Page 46 of A Devious Arrangement
“Imprint?” I parrot.
She nods. “Yeah, like they see you. Fall for you. Then never let you go.”
I suck in a breath. That’s not at all what’s happening.
Scarlet laughs. “It’s okay. It’ll grow on you.”
Orion comes running up, clinging onto Misty’s arm. “Mamma, the movie’s too scawy.”
She smiles down at him, swooping him into the air, and he responds by snuggling into her neck.
“I’m going to go sit with him. Looks like he’s getting tired,” Misty says to us. I can just make out her son’s reply.
“Am not.” His mouth opens in a giant yawn in stark contrast to his response.
“I need to use the restroom. Will you be okay on your own here?” Scarlet says, rising from her chair. An explosive sound comes from the TV and startles Eve awake. She screams at the top of her lungs, and Scarlet looks at me. “Never a free moment.”
She looks exhausted, but there’s a warmth in her eyes. Like she’s acknowledging how hard motherhood is while enjoying it.
“I can grab her.” I jump up before I can examine what I’m saying.
“You sure?” Scarlet cants her head, looks me over, then smiles. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
I lift Eve into my arms, bouncing and settling her down.
I may not be used to babies, but I know how to wrangle five-year-old girls practicing ballet. How different can it be?
Little Eve wraps my hair in her fist before letting go, only to do it again. The motion soothes her until she quiets, looking up at me.
She has the same piercing blue eyes as her mother, which go perfectly with her father’s chestnut hair. She’s a perfect mix of them.
Warm, strong arms wrap around me from behind, tugging me into a hard chest. I don’t have to look back to know it’s Bash.
“Do you think our kids will have red hair?” he asks.
I ignore the thrill his words shoot through me and twist in his arms to respond.
Before I can say anything, Bash holds a finger to his mouth and shushes me, cutting off my words, and points to Eve, who’s asleep in my arms.
I tug him closer with my free hand and speak into his ear. “There is noourkids.”
He pulls back, a sadness in his eyes, and I ignore the ache beneath my ribs.
Reminding myself that none of this is real.
Chapter 22
Bash
The feelingof holding Stasia is quickly becoming an addiction. Using the guise of looking like a couple, I spent the last several hours doing everything I could to turn her on, slowly stoking a fire within her, drugging her with my touch. She gasped when I whispered in her ear, and goose bumps rose over her neck when I held her nape in my hands, gently caressing her sensitive skin.
Her heart races when I wrap her in my arms. I’ve got her trapped in place as we wave goodbye to our family, my left arm braced across her breasts and shoulder like a seat belt and the other palm laid flat on her stomach. I breathe in her cinnamon scent, letting it fill my lungs until she takes up all of my senses. Her back’s pressed against my chest, and even with her height, her head still tucks nicely beneath my chin.
Xander’s the last to leave, shaking his head at us before closing the door behind him.
I don’t let go of her, and she doesn’t try to break away. She’s quiet; the only sound is her rapid breaths as she stands still. Waiting. Waiting for me to make the next move. I want to make her ask for it. To make her the one that chases me, but at this point, I don’t give a shit so long as she’s with me.
My cock aches behind my pants, and I push it into her ass.
