Eiric’s eyes glowed golden when he pulled back. There was a promise in his gaze of what was to come, and Lottie shivered despite the warm temperature. She’d never had a man look at her like that.
Elise squawked in her arms and changed back to her human form. For a second, Lottie scrambled with her grip on the girl—this changing back and forth would take some getting used to—then placed a kiss on her blonde head. She was grateful for the momentary distraction, because she was sure her emotions were written plain on her face, and she wasn’t sure that Eiric was ready to hear what she knew in her heart.
The stone cottage he led them to was charming and cozy, recently renovated to hold all the comforts of a modern home yet still faithful to the sparse, clean Norwegian style. As she and Eiric got the twins dressed and prepared their dinner—parsnip puree with steamed salmon, since she still wasn’t comfortable feeding them raw fish—Lottie admired the craftsmanship in the house.
“This is beautiful,” she said, running her hand over the smooth surface of the pale beechwood table.
Eiric, who was trying his best to land a spoonful of puree in Elise’s mouth, smiled at her. “Thanks.” There was a glint of pride in his eyes.
“Did you make it?” she asked.
“Yep.” He hunched over and wiped Elise’s face. “I made most of the furniture in here.”
Lottie stared around with newfound appreciation. “Wow.”
Now his shrug was almost embarrassed. “There’s not much to do here in the winter,” he explained. “No Wi-Fi, see.”
Lottie laughed, and his answering grin was so gorgeous, heat surged in her cheeks. He kept doing that, doling out those smiles until she was addicted to them. Every time he looked at her like that, she forgot about her messy hair, her mom body, and the fatigue of the day. She simply felt like the most beautiful woman on Earth because he was so intensely focused on her.
She glanced away and cleared her throat. “Bed time for these two, I think,” she said, her voice raspy.
Eiric didn’t say a word, merely helped her get the twins changed and ready for bed. They made a makeshift cot for them in the second bedroom, dragging a mattress to the floor and baby-proofing everything they could think of. By the time they’d finished, Aksel was already asleep, and Elise was blinking sleepily.
Without prompting, Eiric sang them a lilting, mournful lullaby, an old tune that Lottie could barely follow. It spoke of a land under the sea, where fish were abundant and whales played, where chambers glittered with gold and diamonds, and dragons danced in the light of the moon. Lottie’s eyes filled with tears, and Eiric took her hand as he finished, his voice trailing off on one last, clear note.
The twins were asleep.
They closed the door behind them and left, still holding hands. Lottie followed Eiric, not back to the living room but down the short hallway to another door. He opened it to show her his bedroom, where a wide, beautifully made bed stood in front of a window that opened out toward the sea. On this summer evening, the sun still hung high over the horizon—it would barely set tonight, because tomorrow was Midsummer. Lottie took it all in, the glorious view, the neat room, and the man waiting for her judgment.
His eyebrows went up in a clear question.
Lottie squeezed his fingertips, then released his hand. For a moment, confusion appeared in his eyes, but she smiled at him and stepped over to the window. Then she closed the curtains.
Eleven
Lottie
Eiric’s gaze darkened,and he stalked over to her, a predator intent on his prey. Lottie went to him, surrendering. They came together in a scorching kiss that stole her breath. She grasped the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and exposing the gorgeous hard-edged abs she’d dreamed about. He fumbled with the clasp of her bra under her top. His big hands skimmed the skin of her belly, then he grabbed her ass and hauled her to him, up his body, lifting her off her feet without even breaking their kiss.
Lottie held on, her arms wrapped around his neck, and whimpered with need; this moment had been weeks in the making, and she couldn’t hold off any longer. She wanted himnow.
Eiric groaned when she bit his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth, and his fingers dug into her thighs as he hoisted her higher. She wound her legs around his waist, gripping him hard, and ground herself against him, the hardness of him at exactly the right spot. Her jean shorts were in the way, though, preventing her from getting that delicious friction she craved.
She shimmied out of his grip, and he growled.
“Wait,” she gasped as he reached for her again.
She fumbled for the button at her waist, and Eiric’s eyes gleamed when he saw what her intention was. He batted her hands away and sat on the bed in front of her. Then he popped the button and dragged down the zipper. Looking up at her, he skimmed his palms over her bare legs, up, then down, his fingers caressing her inner thighs, slipping under the fabric, teasing her.
Lottie gripped his shoulders to keep herself from trembling. She wanted to topple him back and sit astride him, but he was having none of that. She strained against him, but she might as well have tried to move a boulder: Eiric wasn’t budging.
No, he had a different plan for her. With slow, maddening movements, he explored her, pressed scratchy kisses to her belly, and she squirmed, self-conscious. Her body had changed with her pregnancy, but Eiric didn’t seem to mind. He drew up her top until she lifted her arms and tugged it off, then just stared at her, his lips parted.
“You’re so beautiful,kjære.”
Lottie recognized the endearment—darling, he’d called her—and blushed. She ran her fingers through Eiric’s long, red hair, marveling at the silky texture. Then she leaned down for another kiss—and this time, it was sweeter, deeper than the hasty, impatient ones they’d shared before. Her heart swelled with emotion, its beat perfectly aligned with Eiric’s.
He broke the kiss before she was ready, then hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and tugged down the last of her garments. She kept her eyes locked with his. When she stood in front of him, completely naked, he groaned and dipped his gaze down to her center, as if he couldn’t hold himself back.
