Page 81 of Riot

“Babe, I don’t give a fuck what body fluids you leave on me.”

The pretty pink flush that tinges her cheeks almost undoes me. She’s perfection, and she doesn’t even know it. “Well, I do. So, I’m sorry.”

I drop my gaze to her mouth, full and begging to be claimed again. All I can think about is that fucking kiss and the way she tasted on my tongue.

She lifts Seren out of the Moses basket, and even though I’ve seen her do this a hundred times, I can’t stop watching.

The way she is with the baby, the softness and vulnerability, it’s a spark to a match. I’ve always wanted to protect them, but now, with Ivy’s kiss fresh in my memory, I’ll fucking burn anyone who touches them.

“How do we… you know,” she winces, “dothis?”

“Do what?”

She lifts the baby against her chest, her body relaxing. “I mean… I know it was just a kiss, but does it… what does it…”

I mentally fill in the words she’s too scared to ask—what does this mean?

Needing to touch her, I stroke my thumb over her pulse, and she becomes soft under me. “It wasn’t just a kiss.”

It was the last breath in my lungs.

I take her mouth, needing to taste the only thing that makes my heart still fucking beat. She’s light and warmth wrapped in sin and desire.

And she’s fucking mine.

I want to take care of her, and I’ve never wanted to take care of any woman ever. She makes that noise in my head—the one that seeks pain and pleasure just to feel—disappear.

I want this moment to last forever, but sound from deep within the apartment has Ivy’s hand pressing to my chest.

A silent warning to stop.

I pull back, wishing I could spend hours wrapped in her, consumed by her, but I ain’t crossing whatever lines she draws.

“Can we keep this between us?”

The fuck?Those words are a kick to the balls. Is she embarrassed, or is this something to do with her past? I try to read her, but I can’t. “Babe, I ain’t hidin’ this,us.”

“I don’t want to hide us either,” she says quickly, then a smile dances on her mouth. “But maybe just for a little while. I want to enjoy this without any pressure.”

Not forever, just for now.It goes against everything within me to deny to the world she’s mine, but I nod. Whatever she wants, I’ll give to her. “You worried what they’ll say?”

Mace’s reaction will depend on Maylie’s, and even though he loves me, I ain’t sure how she’ll feel about me making moves with her sister.

Ivy’s eyes widen, as if that hadn’t occurred to her.

“No.” She cups my face, and I grab her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I don’t need approval. I want you. I want this. I just selfishly want you to myself while we’re figuring stuff out.” Those words ease some of the uncertainty beating inside me. I breathe even deeper when the sigh she lets out is content. “I better get dressed.”

“Okay, baby. You want me to have Seren?”

“No, I can take her. We’ll have a bath together.”

My mind doesn’t jump to the idea of her naked and soapy but to the image of her taking care of our girl.

And when she walks out of the room holding the baby, I lean back on the sofa, feeling light.

Until my gaze gravitates to the flowers on the table.

My jaw twitches. That fuckin’ kid. I’ve never been jealous of anyone, but those flowers piss me off.

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