by Ibanez, Dawn
Madison looked into his eyes and knew that she wouldn’t see him before she left. It was going to be too painful to watch her walk out of his life again. In a way, it killed her too. But she had to go. She reached up and caressed his face. “I will,” she said in a whisper.
Epilogue
Barry snapped his phone shut as he leaned back in the orange monstrosity Lily called a sofa. As much as he wanted to argue, she was right. It was the most comfortable sofa he ever sat in. It was even more comfortable when Lily pushed him back and straddled his waist. He couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face when he realized she was wearing one of his shirts.
“How’d it go?” she asked as she made herself comfortable. Lily ignored the hard bulge under her, delighting in the way he groaned. “I’m sure your captain wasn’t happy to have you resign.”
“He’s pissed, but he understands. He knows that Dylan’s business needs the extra help and with everything that happened, I would be a better fit there.” Barry ran his hands up her legs and smiled as she moved against him. After dealing with the Nephilim, they returned to her apartment. They then proceeded to make love countless times on various pieces of furniture. A low chuckle escaped him as he pulled Lily closer. “You know, I don’t think I told you how hot it was that you stood up to Famine,” he said against her lips.
She smiled at his pseudo-kiss. On instinct, she licked his lips and sat up straight. “You think everything I do is hot,” she commented. Lily couldn’t help but laugh when he shrugged. She leaned forward and kissed him again, this time slowly grinding against him.
“I knew I would like watching you,” Famine said from the armchair across the room.
Lily instantly shifted forms and hissed at him. When he started to laugh, she moved to attack him. The only thing that gave her pause was the gun pointed at the Nephilim. She looked at Barry and saw that he was sitting perfectly calm with his gun aimed at the intruder.
Famine smiled as he shoved popcorn in his mouth. “You two really are made for each other,” he said carelessly.
“What do you want?” Barry asked.
“I want you to prove me right,” Famine answered. When Barry frowned at him, he smiled. “My dear Lily is under the impression that you love her. I say she’s wrong. You’re just using her so that when you’re old and grey you can tell your children you tapped a Succubus and survived.”
Barry’s frown deepened as he lowered his gun. “What makes you think I would do something like that?” he questioned.
“In cop terms, it’s your MO.”
Lily frowned at Famine as she slowly changed back to her normal form. Before she could say anything, the Nephilim snapped his fingers. She was fully clothed in an instant. She shook her head in order to remain focused on what she was about to say. “We’ve already been through your judgment.” In a flash of movement, she was in Famine’s face. “You broke into my home for no reason.”
Famine smiled as he looked at her. She really was adorable. “You have been through Judgment. Not him.” He flashed from the armchair to sit next to Barry. “You two do the hot teacher, bad student role play yet?”
Barry’s frown deepened. “I will shoot you,” he said darkly. When Famine blinked innocently at him, Barry pulled back the hammer to his gun. “And I think you need to apologize to her.”
Famine watched Barry for a long moment. “You’ve been with countless women. You have lived the bachelor life from the time you were 16. What makes you think that of all people, mousey little Lily will keep your attention?”
The gun lowered in shock. “That’s what this is about?” he asked before looking at Lily. “A Meet-the-Dad lecture?”
Lily frowned as she went to sit next to Barry. “I don’t know what he’s up to. But while I do hope you shoot him, part of me is worried about getting the stains out.”
Famine smiled at her. “So heartless,” he breathed. When the couple looked at him again, he leaned back into the sofa. “But you’ve never answered my question, Barrence.”
Barry frowned as he stuffed his gun back between the sofa cushions. “You still haven’t apologized to her,” he countered.
Famine turned to Lily and sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said with blandly. When she continued to look at him, he ran a hand through his hair. “What? I’m a curious person. And it really should go without saying that I have a stake in your welfare. If he’s just going to play games with your heart, he can find some other little trollop to fuck.”
Lily blinked as Barry lunged forward with his hands wrapped around his Famine’s throat. She never expected him to move that fast. With a shaking hand, she reached out and touched his shoulder. “Barry, it’s okay,” she said trying to pull him off.
Barry looked into Famine’s eyes. “You want to know how I feel about her, fine. I’ll tell you how I feel about her,” he growled. “I fucking love her. How do I know? It’s real simple asshole. Like everyone throws in my face, I’ve been with more than my fair share of women. And none of them, none, make me feel the way she does. You like to sit here and throw the fact that she’s a Succubus in her face. Like that means she’s worthless or something. Lily will never be worthless to me. So if you want to stand here and treat her like she’s some piece of shit, I will kill you right now.”
Lily wrapped her arms around him. “Barry, that’s enough!” she shouted as she tried to pull him off of Famine. Her eyes widened when Famine quickly turned and had Barry pinned underneath him. “I swear, if you hurt him,” she growled.
“You just don’t get it, do you,” Famine snapped. He glared down at Barry. “She’s my successor. Famine. She has to know what it’s like to do without. But with every incarnation, each harbinger has had one thing that they would destroy the world over. For the first time, it’s a person. It’s you.”
His words were slowly sinking in to Barry’s mind as Famine pressed him to the floor. Barry turned dark eyes to Lily and saw that she was just as stunned as he was.
Famine wasn’t done. “I need to know that your love for her is as strong as her faith in you. If not, I will kill you now and deal with the fall out of her losing the only mate she can ever have.” He pressed down on Barry’s throat and leaned in close to the mage. He ignored the hands grabbing at his wrists and kept his focus on Barry. “Now, do you love her enough to stop fighting me?”
Barry’s eyes burned with hate as his arms fell to his sides limp. When Famine released his throat, he started to cough. As he started to lift himself up, Lily appeared at his side. He glanced at her and saw that her eyes were filled with tears. “I’m alright, Baby,” he whispered into her ear.
Famine looked at the pair and frowned. It was possible for them to be happy together, but there were a lot of obstacles in their way. “I only have one more question,” he said lowly. When Barry pulled Lily behind him, Famine fought a smile. “If everything came down to one choice, would you live for her, or die for her?”
Barry frowned as he looked into the Nephilim’s eyes. “What kind of question is that?” he asked in turn. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Barry paused and looked at Lily. She was standing behind him, biting her lip. His eyes were tender as he took her hand and gently kissed it. “It’s a trick question,” he said softly.
“Barry?” Lily asked.
He smiled before looking at Famine. “If I said I would die for her, you would say I was being selfish. That I thought death was an acceptable way to end our relationship. You would try to convince her that I would damn her to an eternity without me. If I said I would live for her, you would still say I was selfish. But this time you would twist things around and make her believe that I would never want to stand by her side. The truth is much more complicated than that.” Barry faced Lily and brushed her hair away from her face. “I would die for you. I would do everything that cheesy song says. I would do my best to protect you, and what we have. And you need to know that I would live for you too. While I can’t say that I’ll be perfect, I can say that I
will do my damnedest to make sure you’re happy and don’t want for anything.”
Famine finally smiled at the pair. “That was so lovely,” he said as his bag of popcorn appeared in his hands. “I now pronounce you, Succubus and Mate.” His eyes sparkled as he looked at Lily. “You can kiss your baby-daddy,” he said softly.
“What?” the couple asked.
Famine waved his hand. He smiled at Lily as her hands went to her lower abdomen. “I should have warned you, the Maxwell family is a lot on the fertile side. He got you knocked up that first time.”
Barry wrapped his arms around Lily as he looked at Famine. “Why did no one notice this?” he asked. “Why did you let her fight?”
Famine shrugged. “It’s an early pregnancy. No one noticed because I hid their magical signatures and scent. Plus, there was no way I could not let her fight. She needed to be there for her judgment.”
Lily inhaled sharply through her nose as she turned his words over in her mind. “Their signatures,” she said in a whisper. She looked at Barry with wide eyes. “A boy and a girl.”
Barry helped her over to the sofa and eased her down. “Are you sure? Twins do run in my family.” He stopped when she started to shake her head.
“We’re always born in pairs. A boy and a girl.” Lily looked at Famine and felt her eyes fill with tears. “You wanted to make sure we were happy,” she said softly.
Famine shrugged. “I’ll admit, I’m an asshole,” he said easily. “But not that much of an asshole. I know what’s coming. You’re going to need all of the happiness you can find. I had to make sure you were looking in the right place.”
Lily jumped to her feet and pulled Famine into a hug. “You do something like this again and I’ll kill you,” she whispered into his ear.
Famine returned her embrace. “You’ll try,” he teased before vanishing.
Barry looked around the room and sighed when he saw no sign of the Nephilim. A frown crossed his face when he saw Lily wiping tears from her eyes. “Baby, you okay?” he asked.
She wrapped her arms around him tightly. “We’re going to be parents,” she said lowly.
He savored the feel of her in his arms and kissed her neck. “We’re going to be awesome parents.”
“How do you know? There’s so much that babies need.”
Barry pressed his fingers to her lips and smiled at her. “First thing’s first. We have to call Eric and Sloane.”
Lily’s mind was stuck on the fact that she was pregnant. “Why?”
A laugh escaped him as he reached for his cellphone. “Because you’re going to need someone to stand up for you in Vegas.”
Lily slowly started to smile. “You’re serious.”
“You wouldn’t believe how serious I am,” he said before putting his phone to his ear.
Lily watched him as he told either his brother or Sloane about their unexpected bundle. Part of her was sad. With everything going on, she was sure Madison wasn’t going to be completely overjoyed. But a larger part was thrilled, and growing more giddy by the moment.
Lily walked over to Barry and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he smiled at her, she gently kissed his neck. With him, she finally found a place to belong.
Barry laughed as he disconnected the call. “Sloane is over the moon. He was going on about how we’re going to live happily ever after.”
Lily snorted before kissing him. “Has he met your family?” she asked playfully. “There will be another crisis in a few months.”
He couldn’t help but wince. She was right. A small smile crossed his face as he lifted her into his arms. “It doesn’t matter,” he said as he carried her to the bedroom. “We’ll face it as Mr. and Mrs.”
A laugh escaped her as she let him seduce her. “I thought we were going to start getting ready for Vegas,” she said as her clothing vanished.
Barry kissed her savagely and laid her back. “Eric and Sloane will be here in about an hour,” he said as his own clothes disappeared.
“Is that enough time?” Lily asked. Her back arched when his lips surrounded a nipple and started to suck. Her mind blanked out as he eagerly entered her.
Barry looked at the woman that captured his heart and smiled. She was a vision spread out across the pale sheets. “Honestly? Never,” he whispered before allowing the mutual passion they shared to sweep them away.
Thank you for reading Dangerous Dalliances!
The Maxwell Family will return soon in the next installment...
Auspicious Affairs
Turn the page for a sneak peek....
Victor walked into his suite and tried not to snap as his son followed him. “Is there something else you wish to discuss?” he asked Casper.
The younger Vampire shrugged. “I don’t remember ever seeing you like this,” Casper commented. He walked over to one of the overstuffed armchairs and sprawled over it. “Sure, there were a few women you stalked over the years, but with Leigh it seems different.”
Victor removed his tie and went to look out of the window. He would not give Casper the satisfaction of a reply. Finding out a woman’s history and interest was not stalking. But his son was correct about the fact that with Leigh things were different.
Casper noted the closed look on his father’s face and straightened in his seat. All of his good humor fled as he decided to approach the one topic he carefully avoided whenever he spoke with Victor. “I know there’s been no one since Mom.”
“And there will be no one else,” Victor snapped. Christine was his heart. “No one will ever be able to replace her.”
“She would want you to move on.” Casper stood and crossed the room. He ignored the glare his father was giving him. “We both know that Mom was all about doing what made you happy. If Leigh can make you happy, I say go for it.” Casper poured a glass of cognac and slowly drank it. “Who knows, maybe she can get you to loosen up again.”
Victor moved to sit on the sofa. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Casper turned and braced himself. He was about to start speaking with a brick wall. “You’re uptight and old fashioned. You’ve changed over the years, but think about it. If Jackie never left with Claude, you would have forced Crispin and Jessica to get married. If Madison hadn’t worked whatever magic she worked on you, you would have looked at Claudia and threw her out on to the streets. You don’t realize what kind tyrant you were becoming.”
“And now you believe Leigh can save me from myself?” Victor asked almost mockingly.
“Yes. If anything, she can teach you how to wear jeans and use contractions.” Casper shook his head and sighed. “Do you realize that since you’ve give Crispin the crown, you have done absolutely nothing for your own pleasure? You’ve looked out for our best interest. You’ve stayed around to make sure Crispin was handling the mantle of leadership. After that it was to make sure Dylan adjusted to being a newly made Vampire queen. Once that was starting to settle, Madison had the twins and you wanted to make sure she was alright because she sent her Wolf to the other side of the country. Notice, there’s no pleasure for yourself.”
Bored green eyes looked at Casper. While his son was correct on many levels, there was no way he was going to admit that. “Are you finished?”
Casper’s shoulders fell. Victor was done with the conversation. “For now,” he said before topping off his cognac and leaving the main room. “Tomorrow’s a different day. And I should have back up by then.”
Victor frowned at the thought of anyone else learning of his indiscretion with Leigh. “What are you alluding to now?”
Casper opened the door to his bedroom and smiled at his father. “That text I got in the elevator coming up here,” Casper said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. “It was Kayin. Mommy’s home.”
Victor quickly stood. “Madison returned?”
“A few hours ago.” Casper chuckled as he took a drink. “Little Kayin lifted her phone and sent me the text. Just imagine, in a few hours
you’re going to have your hands full with a pissed off Necromancer.”
“Please,” Victor scoffed. “I can handle Madison perfectly well,” he said before going over to pour his own glass of cognac. “And I am sure Troy will keep her occupied for more than a few hours,” he mocked.
Casper smiled as he looked at his father. “See, Leigh is good for you. You’re making dirty jokes already.”
Victor frowned. “Good night Casper.”
“It’s spelled L-E-I-G-H. I think you’ll really enjoy the images.” Casper chuckled as he went into his room and closed the door.
Victor closed his eyes as he tried to ignore his son. The boy was too much like his mother for Victor’s own sanity. A sigh escaped him. Casper was nearing his 250th birthday. He had not been a boy for some time. Maybe he was getting old. Victor shook his head and went over to the desk by the balcony. There were things he had to take care of for Crispin. It wouldn’t do for both the King and his head advisor to disappear. He frowned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Trying to start any type of relationship was utter madness. Victor smiled as he opened his text messages. Kayin must have sent him a text from Madison’s phone as well.
Mommy’s home. Will have cookies 2marrow.
A laugh escaped him. Kayin enjoyed making any and everything into a cookie event. Victor could only be amused by the tactic. He taught it to the child.
His amusement drifted as he started to scroll through his contacts. If Kayin was trying to gather everyone for Madison’s return, Leigh would be there. It would not do well to leave things the way they were now.
Victor paced the length of the room as he found Leigh’s phone number. He would deal with Casper in the morning. Troy would also have to be dealt with. Luckily, Madison would be able to keep her wolf too preoccupied with anything else. Hopefully. With Madison, one could never tell.
Before he could stop himself, Victor opened up the screen for a new message.