Page 66 of Shattered King

“Don’t know. She likes to mess with him, and he’s a glutton for punishment.”

“Oh.” I thought about that for a bit. “I think Neco’s attracted to her.”

“Maybe.”

“No maybe about it.”

“Something happen?”

“Let’s just say, he couldn’t hide it,” I said against his shoulder.

He chuckled. “Shit.”

“Yep.”

He was quiet again for a little while then gave me another squeeze, and said into my hair, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah.” Things were far from okay, and we both knew it, but for now, this moment—I was more than okay. I was content. For the first time in a very long time.

I snuggled closer, wrapped my arm around both my boys, and closed my eyes.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Hunter

I woke to wet fingers slapping my forehead.

Opening my eyes, I looked up to see Josh, who was supporting himself with a hand on my head, leaning over, face so close to his mother’s they were touching noses. “Wake up!” he yelled.

Lulu’s eyes popped open. She blinked a couple times before a huge smile spread across her face. Shit, the woman was gorgeous. She grabbed Josh around the waist and pulled him closer, tickling him. Our son lost it, laughing his ass off and wriggling like crazy. Lulu chuckled and I couldn’t stop the huge-assed grin that spread across my face. I could get used to waking up like this every morning. My woman, my son tucked in beside me, safe—happy.

Having to leave her last night had sucked, but we’d gotten a line on Pierce. The stupid fuck still hadn’t left New York. He either had some seriously big balls or was fucked in the head, because he’d been spotted at the funeral yesterday. He’d stayed back, obviously disguised, but he’d been there, outside the church. The cops had gone after him, but he’d gone underground. He’d screwed himself, not running, not getting as far from Lulu as he could, when he could.

The guy’s only hope now was staying low and waiting for the dust to settle, then making a break for it. I wouldn’t let that happen, though. I had too much to lose now. And that sick fuck was a threat to the two people that mattered most to me.

Lulu quit tickling, and Josh scrambled off the couch and over to his toy cars. She shifted to her side then lifted up on her elbow, looking down at me. Her eyes shone, bright and beautiful. She was looking at me in a way she hadn’t for a fucking long time. Some of that pain that she wore like armor was gone. She still had a way to go, but there was a lightness there that made my gut clench. Shit, she took my breath away.

The last week she’d been grieving—hell, she’d been in shock. As much as I wanted her straining beneath me, I’d have to be the biggest kind of asshole to expect that from her. So I let her be.

I’d give her all the time she needed. But waiting for her to make that shift, to finally turn to me for more than comfort, was fucking hard. Not pushing like I wanted to nearly killed me. I’d gone three years without this woman, and not a night passed in all that time that I didn’t dream about her, even when I hated her for what I thought she’d done. I’d still craved her. So when she slid her fingers across my jaw to cup the side of my face, I stilled. And when her gaze dropped to my mouth and she ran her thumb below my lower lip, I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Morning,” she whispered, then leaned in and pressed her mouth against mine.

It wasn’t a peck. No, she moved her mouth against mine in a way that had my heart pounding in my chest and my dick throbbing against the zipper of my jeans. I dropped a hand to her hip, pulling her in closer, the other thrusting into her soft hair and taking over, sliding my tongue across her lower lip, nipping. She opened for me, gave it back, tongue moving against mine in a way that told me just how hot she was for me.

If I didn’t put on the brakes now, though the idea made me want to growl in frustration, no way could I stop from taking this further. Jesus, I didn’t fucking want to, but I couldn’t let this get out of control. So I slowed things down, and it seriously fucking hurt to do it. My cock wasn’t thanking me for it, that’s for damn sure. I gave her ass a squeeze, because I couldn’t help it, and ended the kiss. “Morning,” I said against her soft, now sexily swollen lips.

Her smile got bigger, brighter. Beautiful.

“I like that, babe,” I said.

“What?”

“That smile you got going on this morning.”

Her fingers flexed against my shoulder, then she bit her lip. She glanced away then back, holding my gaze. The bright in her eyes turned liquid.

“You put it there. It’s only fair I share it with you.” Then she leaned in, shoved her face against my throat and started breathing heavily, doing her best to hold it together.