He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I won't let them near you or Penny," he promised.
She looked up and let the confidence in him that she felt show in her eyes. "I know. Let's go see what our girl is doing."
Colton cupped her face with both of his hands. "Our girl?"
"You're not going anywhere, right?"
He shook his head. "Of course not."
"Then, I'm yours and she's ours."
Colton sucked in a breath. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"
She turned her head and kissed the center of his palm. "I realized how I felt when I was on the phone with Radek. My feelings only became clearer when I thought we'd never have the chance to be together because of the ferals. I want you to tie us together in every way you know how, because I'm not letting you go."
Colton captured her mouth and demanded entrance. She felt his tongue slip between her lips and playfully scrape the roof of her mouth. She grabbed his coat with both hands and pulled him forward. She took control of the kiss, and took his lower lip between her teeth. When she bit down gently, he moaned low in his throat. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.
Colton rested his forehead on hers. "Penny. Gotta check in with Penny, then dinner, then movie. Gods willing, Jaxon and Noah can babysit again."
Rheia felt her heart turn over. According to Radek, the only think Colton should be thinking about was claiming her, yet here he was being the perfect partner and father. She tilted her head back, which forced him to step back. "I love you, Colton Albright."
Colton jerked her close and buried his face in her neck. "Gods baby, I love you, too. All I can think of right now is how much I want to be inside you and to make you mine forever." He began to nibble up and down the side of her neck.
Rheia tilted her head to give him better access. "I'm buying you that truck with bench seats."
Colton chuckled darkly and gave her neck a final, harder bite. She was shocked at her body's reaction to sharp pain. It was as if the love bite on her neck was connected to her clit.
Colton brought his lips up to her ear. "I can smell you, sweetheart. I think you like a bit of pain with your pleasure."
"Who knew?" she asked, feeling slightly dazed. If his aim was to distract her from the feral attacks he succeeded.
Colton's eyes were wolf yellow when he looked down at her. "We'll find out tonight exactly how much pain you can handle."
Rheia shivered and squeezed her thighs together. She had to take a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
"You're on," she challenged.
Laughing Colton kissed her quickly and took her hand.
What on earth have I gotten myself into?
*****
Noah and Jaxon had agreed to watch Penny when Colton asked. They even set up a special dinner for her. Currently the three of them were in the family room playing 'picnic'. Penny looked adorable sitting on a blanket with Jaxon and Noah in her pajamas. She had a feeling the two young men would be more like brothers than uncles to her daughter.
She was never more thankful for a babysitter than she was during dinner. Colton kept turning to her, giving her heated looks that had her squirming in her seat. When his hand 'accidentally' brushed her inner thigh for the third time, she was about to excuse herself to the foyer to cool down when Keelan brought up a topic that cooled her ardor.
"Aiden, were you able to determine why ferals were at the clinic today?" Keelan asked pushing his food around on his plate with his fork.
"No, and what worries me most is that they didn't go to the morgue or Adam's office, they deliberately went after Rheia." Aiden raised his wine glass and took a sip. Under the table, Colton took her hand.
Gavriel leaned forward. "Could they be trying to recruit Colton in the same manner that they came after me? They are newly mated," Gavriel pointed out.
Aiden nodded. "That could very well be it."
"But I was attacked before I met Colton, remember? It's why I came here to Lycaonia," Rheia reminded them.
"I feel like I'm missing something, like it's right under my nose and it's driving me nuts!" Meryn slumped back in her chair.
"It'll come to you Meryn. You more than anyone has been the one to look at what's happening from an outside perspective. Rheia's also helped us change and become stronger with our new random training schedules. Don't upset yourself. Your most important job is taking care of our future commander," Darian said indicating to her stomach.
Aiden smiled. "See love, even Darian thinks we're having a boy."
Beth smiled. "He never said son, Aiden, he said 'commander'. I could easily see a daughter of yours and Meryn's leading the unit warriors."
Gavriel wrapped an arm around Beth, getting comfortable. "That could be interesting," he said smirking.
"No. Just, no. If we have a girl, I'm wrapping her and Penny up in bubble wrap until they are four or five hundred years old, then they can start looking for their mates," Aiden huffed.
Rheia had to laugh. "Can you imagine our Penny with Meryn's daughter?" she asked turning to Colton.
Colton smiled at first, then her words began to sink in. His brows came together and he began to frown. He looked over to Aiden. "Do they make tracking devices for children?"
Aiden also looked worried. He shook his head. "How far could they possibly go in Lycaonia?"