Page 49 of Monsters of Midnight

I grabbed the handle on the bedroom door and pushed it open. Ever since Cade had been defeated with his brother, there had been a noticeable absence of monsters crossing the rift to earth. It was like all the monsters realized there were greater dangers in coming to earth than previously anticipated.

Cade and his brother had failed them, and now there was no one they could trust. Better to stay in their own land, despite as crowded the conditions were.

It had given me time to stay focused on Caroline and the DGC. She wanted me to do more when it came to searching for Laney, but the truth was, I didn’t want to. Not because I was worried about any latent feelings, I might have for Caroline’s BFF. In fact, I had told Caroline I had kissed her. I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us.

She had understood and even made a joke that she would have to try kissing Ratchet to see how that felt. I had groaned, but also knew she had not meant anything by it.

I was still devoted to the DGC and protecting the earth. That would never change.

Caroline was still devoted to cancer research, and I had helped her set up her DGC-funded labs here in Alameda so she could start finding cures for some of the ailments the Legendi suffered.

Right now, though, we didn’t have to solve the problems of the world.

In this moment, we had each other.

I pulled open the bathroom door, catching Caroline wrapped in her towel, smiling in the mirror at me. I

“You look like the cat that ate the canary.” I held her close, moving her into the bedroom and kissing her on top of her wet hair. “And I plan to be the cat that ate the canary.”

“Not so fast,” she grinned at me and turned in my arms, lifting her lips up for a resounding kiss. “I have something to tell you.”

She was warm and happy. I knew that should’ve reassured me, but there was something life changing in her look that put a tingling of concern through my bones. Some of the surprises I’d been dealt in recent months had not been terribly pleasant. My mother died. Caroline died. Laney disappearing. There were things that needed to be put to rest and I could use a bit of peaceful quiet in my life.

“Not now,” I said. “I just want to be inside you.”

I pulled her lips up to mine and buried my tongue in her warm, wet mouth. My body had been aching for her all day, and I needed to feel her surrounding me, her love keeping me steady. I don’t think this woman had any idea what influence she had on me. One day, we were going to cross that bridge, but not right now.

Today was an afternoon for lovers.

I felt her arm on my chest, pushing me back in as she closed her mouth and twisted her head to the side.

“What is it?” I asked, suddenly curious about what could be interrupting her wanting to kiss me. I had no doubt she had the same thrill of the touch I had. I knew she felt it.

“I hope you’re ready to be a daddy,” her chin tilted down while her eyes looked up.

I felt a tug on my pants. I wanted this woman. Now.

“I’m ready to be your daddy.” I kissed her again.

This time, she pulled away.

“No, I mean really,” she said, placing her hand on her stomach.

Daddy? My lust-fried brain looked at her hand on her stomach and repeated her word. What she was saying started to dawn on me. “Seriously?”

She nodded.

“A baby?” I still couldn’t quite believe it. “Like a little tiny, soft squishy thing that cries?”

She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes.

Joy erupted from deep within me, like a well of happiness I had never known existed, but now they flooded me as if they were coming home.

“We’re going to be parents?” I asked.

“Yes!” Caroline cried, tears beginning to stream down her face. I kissed her solidly, picking her up in my arms and turning in a circle in the bedroom.

“A family of my own.” I kissed her neck, and her breasts, letting the towel slip to the floor. My lips trailed from her shoulder down to her breast to catch her nipple in my mouth. As it pebbled beneath my tongue, she tilted back her head and moaned.

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