by Honor James
“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time,” Vi said with a grin and shifted the baby, pulling the bottle from her mouth and wiping her chin before shifting her to burp the baby. “And yes, I can see Azure having her hands full keeping the language down with her mates.” Which wouldn’t be that bad, she hoped.
“She’ll get them in line,” Ladon said. He dug around in the bag and pulled out a diaper. “You want me to change her?” he asked. At her look he rolled his eyes. “I have done it once or twice, you know. I have friends with kids, it’s not that hard, and she’s a girl so the challenge goes down greatly.”
Vi laughed and shrugged. “Okay, I will let you.” She could tell he also just wanted to get his hands on the baby, not that she could blame him. “Well then, I will let you change her, and while you are doing that I’m going to see if I can get Viper walk to the stream with me so that we can cool our feet off?” She loved walking in water. She knew that was silly, but she loved the connection to nature at any time she could get it.
“Go for it, it’ll give me a chance to cuddle her for a bit.” Ladon took Rain from her with a smile for the baby. “Because you are just so sweet and too cute, yes you are. And you know it, good on you, Rain. You should always play to your strengths, I know, a little early for a life lesson but truly, this is stuff you need to know, kiddo.” He put Rain down between his legs and began to work her out of the onesie.
Viper shot her a look and shrugged. “He’s actually really good with kids. I’m usually thinking I’ll drop them or something, but he’s a pro at it.”
“He really is good with her from what I’m seeing,” Vi said with a grin and slipped her hand into Viper’s. “So now that we know that Rain is in good hands, why don’t the two of us go and have a walk by the stream? I just want to spend some time with you, if that’s okay?”
He gave her a nod. Squeezing her fingers, he let her hand go as he got to his feet. Reaching down he took her hands to tug her up. “Give a yell if you need us,” he said to Ladon. To her, he waved a hand and said, “Lead on.”
Violet did just that. She led them to the waterside and walked along with Viper at her side. “I look forward to being able to go home. It’s wonderful here and all that, but I really look forward to having time alone with the two of you.”
“I think you’ll enjoy it,” he said softly. “It’s definitely not this large, for obvious reasons. But it’s on a good chunk of land, easily defensible, and we have a good sized pond on the property. Lots of trees, lots of green, and a bunch of wildflowers that give it a very relaxed feel. Hopefully the house is still standing. It’s been so long since we’ve been back, it could have fallen down and we’d never know it.”
“Didn’t you say that you had people taking care of it while you were gone?” Vi asked with a frown. “So it has to still be standing or else you would have known about it by now. Right?” She was curious, actually.
“I would assume so, unless they didn’t want to tell me. Though, if it wasn’t there, Drake’s people would already be back. So I’m taking it as a good sign that it’s still standing and all is well.”
“Good point,” she said with a laugh. “Well, even if it’s fallen down around the rafters, we could sleep out of doors until it’s rebuilt. It’s not like we would have the ability to bring in portable housing until our home would be complete.”
“I doubt it’s fallen down, but it may need some work. We really haven’t changed much around there except to modernize it over the years. I’m sure some fresh and new furnishings are seriously called for. We will need to hit the market,” he said. “For food, if for nothing else.”
“Gotcha. Well, we will be able to hit the markets or better yet, hire someone to create exactly what we want? There are many craftsmen that are a part of the Draygon world, so that would be something that we could do as well.” She was just thinking of what they could do in order to ensure that they had everything that they ever wanted and needed.
“Up to you, Violet. You’ll be lady of the house, and both Ladon and I are easy to please. As long as we have somewhere to sit and sleep, whatever you want comes first and foremost. We will likely need to get a bigger bed, though. The one in the master is large, but I don’t know if it will fit us all for more than a couple of nights before one of us falls out.”
That had her smiling. “Yes, we would need a very large bed, but thank you.” She paused and looked up at him. “I don’t want one of us to fall out of the bed, because I love the way that it feels to sleep between you both. I love how warm I am when you are both holding me.”
“I’m a little amazed that you stay as snuggled up to us as you do. This morning, before we got up, you were sandwiched right between us and sleeping like the dead. But I suppose you are rather tiny, no body heat of your own, I’m guessing.”
“I’m always cold,” she admitted. “So it’s wonderful to be able to sleep so close to you. Both of you. I really love having the heat of the two of you close to me.” She had spent so long in the cold and was happy to have time alone with them with as little between them as possible.
Viper stopped and turned to face her. He pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her loosely. “You won’t ever be alone again, Violet. Even if we’re not there, in the room with you, you’re never alone. We’re bonded, tied on a level that no one can tear apart. No matter the distance between us, we will always be linked, tied, forever.”
“That makes me happier than you can possibly know. I love that we will all be tied together for the rest of time. I really do. And I want to have both of you sleeping with me every night for the rest of our lives. I don’t want to sleep alone again now that I’ve had the taste of what it feels to have you both close to me.”
“We’re not going to let you sleep alone, at least if it can be helped. I happen to like waking with you plastered up against me. It’s something I haven’t known before, so I didn’t even realize how nice it was.” Dipping his head, he brushed a kiss to her cheek. “We’re here for the long haul, Violet. I know this is all new, we’re all figuring out what we’re doing, and it will take some time. We’ll get there, just remember that it won’t always be a smooth ride. We’ll all mess up at some point, it’s part of the learning curve. But we’re in it together, we can work through anything and everything.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Vi looked up at Viper and smiled. “I think you should kiss me now. I happen to like waking plastered up against you, falling asleep against you, all of it. I look forward to everything with the two of you.”
Cupping her cheek, he tipped her face up more, his lips a breath from hers. Gently he brushed his lips to hers, teasing her until she opened for him. Then he kissed her, his tongue playing with hers as he pulled her up tight against his hard body.
Violet leaned into Viper as he kissed her. She was up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. She pulled him closer and moaned into his mouth as she kissed him. When they parted she was panting. “Goodness,” she whispered.
He chuckled softly at her reaction. “You okay there, Your Highness? You seem a little flushed, even a bit flustered. Was it something I did?” he asked. He was smiling down at her, laughing even as she fought for air.
“You kiss me, and it makes my whole being vibrate with need. You kiss me, and my body starts to burn,” she admitted. “It’s good though, very good,” she whispered. “And I’m good. Very good.”
“Uh-huh,” he said softly. He brushed another kiss to her lips. It was light, gentle, and nowhere near as mind-altering. Yet it still made her burn. “Maybe you should cool off a little by dipping your toes in the water. You had mentioned that to Ladon, be a shame not to do something you were obviously looking forward to.”
“Yes, good point.” She slipped out of her shoes and stepped into the cool water. She laughed when the moss on the rocks made her feet feel icky. “Such different contrasts. The heat of your body, the chill of the water. It’s intriguing.”
> “Well, enjoy it while you can. We’re eventually going to have to head back to the house. If we don’t they will come looking for us, especially since we made off with their child.” He held her hand to steady her as she waded out a little more.
“Yes, but they know that we wouldn’t go far.” Vi stepped out of the small stream and close to Viper again. “Let’s head back to Ladon and Rain so that we can grab the blanket and everything else and head inside.”
Nodding, he bent to pick up her shoes. He held them as they walked back to where they’d left Ladon. When they found him, he was still chatting with Rain as she gnawed on one of his fingers. Viper just shook his head and squeezed her hand gently. “I have to wonder what he’s talking to her about,” he said softly.
“It’s funny, because she looks as if she’s talking right back to him.” She leaned her head against Viper’s shoulder and watched Ladon with the baby. “She has to be teething. Poor thing is going to town chewing on his fingers.”
“It’s a little early for teething, hell, she’s not old enough for much of anything yet,” he said softly. “Just drooling, eating, and pooping. But she definitely does seem to like chewing on fingers. Apparently Ladon doesn’t mind that she’s gnawing on him.”
“No, that he doesn’t,” Violet said with a grin. “She might just be drooling, eating, and pooping, but she’s also capturing the hearts of everyone she comes into contact with. I like that about her. She’s seriously one of the sweetest babies I think that I’ve ever come into contact with.”
“Come on you two, quit gawking over there. We should be getting back,” Ladon called out. “I also think it’s time for Uncle Viper to have more time with this adorable little darling. We’ve been discussing it, and she’s definitely been lacking some Viper time.”
“Oh Gods,” Viper groaned out, sounding like he was in pain.
Violet laughed. “I’m thinking that Ladon wants to have some more Violet time,” she teased both men. “And why do you look so pained about holding that baby girl for a bit and having time with her, Viper?” She asked her rather large mate who looked like he was about to faint.
“I don’t mind holding her, but she’s so damn tiny,” he muttered. He did follow her over to where Ladon was. He even took the baby from Ladon but looked damn nervous the entire time.
“He’s always avoiding holding babies if he can manage it,” Ladon told her as he packed up Rain’s bag of stuff. He stood and shook out the blanket, returning it to the wood chest under the tree he’d originally got it from. “He’ll be fine, it’s just a short walk to the house.”
“You want me to walk with her?” Viper asked in horror.
“One foot in front of the other all the way back. Come on, Viper. You can kick the asses of twelve guys without breaking a sweat or a nail, I’m sure you can manage a few meters holding onto her,” Ladon said with a grin.
Violet grinned and moved to Viper’s side, tugging Ladon along with her. “Come on, Viper. Walk. I know that you can do this, mister man,” she teased him. “She’s not going to wiggle out of your hands. Give her a little bit of time and then she will, though.”
“Not helping here, Violet,” he muttered.
Ladon snickered as he wrapped his arm around her. “I love the fact he’s actually not good at something. It gives me a little less of a complex knowing how nervous he is around kids,” he said softly to her. Not softly enough, given the look of death Viper shot him.
“Well, he needs to get some experience while he can, because when we have a child I want him to be calm and relaxed around it. I don’t want for him to be all tongue-tied and unable to move with our baby when we have one,” Violet replied as she looked up at Viper and then Ladon.
“We’ll get him there,” Ladon said. Hugging her to his side, he kept them moving. Slow enough to stick close to Viper, but not so slow that Viper could stop walking. He truly seemed very paranoid while carrying around Rain. “Dude, she is relaxed in your arms, she trusts you. Just walk, you aren’t going to drop her or hurt her. Besides, babies bounce. Or so I’ve been told, never actually tried it, that’s just so many ways of wrong.”
Violet gave Ladon a nasty look. “Not helping.” She muttered. “She’s not going to be dropped. You won’t hurt her, Viper, you know that and I know that. Ladon is correct, though, she trusts you or she wouldn’t be as relaxed and comfortable in your arms as she’s looking right now.”
Ladon snickered at her dirty look and just shrugged. “The only one tense about all of this is you, Viper. Both Vi and I have full confidence in you, even Rain has confidence in you. Take a breath and relax. It’s like anything you’ve ever done in your life for the first time, it’s scary, but eventually it becomes old hat. I know it’s been a while since you’ve had any firsts, but go with it.”
“I agree. If she didn’t trust you she would not be so relaxed. She wouldn’t be looking up at you with laughter and smiles, blowing bubbles at you,” she teased with a smile. “I think she’s quickly becoming enamored with you, mister man.” Because the child would certainly not allow anyone around her if she didn’t trust them, not with the horror she lived through at such an early age.
“She’s been enamored by him since she spotted him this morning,” Ladon told her. “She was eating but following him with her eyes the entire time. I’m pretty sure if she’d been able to, she’d have launched herself right at him when he got close enough to Azure.”
“It’s how big he is,” Violet agreed. “He’s just so large. You are as well, but I don’t know, there is something about Viper that makes him feel larger than life. Weird I know,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t blame her, though, for wanting to have Viper holding her.”
“So now I’m chopped liver?” Ladon asked. He was playing it up as he laughed at her. “I see how this is, the extra wheel and all that. No, no, it’s all good. Viper, I think you’ll need to hold me soon, I’m suddenly feeling very teary eyed.”
“Violet, sweetheart, kick him in the shins, would you please,” Viper said to her.
She snorted. “Oh, you are far more than chopped liver,” she muttered and looked up at Ladon. “When you touch me I feel it all the way to the bottoms of my feet. When you move your hands over my neck or shoulders you make my pussy ache and weep with need. And then you look at me.” She sighed. “Damn. That’s all I can say.”
“Well, hell, woman,” he said. Scooping her up in his arms he dashed past Viper and for the house. “Catch up when you can, Viper. We’ll be otherwise occupied but it’s all good,” he called out.
Violet was laughing and holding onto Ladon. She waved at Azure and Drake as they raced past them and nibbled her teeth over Ladon’s shoulder. “So where are you taking me?” She asked as she shifted slightly. “Because I hope it’s somewhere we can get naked. Soon.” She bit his shoulder then, hard. “Very soon, please.”
“Damn straight,” he muttered. He hit the stairs running and just kept on going. Volos was standing there with wide eyes as they tore by.
“Uh, no running in the house?” he shouted out, not really sounding sure of himself.
“Shut up,” Ladon called out with a laugh.
Violet was laughing when they finally made it to the room they had shared the night before. “How about you put me down so that I can get naked? I want naked and I need you naked. Please?”
He kicked the door shut before he released her. “Quickly, woman,” he said. He was already tugging on his boots, tossing them to the side as he got them off his feet. Next he tore off his shirt, before going to work on his belt and his jeans. His eyes never once left her face as he got naked for her.
Violet did it as well. She began to strip, tossing her clothes left and right as she did so. “Goodness, I love seeing you naked. How long do you think we have before Viper comes striding into the room?”
He dropped his pants as he considered the question. “At a guess, given how quickly he was moving, I’d say about fifteen minutes. Maybe less, but no
t by much. I’d be willing to bet it’ll actually be a little longer. He’s still going to have to pass her off to someone, if she lets go. She had a fairly good grip on his shirt, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Then, I think”—she moved closer to Ladon and put her hand on his cock—”I think that you and I should get started. I look forward to having your hands and mouth all over me and having mine all over you.” She stroked him as she spoke and loved it.
“We’re off to a great start,” he said with a smile. He moved suddenly and she soon found herself on her back, on the bed, all the way across the room. He was quick, she’d give him that, and sneaky, too. Lowering his head, he nibbled on her throat gently, flicking his tongue out to stroke her pulse as he slowly slid a hand over her hip.
“Oh, hell,” Violet moaned as she wiggled under Ladon’s far too wonderful touch. “That feels so good.” Her hands were in his hair, holding him close to her body. “Fuck yes, there.” She sobbed when he tugged on her nipple, biting it and then licking it. “So good.”
He moved to her other breast, treating the nipple to more of the same. He sucked hard on the tight bud, biting it gently from time to time. His hand was moving lower, skimming over her belly until he cupped her pussy, his fingers delving between her folds.
“Gods,” Violet moaned and arched up off the bed. She shuddered and opened her legs for him even more. “So good.” She shivered when he began to stroke her pussy with his large, thick fingers.
“You’re so wet,” he growled out. Lifting his head he nipped at her chin as he pressed two fingers into her pussy. “So fucking hot, so damn tight, Gods. Violet,” he groaned her name as he rubbed his thumb to her clit, his fingers pressing in deeper.
Violet whimpered and arched once more. “Fuck me.” She purred the words. “Again,” she begged him. When he once more began to tease and stroke her pussy, she stroked her hands up and down his cock after finally finding him once more with her hands.