PS01 - Tall, Dark & Lonely (42 page)

“How kind.” Her eyes were locked with Ephraim’s. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Of course.”

“Wait, what about me?”

Madison finally looked at her mother and saw nothing. She was nothing. Finally after all these years she didn’t feel anything

when she looked at her mother, not love, pity, or even guilt. Candy’s pull over her was gone.

“What about you?” she asked in a cold voice.

“I have nowhere to go. You’re really not going to throw your mother out on the street, would you? What will your baby think

when it finds out you threw its grandmother out or Jill and Joshua?” Candy asked, playing the game she knew worked so well

with her.

“You’ve never been a mother to those kids and you certainly aren’t this baby’s grandmother,” Madison said in the same cold

voice.

“How could you! I have no money and nowhere to go! Stop being such a selfish little bitch!” Candy snapped with the

knowledge that she lost whatever control she had over Madison was gone.

Ephraim put a hand out to stop Madison from doing what he would like to do at that moment. “I’m going to give you five

thousand dollars on the agreement that you will leave the state. I am going to go talk to Madison and when I get back you better

have made your selection, because this is a one-time deal. I will purchase a one way ticket to the state of your choice. I will

give you some money to cover the first two days at a hotel. Once I hear from you I will send a check to you. This will be the

last time you bother us. I will never give you another cent so you better make it last until you get a job.”

“You’re giving me five grand?” Candy’s eyes lit up.

He nodded. “It’s your choice, five grand and you leave or nothing and can stick around somewhere else so you can be near

your kids. What’s it to be?”

She didn’t even blink. “The five grand!” She clapped her hands together. “This is so exciting!”

Neither one of them was surprised. “Fine. Stay here and I’ll be back when Madison is done talking to me.”

She waved them off. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” They weren’t.

Ephraim led Madison into the foyer. “Where do you want to talk?”

“The training room.”

“Okay.” He wasn’t looking forward to this, but it was better to get it over with so he could start groveling and begging her to

come back to him. He would, too. He couldn’t live without her and he didn’t give a damn if he made an ass out of himself to

prove it.

He punched the code into the alarm pad. At the beep he opened the door and held it open for her. The door shut with a click

and a beep behind them before they reached the bottom step.

“So, what did you need to talk-“ She grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall as her mouth closed over his.

Chapter 28

Madison trailed kisses down his chin and neck. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you wanted to talk.”

“Mmhmm.” She ran her tongue over his flat nipple on her way down his stomach. She nibbled and kissed each rippling muscle.

“I’m really sorry about everything, Madison. I know I should have done it another way and I know you know all the reasons so

I’m not going to get into that again. If you could just see it in your heart to forgive me I will spend the rest of eternity making it

up to you.”

She laughed against his skin. “What do you call this?”

He sucked in a harsh breath as she unzipped his pants. “I-I don’t know what it is just p-please don’t stop.”

His pants dropped around his ankles followed by his boxers. Madison pulled them off and threw them to the side, leaving him

naked and fully erect. Several drops of excitement oozed from the tip of his erection. Madison looked up and met his eyes as

her tongued darted out to lick it up.

A long loud pained moan escaped him. His erection jerked under her touch. She ran her tongue from tip to base and back again,

leaving him panting until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Enough!” he growled as he yanked her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder.

She giggled breathlessly as he carried her farther into the training room. He stormed past the exercise equipment, knives’ table,

the guns’ table, and holy weapon’s table until he came to the matted section of the large room.

“Four weeks is too long, baby.” He gently placed her on the mat.

“I agree so don’t piss me off again.” Her voice was low and urgent as she ran her hands over his chest and arms. He stripped

off all her clothes. She was still sitting up when he dropped his head between her legs and ran his tongue between her slit.

She slowly leaned back until she was resting on her elbows. Her legs were bent at the knee and spread wide for him. Ephraim

lapped the sweet nectar between her lips like a man dying of thirst.

Madison moaned as she rocked her hips against his mouth. Ephraim slid his tongue inside her core while his thumb took over

rubbing her swollen nub. “Ephraim…oh Ephraim!” she screamed as climax took over her. Her hips rose off the mat, riding his

mouth to the end.

Ephraim removed his tongue as the climax ended and covered her body with his. He hooked her legs over his broad powerful

shoulders, opening her wide for him. “Tell me, Madison.” he pleaded in a strained voice as the tip of his manhood rubbed

against her slit.

“I love you, Ephraim. Please!” she begged. He thrust his hips forward burying himself deep in one motion.

“I love you, Madison. I’m so sorry. So sorry,” he said as he pulled out all the way only to enter her slowly. allowing every

sensation of sliding into her tight wet heat to register.

Her head dropped back. He watched as she licked her lips. Her fangs descended as another climax hit her. She moaned and

arched beneath him. He slowed his thrusts, planning to make her come one more time before he lost it. As it was he was

dangerously close to coming too soon.

“Do you forgive me?” he whispered against her neck.

“Mmmhmmm, I forgave you upstairs when you said I was stubborn.”

He laughed weakly against her skin. “That’s what it took?”

“That and you’ve never doubted me and even with a mother like Candy you’re willing to take a risk with me.”

“There’s no risk with you, Madison. I adore you, sweetheart. I’m so sorry, baby, please believe me. I’m such an idiot. I-”

“Shh, shouldn’t you be fucking me instead of talking?” she asked with a sultry smile.

He growled against her skin. She knew what dirty talk did to him. She loved his reaction. It threw him off his steady cadence

until he was pounding into her without finesse or rhythm.

Ephraim let go. Everything he’d held back the last four months to make sure he didn’t overwhelm or hurt her was released. He

thrust into her harder than he’d ever thrust into any woman before. She moaned and cried out his name. He knew she liked it

when her body gripped him tightly, trying to keep him from pulling out even to thrust back in. She was drenching him and

making every slide into her body more intense. She was so damn wet he could cry.

His fangs lowered and he decided to show her exactly what it was like to be fucked by a Pyte. He sank his teeth into the crook

of her neck. His eyes squeezed shut with pleasure. It had never been like this. He’d bit many women while bedding them, but

he’d never gained any pleasure from the bite. Now he was ready to explode.

Madison gasped as his teeth sank into her. It intensified what he was doing between her legs. It sent a thousand sensations

throughout her body. She desperately wanted to move against him, but he had her pinned to the ground with her legs over his

shoulders. She managed to turn her head so she could lick his neck. He moaned and shuddered against her. She licked him

again and was rewarded with a harder tug on her neck and a more violent thrust between her legs. It was too much she couldn’t

hold back.

Ephraim thrashed wildly on top of her as her fangs pierced his neck. It was the most erotic sensation of his life. They fed off

each other while he made love to her.

Their loud moans vibrated pleasantly throughout the room as a powerful climax claimed them both. Madison’s nails scraped

down his back, driving him on until the last tremor subsided. They released their bites and kissed each other slowly as they

tasted the mixture of their blood.

He pulled back to smile down at her. Madison bit her lip and looked embarrassed.

“What is it?” he asked soothingly.

“We were rather loud,” she mumbled

He grinned arrogantly. “We definitely were.”

“Everyone on the first floor probably heard us.” She looked horrified.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Impossible. I’ve had the basement soundproofed.”

“You have?”

“Mmhmm, otherwise Eleanor would kill us for firing guns inside the house.”

Somehow she managed to pull her legs off of his shoulders and gently push him off so that she could sit up. “You said ‘us’, you

mean Chris is firing guns?”

He exhaled loudly. “Madison, he’s not a boy. We’ve talked about this. He’s a Sentinel. This is what he’s meant to do and he’s

very good at it. They all are, but he has to practice to improve his skills.”

She took his hand into her lap and began playing with his fingers.

“Madison? Do you understand?”

After a moment she spoke. “Yes, I don’t like it though. Chris is like a little brother to me and he’s my best friend. It scares me

when you take him out on patrol.”

“I know that, baby. You need to remember that he’s my son and I take every precaution to keep him safe. I would never let

anything happen to him, okay?” His voice was tender.

She looked up at him, smiling sweetly. “You really love him, don’t you?”

His lips pulled into a lopsided grin. “The brat’s definitely grown on me.” In a more serious tone he continued. “Yes, I love him

very much as I love Joshua and Jill as if they were my own as well.”

Madison tugged on his hand until he leaned forward for a kiss. “You’re a very good man who does very, very, very, very, very

stupid things.” She half teased.

“I’m an idiot.” His eyes were focused on her lips. “You’re really going to have your hands full keeping me in line.” He

brushed his lips against hers.

“What do you suggest I do to keep you in line?” her voice was low and husky.

“Marry me. Make an honest man out of me,” he proposed against her mouth as he laid her back onto the mat.

She pushed him onto his back and quickly straddled his hips. “I tell you what, if you can make me scream your name three

times I’ll marry you.”

His hands cupped her hips. “Is there a time limit on this deal?”

She leaned forward, sliding against his already hardening length. “Oh no, actually taking your time is encouraged on this deal

and if you make me scream your name four times I’ll marry you tomorrow.”

He gripped her hips and brought her forward as he thrust inside of her. “Better get ready to repeat your vows, Madison,

because tomorrow you’re
mine
.”

********

Joshua was in the zone. Nothing outside of the video game mattered to him. He leaned back against the foot of Chris’s bed as

he readjusted himself into a new sitting position, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Hey, loser.” Jill knocked on his door and came in without waiting for an invitation. She flopped on her stomach across his

bed.

“He’s not a loser,” Joshua said automatically.

“Thanks, little man.” He looked back at Jill. She was watching them play. “Whatcha need?”

“Grandma’s on the phone calling everyone she’s ever met. She told me to order pizza for dinner.”

“Sweet,” Chris said. As much as he loved grandma’s home cooking he missed junk food. She didn’t let them order out very

often unless something big was going on. “What’s up with Grandma? Did the reverend finally make his move?” he teased.

Her eyes shot to Joshua. “I’ll tell you later.” That piqued his interest.

“Tell me now. Give me hints.” He tossed his controller on the floor and turned in his game chair to face her.

“No, order the pizza first.”

“You.”

“No, you do it,” she said dismissively. Every chance she got she talked down to him. It was irritating. He often wondered what

he did to get her panties in a bunch.

“Fine, hand me my phone it’s behind you.”

She looked over her shoulder at the silver phone on his nightstand. “Just use the one in your pocket.”

He pretended not to hear. He wasn’t really supposed to talk about
that
phone. It was his Sentinel phone, GPS, and emergency

beacon; basically it was his lifeline to the council. “It’s my work phone, Jill. I’m not allowed to use it for ordering pizza. Just

throw me my phone.”

She tossed the phone to him. “I don’t understand why Ephraim quit his job with the police department to work with a sixteen

year old working security?” Disbelief filled her tone.

“Believe what you want.” That was the cover story they gave. Luckily they wouldn’t have to use it much longer. The clergy

needed to enter the house soon to add protection. The house required prayer guards and extra support. Ephraim said they would

need to know the truth soon and he was thankful for that because even he wasn’t buying it.

He placed the order and tossed the silver phone back her way. “So, tell me what I want to know.”

Gossip. That was Jill’s best friend. As long as you allowed her to report it or gave it to her she would be your best friend.