stopped her, closed the small wound, then kissed the blood off her mouth. This time he made love to her slowly, deliberately. Every touch, every stroke, every glance and every kiss were seared into her memory and into his.
When they lay panting and sweaty in each other’s arms for the second time, he whispered sweet nothings in her ear in Romanian and Italian while he stroked her hair and face. She didn’t care what he said, as long as he kept talking. Finally, exhausted but relieved, they both slept.
Gillian woke hours later with an intense need to empty her bladder. Aleksei was dead to the world, and would be until dusk. Since there were no windows in the room and the door was shut to any outside light, she didn’t worry about his aboveground safety. Hopping out of bed, she headed for the bathroom. Dizziness hit her on her way there, had her grabbing for a wall. They just might have gotten a little carried away with the blood exchange. She smiled at the recent memory. It didn’t matter. The blood exchange was a rare thing between them. Aleksei didn’t want to make her into anything she didn’t want to be, and Gill enjoyed being Human. She wouldn’t mention it to him or he’d be filled with self-recriminations for weeks.
After she’d relieved herself and washed her hands, she padded naked into the kitchen to find something to eat. Looking in the refrigerator, she realized he had been paying attention for longer than she had believed. Everything she loved to eat and drink was in there. She made herself a light meal, then lay down again on the living room couch to rest, wrapping herself in a soft handmade quilt draped over the couch back. He’d really outdone himself last night. She was still wiped out.
When she woke again, it wasn’t for her bladder’s benefit. She felt crappy, nauseous and out of sorts. Shit. Kimber had probably passed on whatever stomach flu she had to Gill. Lovely. She’d see if Daed could bring something to the cabin for her. Driving down to the castle would definitely not be a good idea right now.
She retrieved her phone from her purse and dialed Daed’s cell. “Hey, Daed?”
“Hello, pumpkin. Have a good date?”
“Stop calling me that. Yes, it was a good date. Aleksei brought us to this cabin down the road and up the mountain. I feel really shitty, though.”
“What’s wrong?” Daed was suddenly all doctor.
“Well, for starters, I’m really tired, I’m dizzy when I get up too fast . . .”
“Did he take too much blood?” He wasn’t being funny or intrusive; it was a legitimate question, so she bit back a sharp retort.
“No, he is really careful about that. I just feel rotten. I ate, but I still feel nauseated.”
“Any vomiting? Diarrhea?”
“No and no. Just sort of an off feeling. Can you run something up to me? Like something for nausea or a B12 shot? Aleksei worked really hard to make this special, and I don’t want to screw it up by barfing on the furniture.”
There was silence for a minute and Gillian thought the call had been dropped. “Tell you what. I’ll be up in a few minutes. I’m assuming someone knows how to get where you are. I’ll bring my bag and we’ll take a look at you.”
“How’s Kimber?”
“She’s still under the weather as well. I’m going to run some tests on both of you and see what’s going on.”
“Okay, thanks, Daed.”
“See you soon.” He hung up and Gill lay back on the couch.
Dammit. This was not the time to get sick. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the flu. Generally she had an iron constitution and didn’t have to worry about trivial things like viruses and colds.
She curled up on the couch under her quilt and a comforter she located in the guest bedroom closet and went back to sleep. Daed found her there when he arrived some twenty minutes later. She didn’t look pale, or flushed, for that matter.
He woke her gently. “Gill? Honey, sit up and let’s look you over.”
About that time Gillian remembered that she was stark naked under the covers. “Um . . . I’m not dressed.”
“I’m a doctor, remember? I’ve seen it. If you’re squeamish, keep the ta-tas covered.” He rummaged through his bag and took out a length of tubing and a syringe while Gill tucked the quilt around herself like a bath towel.
“What the hell is that for?” She eyed the apparatus in his hands.
“I’m going to take some blood and run it along with Kimber’s down to the lab at the police station. They’ve got a good enough setup for me to test this and see what kind of bug you two have contracted.”
“Well, shit, Daed. What do you think it is?”
“Probably just a weird flu strain. You’ve been under stress for a long time, you were just kidnapped and we had the meeting with pseudo-Angels. I’m guessing that you and our lovely Count have come to some understanding—all of those are stressors, and after extended periods of time, it can run hell over your immune system. I just want to be sure.”
“Fine.” She stuck out her arm for him.
After he drew a vial of her blood, he took her temperature, blood pressure and a urine sample and prodded her appendix. Gillian was getting supremely tired of it by the time he was done.
“All right, I’m going to run these down to town. Stay lying down if you can. If you have to eat, you know the drill.”
“Clear liquids, nothing fancy and rest,” Gill said firmly.
“You’ve got it. See you later.”
As soon as he left, Gillian was curled back up under the cover. She could go back and sleep next to Aleksei, or at least get dressed, but she didn’t want to go through the trouble. The couch was so comfortable and she was just so tired. Maybe after a while she’d call Kimber so they could share moral support.
Much later in the day, Aleksei awoke. He had a brief, overwhelming panicky moment when he couldn’t find Gillian right away. After he located her on the couch and saw that she was still asleep, he got dressed, then popped out of the cabin to find a donor.
When Gillian woke, she got herself something to drink and felt well enough to get dressed. Aleksei had thought of everything. She found an armoire with soft, comfy loungy-t
ype clothing just for her. She slipped into a dove gray brushed-cotton tunic and some matching pants. She noticed Aleksei’s absence and figured that he’d gone out for a bite.
Where the hell was Daed? She checked the time. He’d had plenty of time to get to Sacele and back. There was some soda in the fridge so she fixed herself a drink and went outside for a smoke. Shortly thereafter, she heard a car coming up the drive.
Daed, Kimber, Pavel, Helmut and Trocar piled out. Kimber looked a little wobbly, so Pavel scooped her up and carried her inside. Daed glared at her. “Put that thing out, will you? The nicotine is not going to help right now. Where’s Aleksei?”
“He stepped out for a bite . . . er . . . a minute. Just tell me what’s wrong with me.”
“I will, as soon as Aleksei gets back.”
“What the hell does Aleksei have to do with it?”
“Gill, don’t argue. This is something everyone needs to hear at the same time.” Daed brushed past her and went into the cabin.
“Helmut? Trocar? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure Daed will enlighten us shortly.” Helmut shook his head and went inside.
“We do not know, Petal. Daed asked us all to come.” Trocar looked at her gravely, squeezed her shoulder and then went inside too.
Aleksei misted in about that time and swept Gillian up in a bear hug. “I missed you.”
She giggled and snuggled against him. “I missed you too.”
“We have company?”
“Yup. Daed ran some tests on me and Kimber while you were asleep. He’s back with the gang to tell us what’s going on.”
Aleksei’s happiness immediately turned to concern. “What kind of tests?”
“Blood tests, pee, you know, a full physical, basically.”
“Did I hurt you last night?” His lovely platinum eyes were full of apprehension as he set her on her feet and looked her up and down.
“No, of course you didn’t. I think Kimber and I are just passing a stomach bug back and forth. Let’s go in.”
Wordlessly he followed her inside, nodding a greeting to the others. His throat was so tight he doubted if he could speak anyway. If anything happened to her . . .
“You both had better sit down,” Daed instructed them. “Kimber, Pavel, you as well.” The tone in his voice was completely serious, without the usual lighthearted banter.
Gill and Kimber looked at each other, then at Aleksei and Pavel. Unconsciously, Gillian reached for Aleksei’s hand. He took it, led her to the couch, then seated himself on the arm rest next to her. Pavel picked Kimber up and plunked her in his lap.
“Well?” Gillian asked. She couldn’t stand the suspense.
Daed looked at her. “You’re pregnant.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You’re pregnant.” He wasn’t smiling.
Kimber snorted from her vantage point on Pavel’s lap.
“Don’t you laugh either, missy. You’re knocked up as well.” Daed still wasn’t smiling.
“There has to be some mistake . . .” Gill tried to wrap her mind around what he’d just said, while arguing him out of it.
“No mistake. The lab here wasn’t sufficient to run all the tests so I drove everything to Brasov. They’ve got a hospital there, so I was able to check for everything: diabetes, the flu, food poisoning, everything. It all came back negative except the pregnancy test. That was positive. I ran it twice on both of you.”
“Oh my God.” Kimber looked like she might faint.
“Oh shit.” Gillian was pretty sure she was going to either throw up or faint.
“Pregnant?” Aleksei felt a thousand-pound weight lift off his shoulders. He threw back his head and laughed for joy and in relief.
“Laughing? This is not funny, you fertile old fossil!” Gillian slugged him in the arm.
“How?” Helmut asked. “I know both of you are responsible . . . How can you be pregnant?”
Something pinged in Gillian’s mind. “The healing! Perrin’s stupid healing must have . . .”
She stopped herself, realizing that she might be over-sharing about her and Kimber’s little former problem.
“Of course!” Aleksei wasn’t as demure, apparently. “It must have done much more than just heal physically. It must have overridden your birth control pills.”
“Shit. What are we going to do?” Gillian felt ridiculous. She’d just worked out how she felt about Aleksei, last night had been amazing and now this. A baby. Good Goddess.
“I will tell you what we are going to do,” Aleksei stated. He rose from the couch, reached into his pocked and dropped to one knee in front of Gillian.
“This was not the way or the time I envisioned proposing, piccola, but what is more important is that I do this now.”
“Aleksei . . .” Gillian could see where this was going and wasn’t sure she liked the cause and effect. She didn’t want a commitment because she was pregnant; she wanted a commitment simply because they wanted one.
“Gillian, you have to marry me now. The baby needs a father. Make an honest man out of me.” Icy gray eyes that should have been chilly burned into her soul. He loved her. That was a fact. The baby was another fact.
“I had planned to ask you tonight, but now I want you to know, in front of all these people, that I am in this for the rest of our lives. I cannot imagine my life without you in it.”
He slid the ring onto the third finger of her left hand. “Marry me, Gillian.”
She stared at the ring. It was a large bezel-set diamond in an obviously very heavy, very old yellow gold setting. It must have cost a fortune.
Aleksei read her easily. “It was my mother’s. It has never been on another hand but hers. I want you to have it because I know it will never leave our family.”
Gill looked up at him. “Your mother’s ring?” Her voice sounded shaky.
“Now it is your ring. Elizabeta never even saw it.” That simple assurance from him gave her the courage to answer.
“Okay.” Gillian’s voice cracked.
“Excuse me, piccola, what was that?” Aleksei cocked his head at her, grinning from ear to ear.
“I said okay.”
“ ‘Okay’ what, my love?” he teased her.
“Okay, I’ll marry you.”
He didn’t give her a chance to say anything else, but lifted her off the couch and set her on his knee. The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. The kiss he gave her made her come up gasping for breath.
“It will be all right, sweetling,” Aleksei breathed into her hair.
“I hope you’re right.” Gillian sighed.
“We are stronger together than apart. We will do this together.”
“I do love you, you old fossil.”
“I know you do, piccola.”
“I’m going to suck as a parent.”
“No, you will not. You will be remarkable.” Aleksei grinned at her.
“You do have to quit smoking, as of right now,” Daed informed her.
“What?” Gillian stared at him. “Oh, that’s just fabulous. I’m pregnant, I have patients to see, a wedding to plan, and I have to give up nicotine.”
“And drinking too. No arguments. It’s bad for the baby and isn’t doing you any good either. Doctor’s orders.” Daed’s normally playful countenance was gone, replaced by Dr. Know-It-All.
“Why couldn’t you just have been an antiques dealer like the rest of your family?”
Kimber was giggling into Pavel’s shoulder.
“And you’re laughing why?” Daed shifted his black eyes to her. “You’re in the same boat. No cigarettes, no booze for you either.”
“Aw, dammit!”
“Aleksei, you and Pavel make sure these two get plenty of rest, fluids and food. I’ve ordered some prenatal vitamins, which should arrive sometime tomorrow. Make sure they take them before they go to sleep. Less nausea that way.”
Aleksei’s face was completely serious.
“Of course, Doctor. Anything else?”
“Make sure they go easy on any big adventures for the next nine months.”
“Oh, come on!” Gillian was exasperated. “We’re pregnant, not terminal!”
“You will be pampered, cherished and looked after, cara mia.” Aleksei kissed her on the nose.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Gill sighed.
“And what I am looking forward to.” Aleksei hugged her tightly. She was having his child and was officially almost his. Life was indeed good.
“Babies?” Trocar’s astonishment cut through the warm, fuzzy blanket of feeling everyone was luxuriating under. “The two most deadly females I know, of any species, are having babies?”
All eyes turned to the Dark Elf. He raised an eyebrow and looked from Kimber to Gillian, grinning the most wicked grin either of them had ever seen.
“So . . . sperm happened?”
CHAPTER 14
AFTER the initial shock of discovering her impending motherhood, Gillian, with true Marine discipline and adaptability, settled in to the reality of the situation. Her routine of cigarettes and coffee upon waking gave way to hot tea and toast. Kimber bitched a bit more than Gill did, but she too adjusted to life at the Institute as a walking womb.
There were one or two almost blowups between the women and their respective males. Aleksei at first flatly refused to allow either of them to leave the interior of the castle without a literal platoon of soldiers, Wolves, Vampires and Elves surrounding them. Pavel was in complete agreement with his Lord.
This was unacceptable to both Gillian and Kimber. First they tried reasoning with their men, then they tried diplomacy. When none of the above worked out as well as they hoped, Gillian went straight for bitch.
All she wanted to do was go outside, sit in the fading, late-afternoon sun and enjoy the crisp mountain air. She didn’t want to talk, eat, sleep or be coddled. Just a few moments alone with herself and her thoughts as night fell.
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