“Until Ava is handled,” I said leading her to the bed.

  “So forever?” she joked, but I could see the worry in her face.

  “No, of course not.” I sat beside her leaning down to remove her shoes. She could barely see her feet, much less bend down to reach them.

  “Really? Because she’s been out there causing havoc in our lives for over a year. I can’t help thinking, the night of Anton’s wake—” She grabbed my shoulder easing me up until I faced her. “I had her, Grayson. I had my hand around her neck. I’m stronger than her and I—I could have killed her, but I didn’t. I let her go and it’s caused us nothing but turmoil.”

  I pulled her into me and kissed her hair. “Because you’re a good person, Gaby.”

  “But if I had just killed her—”

  “Then you wouldn’t be who you are. You’d be Ava.”

  We had just settled in for bed when my phone jingled.

  “It’s Damien,” I explained. “He wants to see us.”

  Gaby groaned. “I hope he doesn’t think that just because we’re down the hall that we’re available for talks or whatever, all hours of the night. I mean I understand this nest is nocturnal, but I want to keep our schedule the way it is.”

  “I know, babe,” I kissed her before climbing out of bed and pulling her up with me.

  When we walked into Damien’s office Orion stood by him. My heart sank.

  “Is there news?” Gaby asked.

  Damien shook his head. “That is why I asked you two here. Orion and I have been discussing things. It seems Ava is having a difficult time tracking down another Fae. They are scarce in this dimension.” He approached Gaby. “I know being here isn’t ideal for you, especially having your freedom even further hindered, so Orion and I have a solution.”

  “To Ava?” I asked curious.

  Damien nodded. “We want to leak the knowledge of a Fae.”

  “Why?” I asked not seeing the reason to give Ava what she was looking for.

  “To control the outcome,” Orion chimed in.

  “This must remain strictly between us. It is, after all, your decision, but others may not approve of our means,” Damien explained. “Ava will find a solution to her predicament. It could be months or days. We cannot be sure, but if we leak the information she seeks and she goes to the Fae we want…”

  “We can control the situation,” I mumbled.

  Damien nodded. “A spell will still have to be provided. We don’t know how much knowledge she has over the particulars, but it can be done so no matter what, she is the one who has to initiate it. We will see her coming and will be able to intercept her before she can use it.”

  “And if she refuses?” Gaby asked.

  “Then we will be no worse off,” Damien stated.

  Gaby looked to me with uncertainty in her eyes. I knew we needed to do something. Sitting around waiting was going to drive her nuts. I gave a slight nod. She breathed out letting go of her wavering and turned to Damien.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “Set it up.”

  Seven days of going about our lives as if nothing was out of the ordinary, when we finally received the call we’d been waiting for. Ava had contacted the Fae Damien wanted. We were one step closer to… Well, I wasn’t entirely sure. Ava still needed to get the spell, attempt to initiate it and for us to intercept her before she did. Now we were in the second leg of the waiting stage. The Fae needed to contact us after the spell was complete.

  I still worked as normal, but I was back on a nighttime restriction to help maintain my wife’s sanity. During that first week at the compound, I hadn’t felt the need for it, but Gaby’s blood pressure had risen making it a concern. I couldn’t take away all her stress, but I could help relieve it.

  Gaby stayed restricted to the compound by her own choice. I could see her going stir crazy especially after another week passed and we still hadn’t heard back from the Fae.

  I took her up to the pool on the rooftop after I failed to convince her to leave, stating she needed fresh air. Once there, I stripped down completely naked.

  “What are you doing?” she asked watching me tug off my boxers. Her blue gaze trailed over my body. I loved that she still admired my physique even though she’d seen me this way many times.

  “Going skinny dipping with my wife.”

  “I’m not—” she began as I stalked towards her.

  “Oh yes you are.” I kissed her until she melted against me. I tugged the tie around her back that rested just under her breasts. Its sole purpose was to show off her bump. Nipping at her neck until she moaned, I scrunched up the fabric of her dress, gathered it in my palms before pulling it over her head. I groaned when I saw her standing there in just her panties. Dipping down I took her nipple into my mouth hearing her gasp. I kissed her expanding belly as I dropped to my knees sliding her panties down her legs.

  Standing I lifted her into my embrace. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her lips sealed to mine. It was early February so it was still ridiculously cold. The sun had set over an hour ago so it wasn’t out to add any extra heat. The moment I stepped into the pool, the icy winter air was forgotten. The water was heated to a comfortable temperature. I’d even double checked that it wasn’t too warm for the baby.

  Gaby moaned the moment the water touched her.

  “I swear I didn’t bring you up here for this,” I whispered against her mouth letting her feet touch the bottom. My fingers dipped between her thighs sliding against her slick folds.

  “Does that mean you’re going to stop,” she writhed against me.

  “Hell no. Not unless you tell me too.”

  She responded by spinning in my arms then tilting her hips back to meet me. I took her invitation and nudged at her opening. Even with the pool water surrounding us, I slid into her with ease. Underneath the winter moonlight, I made love to my wife.

  Once we were finished, she laid her head against my chest.

  “It’s been awhile since we were exhibitionists,” she whispered before kissing my chest.

  I chuckled. “It wasn’t the plan coming up here. I just wanted out of the building for a little bit. Two weeks must have you going crazy.”

  She sighed. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading and online shopping. Regardless of where we are, this baby is going to require certain things.”

  “Buy whatever your hearts desires, baby. Hell, buy two of everything that way we don’t have to move it one way or the other.”

  That earned me the giggle I’d been hoping for. “I love you, Grayson.”

  “I know, baby, but I love you more.” I leaned down kissing my wife, hoping to distract her for a little while longer when the sound of the door rebounded off the wall. An unknown vampire burst out on the rooftop. I quickly shielded Gaby behind me.

  “My apologies,” he stated turning his back to us. “Damien has heard word about the Fae.” He had my attention. “He was found dead earlier today.”

  Gaby

  “We don’t know if she obtained the spell,” Damien explained as we sat in his office. Sebastian sat beside me not looking too happy. Grayson paced by the door agitated that Ava had once again gave us the slip. “I’ve contacted Maria and she has sent Ethan to determine if he can sense the after effect of magic, but he won’t arrive until morning and there’s a risk that the magic could dematerialize before then.”

  “Can you dissipate him?” Grayson asked Sebastian.

  “No,” I answered. When all eyes turned to me, I elaborated. Damien seemed surprised I knew, but Grayson seemed curious. “He has to have been there before.”

  “And he has not,” Damien finished.

  “I still can’t believe you all thought this was a good idea and kept it from everyone,” Sebastian hissed. “You gave her access to the very spell we didn’t want her to have.”

  “Should we have sat on our thumbs and waited her out?” Damien asked.

  Sebastian opened his mouth to comment, but I interjected placing my hand on his arm. “So if he feels the magic, we know for sure she has the spell, but if he doesn’t—” I trailed off. I glanced at Grayson, but he was eyeing my hand that rested on Sebastian’s arm. Realizing it was still there I removed it. He flicked his gaze to my face, but quickly averted it continuing to pace.

  “Then we should simply assume she has until we hear otherwise,” Damien stated turning his glare away from Sebastian, obviously agitated with his frankness. Sebastian wasn’t willing to fawn over Damien like others simply because he was the first vampire. They had been friends probably longer than any being on the planet had been alive. They kept each other grounded.

  “Why’d she kill him?” I asked trying to ease the mounting tension.

  Damien sighed running his palm over his face. “Perhaps she was on to us or perhaps it was to tie up loose ends. Either way, the Fae will want vengeance.”

  I sat in the common area reading a book. My feet were propped up on Sebastian’s thigh while leaned against Grayson’s chest. I was a little stunned by how at ease they were becoming around each other. When Sebastian lifted my feet to sit, I immediately tensed thinking of Grayson’s reaction, but he gingerly kissed my hair. His heart rate didn’t even rise.

  I was content sitting between the two of them. For some reason it felt right. I had heard from Shawn earlier that day. He had werewolves randomly stopping by our apartment but so far nothing unusual. The wolves brought in the boxes I had mailed there at Shawn’s request. He was working on trying to get back on my good side and as much as I wanted to stay angry at him, I was finding it harder and harder.

  I moaned when Sebastian’s thumb pressed into my instep.

  “I don’t know how I feel about another man inciting those noises from you,” Grayson whispered teasingly.

  “Do you want to massage them?” I asked joking right back.

  He snuffed. “I already massaged them twice today.”

  “Really?” Sebastian chimed. “You said he didn’t like to touch feet.”

  I giggled. “He doesn’t, but I never said he didn’t massage them, you just assumed.” He tickled me and I squealed yanking my toes away.

  Lights began flashing along the edge of the room. I peered up confused.

  Sebastian stood immediately tense. “Get her to your room and lock the door. There’s an intruder. You’ll get a text when it’s all clear. If anyone knocks don’t answer,” Sebastian stated before he was off.

  I couldn’t even process what he said before Grayson was dragging me down the hall to our room.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as Grayson locked the door behind us.

  “I told you Damien upped his security,” he simply stated walking to the closet and removing some weapons. He held a handgun, two swords and two knives. “Just incase,” he handed me a sword and a knife.

  We both stood by the door ready for anything that might try to come through. There was no sound other than the beat of our hearts and the sharp inhale of breath.

  Grayson’s eyes widened fearfully. “Gaby?” he whispered just before an invisible wave crashed down on me. I staggered back grasping the wall for support. My fingers dug into the drywall feeling it crumble in my grasp. When my lashes fluttered open I saw Grayson in a similar predicament, but just as fast as it hit us, it was gone. I gazed around, but saw nothing out of place.

  Grayson righted himself. His gray eyes penetrated me straight to my soul. My weapons fell from my hands clattering to the ground from the intensity of his stare. It ignited me. My lips parted as his weapons tumbled from his grasp. In a blink of an eye he was in front of me. His arms wrapped around me pulling me to him. His palm slid down my back grasping my ass.

  “Grayson,” I groaned. This wasn’t the time to be doing this. I knew that, but I couldn’t remember why. I desired him even before he touched me.

  “I need you now, Gaby,” He grunted ripping my shirt down the middle. I gasped in shock, but helped him by pushing it off my shoulders. I had stopped wearing a bra weeks ago when my stomach grew so big that, when I sat, the underwire would press against it and I didn’t care for bras without it. So I stood there completely bare to Grayson.

  He didn’t hesitate to claim my breasts, one with his hand the other his mouth. It was only a few seconds before he dropped to his knees and yanked my pants and panties down together.

  “Get on the bed,” he growled. I walked backwards watching him strip down to nothing. I crawled backwards on the mattress as Grayson stalked towards me. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me towards him causing my back to land against the mattress. He parted my thighs and I watched until his head disappeared being blocked by my stomach. I was on the edge with anticipation, no longer able to see what he was doing when I felt his breath on my thigh, but it quickly vanished.

  I was panting and writhing awaiting the feel of him. His tongue slid up my entire sex. I cried out from the blissful sensation. His fingers parted my folds and he kissed me on my sensitive flesh. His tongue began to flick and swirl over my clit before probing my entrance. I felt him enter me and find the sweet spot that had my back arching. I was building quickly, too quickly as he lapsed at my sex again.

  “God, you taste better than I imagined.” It took a minute in my lust fueled haze to register the voice didn’t belong to Grayson. I sat up, startled, when I saw Sebastian on his knees between my thighs.

  “What—? Where’s Grayson?” He was just here, I thought to myself. Wasn’t he?

  “Gaby,” he nipped at my thigh making me realize I was still on display to him. I shifted backward on the bed until I was clear of him and closed my legs. He stood naked. My eyes widened then immediately closed before I could see his manhood. The mattress shifted under his weight as he crawled on the bed. This isn’t real, I told myself. “This is what you want,” he whispered. I shook my head. I could feel the heat of his body beside me as we laid next to each other. His fingers grazed along my thigh sliding to the junction. My legs parted on their own accord giving him access while I continued to shake my head. Not real, not real. “Look at me,” he demanded and my traitorous body responded. His fingers slid across my slick flesh and I watched him lower his head towards my breast, claiming my sensitive peak. My back arched off the bed. Before I knew it my fingers were in his hair and his lips were on mine. I pressed my tongue against the seam of his lips until they parted. It moved with his while his fingers stroked me. This is wrong, I told myself and I pushed him away.

  “Gaby?” I opened my eyes to see Grayson. “You okay?” he asked sliding his fingers against my sensitive nub. They faltered waiting for a response.

  I breathed out relieved. It hadn’t been real. Letting go of the unease I felt, I smiled. “I am now,” I whispered before kissing him.

  We explored each other until we were both ready. I lay on my back while Grayson knelt between my thighs. I closed my eyes feeling him tease me before he positioned himself at my opening. My eyes fluttered open wanting to see his face when we connected. I gasped then moaned as I saw Sebastian in Grayson’s place. Worst of all, my body was practically begging for him to press into me. He rubbed himself against my sex teasing me.

  “This isn’t real. This isn’t real,” I whispered enjoying the feel of him against me.

  “Does it matter if it’s real or not?” he asked positioning himself at my opening. “You want this, Gaby?” I shook my head and moaned, but didn’t move away. “You can have it, guilt free. You’re not doing anything wrong.” He palmed my breasts before simultaneously rolling both my nipples causing me to writhe. He barely pressed into me before it finally occurred to me what was happening and I tilted my hips away.

  “It is wrong and it’s not what I want,” I groaned from the lack of sensation. I looked at the man before me. I hated how much my body screamed to let him have me because I did desire him, but I couldn’t do this to Grayson, even if this wasn’t real.

  He laid down beside me bringing his face to mine. “You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.” He kissed me and I arched into him going willingly into his arms. I crawled voluntarily into his lap. His hands claimed my breasts while I rolled my hips against him.

  “You’re wrong. I want Grayson.”

  “I know,” he groaned trying to shift me onto his erection. “But you want me too.”

  I stopped moving. I watched Sebastian’s green eyes open. They racked over my body before locking with my eyes. “I do want you, but I want him more.”

  “Gaby?” he whispered, but I squeezed my eyes closed realizing that I was being completely honest. I did desire Sebastian. I had for a while now, but I would always want Grayson more. When I opened my eyes, I saw my husband beneath me.

  “There you are,” he smiled. “Are you back for good this time? You seemed to keep getting lost to me.”

  I nodded. “This is where I wanna be,” I whispered lowering myself onto his body. I moved my hips against him until I let out an erotic cry that only Grayson would bring me.

  After hours of making love, we finally passed out from exhaustion. Shortly after dawn, our door burst open. Grayson was out of bed in a flash grabbing the nearest weapon that happened to be a knife and tossed it barely missing the intruder.

  “Whoa, guys! It’s just me,” Shawn stated throwing up his hands in surrender.

  “What the hell, Shawn!” I shouted. “What are you doing here and I’m pretty sure our door was locked.” Shawn’s eyes racked over Grayson who was still naked from our night of lovemaking. My friend’s gaze lingered on my husband longer than I felt appropriate. “Shawn!”

  He grinned before turning his focus back to me. “Damien called. They caught Ava. They’ve been texting you for over an hour. I was given your room key and sent to fetch you both.” Grayson gathered his clothes before heading to the bathroom. When he was gone, Shawn turned back to me. “Well, aren’t you the lucky girl.” His gaze flickered towards the bathroom where Grayson was. “That is an image I won’t soon forget.”