Chapter 19
Lucas
I watched as a range of emotions played over Leda’s face, knowing full well she hadn’t expected me to say that. “Take it off,” I told her, stepping back. “All of it.”
“Lucas,” she began as I started to pull off my own clothing. “We need to talk.”
My eyes narrowed. “Does it sound like I want to talk right now?”
I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. The knowledge that she was carrying my child floored me, and I had to process it.
Leda was pregnant. Was she ever going to tell me? I was a little hurt that she had told Ruhua but reeled that back in when I realized that Leda probably hadn’t told her.
Ruhua probably figured it out and confronted her about it. Nothing got by her.
It wasn’t surprising, I guessed, considering all the sex we had been having over the span of Leda’s time with me. I had forgone using condoms weeks ago, and since she hadn’t put up a fuss about it, I thought she was covered.
Not that it mattered. Something primal had exploded inside me the moment I learned she was pregnant, and suddenly there was a hell of a lot more on the line than I thought.
Right now, though, I just wanted to be inside her.
“Don’t make me tell you again.”
Leda’s eyes heated as I reached for the waistband of my jeans, and she averted her eyes, starting to pull off her own clothing. As her luscious body came into view, I realized I had been right about the differences lately.
Hell, I hadn’t thought that her being pregnant was the reason for the sudden additional attraction I had to her, but now it all made sense.
Leda was carrying my child.
My heart squeezed painfully in my chest, and the moment that her leggings were off, I pulled her naked body to me so that she might feel the heaviness of my cock pressing against her stomach.
“You left,” I told her harshly, another clenching fear settling inside me.
I knew her motives were to help me, but I hated to think that she had gone out and put not only herself, but our child in danger in order to do so. Hell, I wanted to lock her ass in a secure room and never let her see the light of day again until this shit was over with.
Leda had no idea what she had done to me, a monster, the man who hadn’t loved anyone, who hadn’t even cared about another human being before now.
Before her.
“I did it for us,” she said, pressing her cheek against my bare chest. “Someone has to look out for you, Lucas.”
While I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t like that it had been done at the risk of her safety.
Pulling away, I tugged on her arm and led her to the bed.
“Lie down,” I growled, releasing her. There was no heat to my words, and if she refused, well, I wasn’t going to force her.
Leda did as I asked, looking up at me. “What are you going to do, Lucas?”
I wasn’t paying attention to her words, but the swell of her breasts begged for my attention, and the way her stomach was slightly rounded… Our child lived there, growing steadily in the woman I would do anything for.
She was giving me the future I thought I never wanted. I wanted to drop to my knees in an odd mixture of relief and thanks that someone hadn’t given up on me completely.
“Lucas?”
I heard the question in her voice, so I moved away from the bed, walking over to the closet and withdrawing two of my ties, the silk sliding through my fingers. I was a sadist to want to do this right now, but my body buzzed with the need to be inside her, to make me feel like I was fucking complete.
That’s what Leda had brought to my life. That’s what she made me feel. It was more than just love. The word wasn’t good enough. It was something far deeper than love could ever be.
It was something I never wanted to be without.
When I approached the bed, Leda’s eyes widened. “Your punishment,” I said, reaching for her right hand and tying it securely to the bed railing.