“Punish yourself.”
“Punish myself how, Lann?”
Before he could answer, Clelia appeared in the door with a steaming bowl balanced on a tray. “I brought hot chocolate. Can I get you some, Lann?”
Lann turned. “She’s not allowed chocolate. You know that.”
“Lann,” Kat exclaimed. “You’re being rude.”
Clelia didn’t seem put off. She left the tray on the coffee table by the fireplace. “I know. It’s made with carob, a caffeine-free replacement.”
“Thank you, Clelia,” Kat said, cutting Lann a look. “You’re most thoughtful.”
Clelia only smiled and left the room.
Kat turned, but Lann blocked her path. “I won’t let you upset yourself like this. I can’t stand by and watch you bring unnecessary suffering to yourself.”
“Lann,” Kat said softly, “I want to do this. I need to do it.”
“You’re my responsibility, and I won’t let you hurt yourself.”
“You’re directing your anger at me, and I understand, but you should be using all that energy on more uplifting emotions, such as helping me prepare for the birth by being happy with me.”
Lann scowled. “Rubbing my nose in it isn’t helping. The only thing it does is remind me that you’re—” He swallowed the rest of his words. “Fuck. I didn’t mean to say that.”
He put his hand on Kat’s arm, but she pulled away.
His eyes sparked. “Don’t deny me my right to comfort you.”
“If you don’t upset me to start with, you wouldn’t always have to comfort me,” she snapped.
His eyes widened. “I upset you?”
“Honestly, Lann, for an intelligent man you know precious little about a woman’s feelings.”
“I’m trying to protect your feelings.”
“No, you’re not. You’re denying me the right to love my baby,” she said softly.
He stared at her with an expression of disbelief.
She couldn’t handle the conflict any longer. It was exhausting. She turned for the bathroom, but before she’d taken two steps, Lann was gripping her shoulder.
“Don’t walk away from me,” he said, the usual flat tone he used when he was angry now infused with emotion. “I don’t have enough time left with you to let you walk out on me.”
He gave a gentle tug, turning her back to face him.
“You’re the one who walked out on me, remember?” she said.
Her words had the effect of a cold shower. His grip loosened. She used the moment to put the distance she craved between them.
“I’d like to be alone now,” she said, backtracking into the bathroom.
“What are you doing?”
“I’d like a warm bath, and then I’ll finish packing away our baby’s clothes. If you can’t handle it, you can wait downstairs.”
He took a step toward her.
“No.” Her voice was firm. “I said I need time alone. You will respect that.”
Lann froze. A battle raged in his eyes as she closed the door, shutting him out.
She leaned against the wood and breathed out slowly. Why did she have to fall in love with a difficult man? Would Lann ever come to terms with reality? She wanted their child to know his father and she was sure Lann would make a great one, but for now, she didn’t want to think about it anymore. She ran a bath, soaked in the welcome water until it cooled, and only when she got out, making a noise of splashing the water, did a knock fall on the door.
“Can I come in?” Lann asked.
He was still there? As if afraid she’d deny his request, he opened the door before she could reply. Without waiting for a response, he took a towel from the rack and wrapped it around her. Despite the fact that she was still annoyed with him, his nearness was comforting. She allowed him to dry her body. Lann released the clasp that secured her hair in a messy bun on her head, letting the long strands tumble down her back. His eyes darkened as he dropped the towel and studied her reflection in the mirror.
She followed his gaze. Her waist had expanded, and she had a definite bump. “I’m starting to show.”
He lifted her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “Very little. I can’t wait. You’ll be beautiful.” His expression softened as they locked eyes again. “I’m very proud, even if I shouldn’t be.”
It was the first time Lann had expressed a positive sentiment about her pregnancy, and she had to bite her lip not to cry. Hiding her emotions, she reached for the body lotion on the shelf, but Lann intercepted and took the bottle instead. He squirted a generous amount into his hand, and then heated the lotion by rubbing it between his palms before he applied it to her arms. He covered every inch of skin, taking special care to massage each finger, before he swiped her hair over her shoulder to expose her back. As the curls tumbled over her breasts, his eyes followed the action, but he kept focused on his task, moisturizing her back and legs, smoothing his hands over her calves to the inside of her thighs. When he brushed his fingertips over her folds, she jerked.
Going down onto his knees behind her, he kissed her lower back. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She went on tiptoes when he parted her with a finger, but he held her in place with a hand on her hip.
“For the record,” he continued, “I didn’t walk out on you. I set you free.” He cupped her sex, holding her in a possessive way. “That freedom is over now.” Slipping a finger inside, he said, “Now, you’re mine.”
Pleasure rippled over her in waves. She wanted him. Her body never lied.
“It’s so damn hot when you’re so wet for me,” he said, straightening to press a kiss to her shoulder.
When she moaned at the loss of his finger, he rewarded her by turning her to face him and pulling her into his embrace.
“Too gentle,” she said, fisting her hands into his shirt. “Give it to me harder.”
Complying, he yanked her to him and resumed where he’d left off, teasing her with a finger inside. She uttered a sigh of ecstasy when he curled the digit and found her g-spot. He rubbed a thumb over her clit until her inner muscles clenched around the intrusion, but before the building tension eased, he stilled. He removed his glasses and left them on the shelf.
“Please,” she said, cupping his hand over her sex. “Don’t stop.”
Instead of complying, he kissed her. His tongue mimicked the earlier movements of his now non-moving finger.
“Please, Lann,” she whispered into their kiss. Warm air moved over her, cascading down her spine.
“Not yet, sweetheart.” He nipped her bottom lip. “I want to taste you.”
He pulled out, making her feel empty. A second later he cupped her ass and dragged her closer to fasten a hot mouth around her nipple. Cool air contracted the hardened tip further as he planted a trail of kisses down to her stomach. He lifted her leg over his shoulder and gripped her waist to balance her. He didn’t make her wait longer. He parted her folds with his tongue and fucked her with shallow strokes.
She gripped the counter behind her. “Lann.”
He was teasing her, licking a slow path from the bottom of her slit to the nub between her folds.
“Tell me what you want,” he said, sitting back on his haunches.
She didn’t hesitate. “Take me harder.”
He lowered her leg and straightened slowly, applying light pressure with two fingers on her clit. Holding her eyes, he teased her some more by brushing those wicked fingers lightly over the nub that ached with need. Then, without warning, he thrust two fingers inside.
A gasp escaped her lips.
“Like this?” he asked, his heated gaze boring into hers.
“Yes.”
He rewarded her with another thrust, curling his fingers to rub a sensitive spot inside. “Who do you belong to?”
“You,” she said as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back to rest against the mirror.
“Say it again.”
“Yours.”
> “Don’t ever forget that,” he whispered in her ear.
His touch disappeared. His heat vanished. She opened her eyes. Lann stood a step away.
“Will you walk out on me again?” he asked, undoing his pants.
She bit her lip. “No.”
He pulled down the zipper and freed himself. She wanted to touch and taste him. When she closed the small distance and folded her fingers around the thick base of his cock, he stilled her with a hand. She looked at him in confusion.
“My way,” he said, moving her hand away. “Your turn comes later.”
Gripping her hips, he turned her toward the mirror. He flattened a palm on her back and pushed her down until her ass was presented to him, much like he’d done during their first time in Santiago. He spread her thighs and stepped between her legs. The head of his cock nudged her entrance. She held her breath.
“I want to see your face,” he said in a hoarse voice. Gathering her hair into a ponytail at the base of her neck, he twisted the long strands around his fingers. “Ready?”
His hold was too tight to manage a nod, so she gave him her answer with her eyes.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he said.
The words were nothing short of a warning. She swallowed. It was what she wanted. She watched the erotic sight play out in the reflection of the mirror. He caressed her back before grabbing the root of his cock to drag the head through her soaked folds. When he was well lubricated with her arousal, he fastened his fingers on her hip and pulled her against him at the same time as he pushed deep. In one, hard thrust, he was buried inside her as deep as he could go. The sensation was fire and ecstasy. He kept still for a moment, giving her time to adjust to the intrusion before starting to move.
She gripped the counter for purchase. Each thrust wrenched the air from her lungs. Raw emotion carried on his hard strokes. Moving like a wild man, he possessed her body and claimed her soul. He moved like a man without restraint, but only someone who knew him as well as she did would know he was completely in control. He swelled inside her, stretching her inner muscles to extremes. If only he could grant his soul the same freedom he gave his body and let go of the pain in the same way he unleashed his lust. Her muscles clenched around him, a telltale sign that her release was close, but before she could go over, a smack reverberated in the room as his palm connected with her ass cheek. The impact stung. The heat of his palm scorched her skin. The bite of pain made her wetter, and she almost came.
“Not yet,” he said, even as he tensed behind her in a way that told her he was close.
Gently, he untangled his fingers from her hair. Placing one hand on her breast and the other between her legs, he pinched her nipple and clit while driving so hard into her that her knees buckled.
Her climax tore through her, detonating with sparks that sizzled all the way to her toes as he emptied himself in her body. They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled out.
He brushed her hair aside and kissed her shoulder while rubbing away the sting on her ass cheek. “You like that, don’t you?”
She uttered a sigh of exhausted happiness. “You know I do.”
His turned her back to face him and kissed her lips. “I love you.”
A whisper of air caressed her naked body, skittering in ripples over her skin.
“Did you feel that?” she asked.
He nuzzled her temple. “Always.”
She burrowed against his chest. “Do it again.”
“I can’t control it.” He scooped her up and carried her to bed. “It just happens.”
“Have you never felt it before?”
“Never,” he said, laying her down and getting onto the bed beside her. “Only with you.”
Already, she felt the pull of sleep. “Tell me again.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Only with you.”
When she drifted off, his arms were still around her .
Chapter 9
Lann quietly showered and dressed in the bathroom, and left the room without waking Katherine. She was worn out after their lovemaking.
Joss had called a meeting before dinner. When he entered the library, Cain, Maya, Joss, and Clelia were already there. Joss was pouring wine while Clelia tended the fire. Maya and Cain sat on a sofa by the window. The wind howled outside. Darkness had fallen, but he didn’t need light to know it was going to rain again.
He walked over to the fireplace and addressed Clelia softly. “I owe you an apology for earlier.”
“I get why you’re upset,” she said, straightening, “but do you understand so little about women?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She needs to do this. Don’t you see? She needs to know you’ll look after the baby.”
He wanted to say there was no question about him taking care of his child, but Joss called for their attention, saying, “We should start.”
“David was spotted at a vamp bar in Paris,” Cain said.
At the mention of David, Lann tensed.
Cain gave him a warning look. “This isn’t about revenge. This is about getting intel on who David is hunting for.”
That cannibal bastard threatened Katherine and his child, and he wasn’t going to just let it go. “What do we have?” If David was spotted at a vamp bar, it meant the informant was a vamp or a hunter. No one else got into the Paris vamp bars, and he didn’t trust either. “Who’s the source?”
“Daniel,” Joss said.
Daniel was David’s twin brother. It was common knowledge that Daniel was missing a few marbles. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Daniel betrayed the brother who openly disrespected and publicly humiliated him, but it could also be a trap.
“Blood runs thicker than water,” Maya said, voicing his thought.
“She’s right,” Clelia said. “What if it’s a set-up? What if David is using Daniel to draw us in?”
“That’s exactly what it is,” Joss said.
Maya took the glass Joss offered her. “So we’re just walking into it?”
“We’re going to walk into it,” Joss said, “with open eyes.”
“You’re going to let David believe we fell for his trap,” Lann said as he caught on.
“While we set a trap for David,” Maya added.
Clelia regarded her husband. “How?”
“We’ll let him believe we’re leading him to Kat, but we’ll be the ones doing the questioning,” Joss said.
Maya twirled her glass, studying the color of the wine in the light of the fire. “What makes you so sure he’ll be deceived?”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Clelia said. “It’s our only lead to Godfrey.”
“True.” Maya turned to Joss. “Who’s going?”
“We can’t leave Kat here alone and unprotected,” Clelia said.
“No, we can’t.” Joss’s gaze rested on his wife. “Clelia and Lann will stay with her. Maya, you’ll come with me.”
“You can’t take this from me,” Lann said, clenching his hands.
“He’s right, Joss,” Maya said. “David went after his woman. It’s Lann’s hunt.”
Joss studied Lann. “Are you sure you want to leave her? You know the risks. I can’t guarantee you’ll get out in one piece.”
“I’ve always known the risks,” Lann said, “and I guarantee you I’ll get out in one piece. David won’t.”
“Lann,” Cain said, “remember my warning.”
Joss fixed Lann with a stare. “Cain is right. If David is dead, he’s of no use to us.”
“Do you really think it’s only him I want?” Lann asked. “I want Godfrey as much as you do.”
“Fine,” Joss said. “Clelia, you and Maya will stay here with Cain to protect Kat.”
Maya scoffed. “I didn’t sign up for babysitting duty.”
Lann studied Joss from under his lashes. He worried about Clelia, but his feelings were getting in the way of his better judgment. Not that Lann bl
amed him. However…
“For this mission,” Lann said, “I need Clelia.”
“No,” Joss said, the word falling like a lash.
Clelia laid a hand on her husband’s arm. “I’m a firestarter, Joss. You don’t get a better vampire weapon than that.”
Joss cursed. “You’re too inexperienced.”
“Joss,” Lann said gently, “she’s ready. We’ve all seen her in action.”
“Fuck.” Joss dragged his hands over his head. “No. I’ll go too. Cain and Maya can hold the fort.”
“Josselin,” Cain said, “we need you here to manage security. Lann and Clelia will go. Maya, you’re on babysitting duty.”
Lann nodded. “When do we leave?” David had a lot to answer for.
“Tomorrow morning,” Cain said.
“I’ll be ready.” On his way to the door, Lann gripped Joss’s shoulder. “She’ll be fine.”
Kat woke to light streaming into the room and Lann’s place next to her empty. She dressed quickly and went downstairs. Rounding the hallway on her way to the kitchen, she saw Eve entering the library. Except for the times when Eve took samples, Kat hardly saw her anymore, not even at breakfast. She got the impression Eve was avoiding her, not wanting to admit that despite all her efforts and the long hours she put in, she wasn’t making progress. Kat followed her into the room.
“Hey, Eve.”
Eve jumped. “You gave me a fright.”
“Sorry.”
Eve returned a book to the shelf. “How are you feeling?”
“Less nauseous.”
“That’s good. Any new attacks?”
“They’re less frequent and, now that I know how to handle them, less frightening.”
“How does Lann cope with the attacks?”
“I try not to let him see.” When Eve frowned, she added, “It’s harder on him than on me.”
“Your first trimester is almost over. The attacks should stop soon, and you should also feel less tired.”
“Look,” Kat said carefully, “I know you’re doing your best. I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate your efforts.”
Eve uttered a nervous laugh. “It’s not like I’m working with normal human morphology.”
Aeromancist (SECOND EDITION): Art of Air (7 Forbidden Arts Book 3) Page 12