Madison's Life Lessons (19 page)

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

He smiled. “Yes. We’re going to be parents in just under seven months.”

Tears glistened in her eyes before falling from the corners and trailing into her hair.

“You’re anemic.”
I’ll start to fix that in just a moment.
“The doc says your malnourished from…not eating?”

“I was throwing everything up.” She swiped at the tears with the back of her free hand. “The smell of food made me so sick to my stomach the last two days, it was easier not to eat. And I was so exhausted it took too much energy to fix something.”

“Yet you had a meal cooked for me every night.”

“That’s my job as your wife.”

Micah kissed her, a soft kiss filled with so much sentiment he couldn’t have explained how he felt if he tried. Ill and fatigued, she took care of him at the expense of her own health. Fuck, he loved this woman.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned her head away and closed her eyes. “Yeah, you tried. I wasn’t listening.” He pinched her chin and twisted her head back toward him. Her lids lifted. “Next time make me listen, kitten. Your health and safety takes priority over any of my needs.”

She nodded.

Micah crawled up onto the bed with her and pulled her back against his chest. “
Kajh, kitten. Uqqif pa hi hura yuka iw cio.”
Rest, kitten. Allow me to take care of you.

“You always take care of me,” she said in a sleepy voice.

Not expecting her to understand him, Micah stiffened. “Yes.”
I try.
She snuggled a little closer, turning to face him and using his chest as her pillow. He draped his arm around her shoulders, enjoying the feel of her body against his. “Jqaam ulx kapapzak lihtelv pika.”
Sleep and remember nothing more
, he said as he swirled his finger against her temple
.

A nod of acquiescence. Her eyes flitted closed and in moments her breathing grew even.

“This is unexpected.” Unannounced, Elias reentered the room and indicated their reclined position with a wave of his hand.

“She woke long enough for me to explain what was going on.”

“Ah…”

“Did you solve our hematologist problem?”

“Of course. She’s ours now.”

“Good. How much did you frighten her before you got what you wanted?” Micah stuffed his hand into his pocket and dug out his pocketknife.

“She took the fun out of it and fainted.” Elias sulked.

Micah laughed and offered his knife to his brother. “She needs blood. I find I’m one-handed and unable to wield the knife properly thanks to my pregnant wife.” He rubbed his cheek against her silky hair.

Elias grinned and walked across the room, then shocked him with his statement, “The way you hold her, look at her, makes me envious at times.”

Micah had no idea what to say as Elias accepted the pocketknife from his palm. His brother flicked the blade out of its slot and slashed it across Micah’s wrist. Blood welled immediately and he placed the wound against Madison’s mouth. A small protested whimper emerged from her. Instinct took over and she began to suckle. Not only vampires dined on blood.

Micah clenched his teeth together to resist the instantaneous arousal that surfaced. Watching her feast on his healing life force, did nothing to help his untimely lust.

He focused on Elias, anything to shift his concentration off Madison’s tugs against his wrist.

His brother observed her. “She’ll make a good mother.”

That comment came from nowhere and Micah was momentarily stunned into silence. “She will.”

“A better mother than she has a wife.” Elias’s cool gaze elevated to his.

“Don’t start, Elias.” He ground his molars together, surprised when they weren’t pulverized to ash in seconds. “She’s an excellent wife.”

“Except where it counts.”

“Doesn’t it all count?” Her suckling against his wrist slowed. “That part will come when she accepts her destiny.”
It will be worth the wait.

He’d been patient for a long, long time. What were a few more years when they were dealing with an eternity?

A son
! She had a son. Labor had been long and she’d denied an epidural. Nothing unnatural would be put into her system to affect her child. Every second of the pain was worth the perfect little creature nestled in her arms, nursing at her breast. Amos Royce Dominus…the single most wonderful thing that happened in her life.

All the godawful sex was worth getting him too.
But she wouldn’t think of that now. Not when her joy was too great. And Micah was pleased, he couldn’t stop smiling. He’d kissed her a dozen times, told her how much he loved her and their son at least two dozen times.

She just wished things could go back to the days before their marriage, when they’d been comfortable with one another. Now every time he touched her, hugged or kissed her, she worried he’d want sex. Too bad she wasn’t the whore her father said she would be. She displeased Micah and she desperately wanted to make him happy, but she couldn’t even bring herself to pretend she enjoyed making love with him.

***

Two years later

Micah stared at the Azura stones, an ancient prophetic device used by his Father. Please her or leave her. Displeased with the prophecy, he disliked the actions he would be forced to take. He tucked the stones away and was placing them into his bedside table when Madison entered their bedroom.

“Amos asleep?” he asked as she walked toward her closet.

“Finally.”

A few minutes later she emerged in a white silk gown. Beautiful woman.
His
. Bound to him for life and she detested his touch.

He went to her and clasped her face between his hands. “I wish to make love to you tonight.” Her blue eyes grew cloudy. “Don’t, kitten, please don’t. I’m sorry for the way I took you on our honeymoon. I wish I could do it all over again.” He’d damn sure tried to make things better in the four years since their wedding.

Madison swallowed. “I want to be what you need me to be, but….”

“Let me try, Madison. Just allow me to try.”
But you’ll have to open up to me as well.

She’d once enjoyed his kisses. If he could just get her to recapture her youth, he could succeed. He knew he could and then he wouldn’t have to follow the advice of the Azura stones.

A hesitant nod, but he could tell she was afraid. He kissed her slow and with patience, taking his time to arouse her. Only when she began to return his kisses, did he deepen them.

“Help me remove my clothes.” Not something he’d ever asked of her before. And her hands shook as she lifted them to unbutton his shirt. He caught her wrists after she tugged the material free of his slacks. “You know I don’t bite. This is me, kitten. The same man you loved before we married.”

“I still love you, Micah.”

“Then show me.”

She did, or she tried. And she’d seemed to be enjoying his caresses and kisses. He went down on her—not something ever tolerated by her before—and she’d nearly came, but she shoved his head aside before the fireworks could claim her. Easing over her, he’d thrust easily into her, marveling that it’d been one of the few times lubrication hadn’t been necessary. Again, he felt her rising release and her lips parted, her eyes widening—in surprise?—as she neared a very real climax. The first ever with him.

Then something altered. A frown flitted across her brow and she’d bitten her bottom lip, as a sad sounding shudder emerged from her lungs. And then he felt a mental shift because he felt her disconnect from him in an emotional sense. Fear turned her eyes shiny, brimming with tears and she whispered, “You’ll hate me.”

What the hell
? Hate her for what? Nothing she ever did could bring about his hate.

Just that fast her arousal died away and her orgasm never surfaced. Frustrated, Micah finished, burying his face in the curve between her neck and shoulder as he released. It didn’t seem right to groan his release too loudly, when she hadn’t enjoyed it.

He had his answer. He knew what he must do. Tears burned his eyes and he’d never shed a tear for anyone. No one had ever been that important to him, not even his bastard of a Father.

Micah rolled off her onto his back. “Tonight marks a new beginning, Madison.”

She sniffled but didn’t look at him. He fiddled with her hair, wishing he possessed another alternative. Goddamn, he wanted a different choice than the one he was presented with.

“It’ll eventually work out, kitten.” Her gaze walloped him, doubt stark in her eyes. “Do you trust me?” She nodded. “Then trust me when I tell you we
will
work it out.” But she’d need to evolve first. That had been clear in the Azura stones. “You’re my future, no other will suffice.”

“I don’t want to lose you.” Madison snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Even though her tears were warm against his flesh, he relished the way she turned to him for comfort. Her rock. Her foundation for seven years. Maybe that’d been his mistake, solving all of her problems for her. “You will help me be what you need?” She asked in a small voice and her uncertainty broke his heart.

“You’re already what I need.” He hugged her tight against him. “I love you and nothing will ever alter that. Remember that, okay?”
Regardless of the nasty things I will be forced to do.
She nodded, but he needed to see her eyes, to know she truly meant it. He placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back until their gazes touched. “Regardless what happens, promise me you’ll never forget I love you more than anything. You are my world, kitten. I’ll always protect you, now and forever, even if it seems that I’m not. Promise me you believe me and that you won’t forget, Madison.”

Her voice sounded rusty as it emerged, “I promise.”

***

The next morning, Micah descended the stairs as always, but his mood was cautious. When Madison finally slumbered last night, he’d exited the bed and consulted the Azura stones once more. He hoped they’d give him an alternative course.

The prophecy was as dire the second time as the first. He perched on a crossroads. If Madison were cool toward him this morning, his mission was likely doomed. He’d been uncertain how he would handle the situation if that occurred. If she uttered words of encouragement, there was hope. A fifty-fifty chance his plan would succeed. To up those odds, he’d have to commit difficult actions toward her, but all would be necessary to push her in the direction she must go. Madison
had
to evolve or he would lose everything, not just his ultimate endgame, but her as well.

As he entered the kitchen, his stomach churned with uncertainty. Madison cooked a typical southern breakfast—bacon, fried eggs, biscuits and grits. He adored her cooking and his belly grumbled at the scents wafting to him.

Amos sat in a chair on his knees, giggling at the pup he’d received for his birthday wallowing on her back making grunting and groaning noises. The blue Great Dane—Amos named Dixie—would protect him, and that was all Micah cared about.

“Morning, kitten,” he said as he walked up beside her to snag a piece of bacon. She hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. His eyebrows flashed upward at the flush on her face. “You’re practically glowing this morning.”
Beautiful
.

Madison adjusted his tie and her shyness cramped his gut with nostalgia. After all this time she continued to worry about his reception.

She peeked at him through her lashes. “I wish to try again tonight.”

All is not lost
! Hope surged inside him and he buried his hand in her hair, angling her head back to stare into her eyes. She didn’t flinch away as he’d expected.

“You almost came last night,” he whispered low enough Amos wouldn’t hear. “A first.”

An adorable blush infused her cheeks. “Yes.”

“You weren’t disgusted?”

“No.” A frown hit her forehead. “Is that what you thought all these years?”

“It doesn’t matter what I thought.” He kissed her cheeks. “All that is of importance is our future.”

He and Amos chatted as they ate breakfast, most of the conversation centered on the Great Dane, how she hogged the bed and begged for loving, but he didn’t mind because they were friends. Dixie whined for food and he realized halfway through the meal that his son snuck bits of biscuit to her.