His frown deepened. “Surely he would not surrender his child? He would care for her, protect her—”
“Yeah, you don’t know my ex. He was a lousy husband but he’s been an even worse father. He wasn’t even there when she was born and since then he’s hardly seen Emma at all. The only thing he seems to make time for is to bitch every month about sending support for her—not that it adds up to much. I even had my attorney draw up papers for him to waive his rights just so if anything happened to me Emma wouldn’t wind up being raised by someone who’d treat her like a burden. Well—” She ran her hands through her hair. “At least until she was old enough to be treated like a servant. The only reason he’s got Emma now is ’cause his mother begged me to send her. He’s got visitation but he never uses it so I couldn’t really object. And God love her, Dean’s momma is a real good woman with a jerk for a son. All Dean is really doing is picking Emma up and driving her back to mooch off his mom for two weeks, while Emma sees her grandmother.”
“He is not fit to be a father,” Ke’lar snarled. “He does not deserve all he has been given.”
Summer sighed. “You sure won’t get any argument from me.”
“I wish you had told me.” He closed his eyes briefly. “I wish you had trusted me.”
“I am trusting you, Ke’lar, with the most precious thing in my life—I’m trusting you with my baby girl.” She caught her hands in his. “You have to help me. You have to convince your father to send me home.”
“I cannot live on Earth with you.” His gaze was raw. “And I cannot live without you. There must be another way.”
“She’s my baby.” Her vision blurred. “And goddamn it, choosing between you is killing me.”
“I thought”—his throat worked for a moment—“there was another male that you loved.”
“No,” she murmured, taking his face in her hands. She brushed her nose to his in a g’hir’s kiss. “There’s no one but you.”
His eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. “Summer . . .”
He tilted his head, bringing his mouth to hers, his tongue flicking against the sensitive spot at the corner of her mouth. The cinnamon-sweet taste of him was delicious; his soft purr sent heat racing between her legs. This time, though, it was she who unfastened his clothing, who knelt above him, allowing him to enjoy the sight as she removed her own clothes.
He cupped her buttocks, ready to lift her onto his hard cock, when she put her hands to his shoulders to stop him.
“Wait—” She offered a quick smile. “My turn.”
He was ready, eager to be inside her, but he yielded, letting her push him back to lie down upon the pallet. He was all muscle and warm skin, his penis jutting upward, a gleam of moisture at the tip.
“Put your arms up,” she said, her voice husky. “Over your head.”
“Why?” he rumbled, looking perplexed even as he complied.
Her fingers traced the sinew of his hips and his cock twitched in response, his eyes like blue fire.
“Because now,” she murmured, “I want to capture you.”
His mouth parted as she slid her hand around his shaft, feeling it grow more taut, the lubrication increasing as she stroked.
His glowing eyes widened as she bent to press her mouth against the tip of his shaft, groaning as she ran her tongue along the luscious sweet wetness there.
His rumble went deeper than she’d ever heard it when she took him into her mouth, her hand stroking the length. With the heat of his cock in her mouth and his purr vibrating her clit she groaned, wondering just how long she could do this before her own need grew out of control.
His muscles were quivering, his hungry rumble making her tremble with need. She pressed her tongue to the underside of his shaft and suddenly the sweet taste of his seed burst into her mouth, leaving his body quaking.
“I did not . . . know,” he gasped, “you could . . . do that.”
She laughed, licking his candy sweet taste from her lips as she straddled his hips. “Like it?”
“Yes,” he growled fiercely.
His cock was still hard, his rumbling deep, and she shivered as he traced the outline of her body with the tips of his fingers.
“Let me pleasure you the same way,” he murmured.
“I don’t know,” she teased, a little breathless. “Those fangs look awful sharp.”
“You have fangs too.” He half sat up and she gasped as the wet heat of his mouth closed around her nipple. “Dainty little human ones.”
It was a moment before she could think clearly enough to answer as he kissed his way to the other breast.
“Those are called ‘canines’ and they aren’t really—oh!” she breathed as his fingers brushed her clit, the moisture there making it easy for him to stroke her.
“I love to see you find your pleasure,” he rumbled. “I have never imagined anything so arousing.”
“Good,” she managed. “How about now?”