“What… what are you…?” Sonia stammered and, hearing the horror in her tone, Callum smothered his chuckle and his arms tightened around her under the blanket. “Doing here?” she screeched.
“Father wants to speak to you,” Yuri answered.
“Now?” she shrieked.
Yuri leaned in the doorway and stated, “When we arrived, we noticed you were busy. Therefore we waited until you weren’t. So, yes, now, if you’d be so kind.”
Callum was surprised he hadn’t sensed them or smelled them.
Then again, he was entirely wrapped up in his pretty little mate so perhaps it wasn’t that surprising.
And he thought that this just got better and better.
They’d been there awhile.
Fucking brilliant.
Callum felt Sonia’s body jolt, taking him from his thoughts but Yuri casually pushed away from the door and disappeared from sight.
Callum looked from the door to Sonia and found she was still staring across the room.
“Honey,” he called, giving her a squeeze.
“Tell me I’m dreaming now,” she whispered, her voice still filled with horror, as was her face. Her eyes were dazed and unfocused and at the look of her, Callum had to bite back another chuckle. “No, this isn’t a dream,” she stated, her head slowly turning to face him to breathe her finale. “This is a nightmare.”
“Sonia –”
“They heard us,” she whispered.
They did. They not only heard their orgasms, they probably heard a great deal more. Even if Gregor and Yuri weren’t vampires, who had exceptional hearing, in fact all their senses were exceptional, they still would hear them. Fuck, the neighbors probably heard them.
“Sonia –”
“We’re loud,” Sonia went on.
“Yes, baby doll, but –”
“We were having sex,” she breathed this fact as if he hadn’t participated fully in the event, her eyes widening and Callum was losing his fight with his amusement and felt his body start shaking.
“Sonia –”
“He said…” she cut him off, her dazed eyes clearing and beginning to flash. “He said… he actually said that I sounded like an animal.”
“Son –”
She disengaged from him and rolled angrily away.
Callum rolled to his side, got up on an elbow and watched as, clumsy in her fury, Sonia struggled with her nightgown.
The material was caught helplessly around her arms and her head was hidden by it but she still ranted on.
“I can’t believe what just happened. What he just said. My brother!” she tugged the nightgown down with effort and then glared at Callum. “Well, essentially my brother saw me na**d and… and…” she leaned toward him and hissed, “fastened to you.”
“Fastened to me?” Callum repeated, the thread of humor in his tone impossible to miss and Sonia didn’t miss it.
Her eyes narrowed and she snapped, “Nothing about this is funny!”
Callum thought everything about this was the height of hilarity, especially her reaction.
He didn’t share that.
Instead, he said, “Baby doll, calm down.”
She leaned back and her eyebrows went up. “Calm down?”
Callum exited the bed and pulled her rigid body into his arms.
“Yes, calm down. It happened. It’s over. Let’s get dressed and go down and see what we’re dealing with.”
“Oh, we’ll do that, all right. We certainly will,” she told him, pulling free from his arms and then jumping around on one foot trying to tug up her underwear.
Callum grabbed his clothes and pulled them on as she yanked up her panties and smoothed her nightgown down. Then she ran her fingers through her hair while walking to her chest of drawers. She pulled something out of a box on the top and twisted a holder in her hair, fixing a ponytail.
Callum had on his jeans, was shrugging on his shirt and, seeing her makeup free, in a nightgown and ponytail, her lips bruised from his kisses, her face flushed with sex, he thought she’d never looked more adorable, never prettier, beyond beautiful.
Perfect.
Without buttoning his shirt, he strode to her and yanked her in his arms. His head descended and his mouth claimed hers in a kiss so thorough, the bruising of her lips wouldn’t disappear for days.
When his head lifted their hearts were both beating faster and Sonia looked like she was emerging from a delicious dream, a fact which made him want to kiss her again.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
“All right, baby doll,” he called softly and he saw that, with effort, her eyes focused on his and he grinned, which made her eyes focus on his mouth, which made him want to laugh but he kept speaking. “Remember I told you that you have family now and they wouldn’t want you to struggle, no matter what you’re struggling with?”
She blinked and then she nodded.
He dipped his face close to hers, looked her in the eye and said quietly, “You’re about to see what I mean.”
Her eyes grew wide but he ignored her look, took her hand and guided her down the stairs.
Gregor was lounging on one of Sonia’s clean-lined, pristine couches by her Christmas tree.
Yuri was fuming while leaning on the mantel above the fireplace.
They both came to attention and watched as Callum led Sonia down the stairs and into the room.
Callum’s gaze went to Gregor and he demanded, “I’ll want to know the meaning of this.”
Gregor slowly closed his eyes, visibly seeking patience and when he opened them, he said in his cool, refined voice, “Remember who you’re speaking to.”
“I know exactly who I’m f**king speaking to,” Callum returned.
“I kept her safe for you for thirty-one years,” Gregor rejoined, Callum heard Sonia gasp and felt her hand tighten spasmodically in his.
He curled her hand up, drawing her nearer, and tucked it under his arm.
“You kept her safe for Lassiter for thirty-one years,” Callum returned. “You vowed it, you did it. Your work is done.”
“He’s already claimed her,” Yuri announced hostilely. “I saw the chain.”
Gregor looked to his son and murmured a warning, “Yuri.”
Due to Gregor’s position amongst the vampires and Callum’s royal standing, Callum had known Gregor all his life. However, recently, linked by the Arlingtons, primarily Sonia, Callum had grown to know Gregor and Yuri very well.
Gregor was tall, black-haired and lean. His son was blond, like his mother, and had more bulk to his tall frame.