Page 130 of Viper

“No. It wouldn’t have mattered when they found out, they were always going to react badly. And why should I have to hide something that brings me happiness?”

“I almost didn’t tell Joe about Dice when he asked if I was seeing anyone yesterday. But I’m done keeping it secret to pander to other people’s feelings. Still, I didn’t expect Joe toflip. Even more shocking was his admittance that he’d ended the fling because he’d thought I’d protest.”

Yeah, it transpired that—rather than simplyaskMia if, like him, she’d come to want more—Joe had decided to test her by putting a stop to the fling to see how she’d react. While it seemed nuts, it did explain why he’d recently acted like a jilted lover.

“At least he acknowledged that he should have manned up and handled things differently,” Mia continued. “I feel bad, because it must have stung him to realize I didn’t care for him the way he did me. I hate that I hurt him.”

“Him being upset didn’t entitle him to turn into a complete jerkoff. It wasn’t as if you’d done anything to make him believe that you two were building a relationship.”

Mia nodded her agreement. “I’d had boundaries firmly in place. We hadn’t gone on dates or done any romantic stuff.”

“I wish I’d been there to see Dice give him a dressing down.” Apparently, the seraphim had gone almost nose to nose with Joe, who—struggling to stand his ground in the face of all that badassery—had gone from mouthy and snarly to silent and unsure.

Ella went on, “Dice was right that Joe expects a lot when it comes to you. He expects you to want what he wants, feel how he feels, chase after him when he pulls away, and put up with his shit. Healwaysexpected to be the center of everything for you.”

Mia sighed. “I know. He always pressured me to cancel plans I had with others. He never had anything nice to say about any guy I got involved with. That Dice is one of the Fallen just gives Joe an excuse to piss and moan. I really hope he doesn’t take too long to fix things.”

Ella went to speak, but then Viper teleported into the room. She felt her mouth curve. “Hey. Didn’t think you were coming until later.”

His lips canted up. “I managed to shuffle some things around so I could come sooner.” He inclined his head at Mia and then crossed to Ella, staring down at her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. “How are you and Peanut doing?” he asked, dropping his gaze to her belly as he gave it a light rub, practically brimming with masculine contentment, like all was right in his world.

“We’re okay.” A smile warmed her chest as she heard Viper’s voice float into her mind as he babbled sweet greetings at their baby, whose mind stirred and fluttered against theirs. Something that never failed to fill her with wonder. “I’m almost done packing the last of my stuff.”

He frowned. “I told you to wait until I got back; I said I’d help.”

“I didn’t need help with packing clothes—they’re not exactly heavy. Still, Mia gave me a hand.”

“I’ll reach out to my brothers. They’ll help with carting more of your stuff to the compound.” His eyes skipped from hers to Mia. “You both look a little down.”

“We were just talking about how our anchors are acting lately,” said Ella with a sigh. “It tends to shit on our mood. I knowyou’renot bothered that Luka pretends you don’t exist, butIcare. Especially when his behavior emboldens my mother and aunt, making them feel it’s okay to do the same. I’ve decided that I’m going to give them a few weeks to get over their crap. If they haven’t done it by then, I will have a serious talk with them.”

It wouldn’t come to that, because Viper had already discussed with his club what would happen if this continued. He wouldn’t wait as long as three weeks to make his move. Not with how much it was getting to Ella. She didn’t need the stress, and she shouldn’t have to be saddled with it.

Ella sighed. “Right, call your brothers so we can teleport all my stuff out of here. I want to go home.”

Home. He fucking loved that she called his compound that. “All right. It’s pizza night apparently, you good with pizza?”

Her brow creased. “You guys have pizza night?”

“Not until an hour ago—Darko decided it’s gonna be a new tradition.”

She snorted. “I’m good with pizza. After we’ve scoffed some down, we can go to bed and you can fuck me stupid.”

“If I must.”

“You must.”

Ella really did love when Viper put that tongue of his to work.

She lay flat on her bed, fisting the sheets, as his velvet-soft tongue flicked and lapped and pumped. She occasionally felt the edge of his teeth—a scrape here, a nip there.

He’d been at it for … she wasn’t sure, she’d lost track of time. She only knew that her orgasm was already on her. She just needed his tongue to stop with these maddeningly shallow pulses.

Ella tugged hard on his hair in demand, knowing he liked it.

A low, deep growl fanned her slick flesh. Viper then tilted her hips and sank his tongue deeper.Oh, thank the good Lord.

His tongue pumped, pumped, pumped just as his hand pushed down on her navel. Oh Jesus, it put the best kind of pressure on her G-spot.Game over.

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