Eiric closed his eyes and rested his head back against the couch. “Well, if it weren’t for our family, you wouldn’t have been in this mess to begin with.”
“And what a sad thing that would be.”
Eiric opened his eyes and found her staring at him intently. “You don’t regret it?”
She rose from the couch and settled on his lap. “Not a moment of it.”
Seventeen
Lottie
Her handsome mangroaned as she pressed a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw.
“I need to get rid of these clothes,” she whispered, relishing how his grip tightened on her hips. “They’re ruined.”
The corner of Eiric’s lips tipped up. “I can help you with that.”
His large hands skimmed her sides, drawing her t-shirt along. Lottie raised her arms, and Eiric tugged the shirt off, then tossed it to the floor. Her bra followed, and after some maneuvering, so did her skirt and panties. Within moments, she was naked in his arms. The strength of his focus, his utter dedication, never ceased to amaze her. He was still dressed in that old t-shirt he’d taken from his car and a pair of shorts, but she felt the length of his erection underneath her, hard and unyielding.
She cupped his face in her hands and grinned at him. “I love you.”
Eiric looked startled for a second, then he smiled back, his beautiful face lighting up. “I love you, too.”
Lottie kissed him then, hungry for his lips, his touch. He responded immediately, slanting his head to the side, and took control of the kiss. He brought her higher and higher, until her breathing quickened and she shifted her hips over his, searching for release.
He pulled back to whip his t-shirt over his head, then lifted her off him to get rid of his board shorts. She produced a condom from where she’d stashed it earlier, and his grin turned wicked.
“What?” she said, laughing. “I wanted to be prepared.”
A moment later, she was in his arms again and she sank down on his thick, hot cock, letting it fill her up. She arched her back in pleasure and moaned, enjoying the stretching sensation.
“Move,kjære,” he commanded her. “I need you to move.”
Lottie didn’t need to be told twice. He whispered encouragements in her ear, and she set a slow, sensual rhythm, rolling her hips in time with their breaths. The wave built inside her with every deep thrust of his length, with every caress of his skilled hands.
Eiric kissed her like she was the air he needed to breathe, touched her like her pleasure was the single most important thing in the world for him. She saw the love, the fierce devotion, shining in his eyes, and knew hers reflected it just the same.
Without warning, her orgasm slammed through her, starting from the depths of her and rolling through her body, from her core to every nerve ending. She floated on the wave of pleasure, barely aware of Eiric’s own growl, half-smothered in her neck.
He held her then, his strong arms shielding her from the world, until their breaths calmed down and their heartbeats returned to normal.
“Holy…” Lottie couldn’t finish the thought. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, so she lifted a feeble hand and pushed it away. “Eiric.”
“Mm?” His forehead still rested on her shoulder.
“I’m really happy.”
She blurted out the words without really knowing what she was going to say, but they struck her as the absolute truth. In that moment, in his arms, safe and protected, she was happier than she’d ever been in her life.
Eiric gently moved her off him and put her down on the couch. He disappeared to the bathroom and returned a minute later with a towel wrapped around his waist. Lottie pouted until he laughed and threw the towel over the couch. Then he sat next to her and pulled her legs into his lap.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “We could build a little cottage in the village to start with. Somewhere close to the clinic and the Sverdfisk. I’m going to take a more active role in running the restaurant. I might expand it to include a couple of rooms for tourists or something.”
She stared at him, at this amazing man who would change his life without a hint of complaint to accommodate her wishes. She put a hand to his cheek and looked into his golden eyes.
“We can do that, yeah.” She paused, then smiled at him. “In about a decade, when the twins learn to control their forms, okay? Until then, I think it would be better to live on Drageøy. I’ve already spoken to Dr. Teigland, and he’s delighted that someone will take over the emergency healthcare on the outer islands. They desperately need a nurse to cover that area.”
Eiric stared at her. “But that would mean…”
