Page 54 of The Child of Rue Royale
I nod, convinced by the fire in his eye, by the sincerity in his voice. Being loved so completely makes my chest quake, and his mouth works its way up, grazing my shoulder, and I just want to be in bed with him. My hand finds the bulge in his jeans, and he almost growls like he’s still the predator he once was.
“I need to be deep inside of you, Aster. I need it.”
“You can’t say shit like that, Bastian,” I breathe, my legs squeezing tighter, his hands on the tops of my thighs, thumbs grazing my bare skin. So. Close. My hips grind up, friction building against him, my body buzzing like a goddamn firecracker.
“Your skin’s on fire, baby,” he whispers thumbs sliding to the insides of my thighs, taking my mouth like he owns it, and I know we need to stop, but I can’t physically seem to. Aven and Chantal are in the bedroom, and I’m sitting on the kitchen counter for God’s sake.
Yet, I’ve missed this so damn much. His mouth on mine. His body pressing into me. My legs wrapped around him.
And then there’s a knock at the door, and I pull back, my heart racing, my thoughts trying to catch up with my body.
“Cassius,” he whispers, and I nod, gulping. His head falls to my chin, as he collects his breaths, then he pushes my shirt gently into my chest. I had forgotten Cassius had promised to come back tonight, so I quickly pull my shirt over my head and jump from the counter.
“I think I hear Aven,” I say and press my fingers into my sore lips, trying to calm my body down.
“I’ll get the door,” he says. But just before I leave toward the hall, he pulls me in once more. “I love you, Aster Wildes. I can’t take this much longer.” He kisses me quickly then whispers, “Go get our son.”
I swallow. My heart, flying.
CHANTAL IS ROCKING AVEN, BUThe’s not having it. “Come here,” I soothe and bounce him in my arms. My heart is still racing, my skin searing with desire.
Chantal blinks at me blankly, my body betraying me. “How did the con-ver-sation go?” she asks, overly annunciating to make a point.
Oh shit. That part. Rocking Aven, I dart my gaze around the room.
“Well, that part didn’t go so well, I guess. Not as we hoped.”
“Not as you hoped?” she says, sitting on the bed. She looks tired, and guilt immediately hits me. While I was making out in the kitchen, she was taking care of my baby.
“Well, he…he doesn’t remember.”
Her nostrils flare, and her bottom teeth sink into her top lip. “What do you mean he doesn’t remember?”
“He had just drunk the blood of a drunk man. He says it’s a blur, that whole encounter.”
Sighing, she stands, walking to her closet. “Why am I not surprised?”
The reality of it slowly hits me. I was so consumed with Bastian, his feelings, his anger, that I forgot what this meant for us. We were hoping it would be the answer, and it’s not.
“Shit, Chantal. Shit.”
She crooks an eyebrow as she pulls on a pair of jeans.
“What are you doing?”
“I need a drink. I mean, I wasn’t too optimistic that he would have all the answers in the first place, but I was hoping for a miracle. And now…I need a drink. And a night with Edu. Should cure me right up.”
“Mother is going to kill me.” I sigh, plopping on the bed.
Pulling on her boots, Chantal blows out her cheeks. “It’s not over, baby girl. It’s locked in his memory somewhere. You just gotta find it.”
I look at her beautiful face, the hope I needed sparking in my chest. I think about that for a moment. “You’re right. We need to jar those memories. Find out what he was doing that night. What cologne he was wearing. Go back to where it happened.”
“Yes. You should be able to find it.”
“You’re a genius, Chantal. Thank you.” I stand, stretching one arm around her as Aven fights sleep in the other.
Chantal looks at him, her voice softening to a whisper. “I’m just able to think clearly without a hot man I want to fuck standing in front of me. Well, until I see Edu.” She kisses my cheek and then Aven’s. “Keep your parents up all night, little man.” She says before telling me she’s taking the car.
