Free Love's Call by C. A. Szarek Page B

felt in his arms, her curves melded to his body. He’d never meant to hurt her.
    And now Lord Aldern thought she had feelings for him?
    It was too much.
    “Oh, hell. Now she’ll never marry me.”
    Jorrin chuckled. “You have about a fortnight to convince her.”
    Leargan scowled and ignored the grin on the duke’s face.
     
    ****
    Cera was easing her body to the edge of the bed just as Jorrin made it through the doorway of their bedchamber. He’d caught her getting up.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, shaking his head.
    “To the privy, unless you would prefer I soil our bed,” Cera said, smiling sweetly. She glared when he laughed.
    “You know, love, I never would’ve described you as even-tempered before the baby, but—” Jorrin couldn’t finish his jibe, because a big fluffy pillow hit him square in the face, before tumbling to the floor. He retrieved it, going to his wife and kissing her.
    “Help me up or get out of my way,” Cera ordered, a smile playing at her lips.
    He pulled her into his arms, and she sighed against him.
    “Wretch,” she whispered, her warm breath ticking his neck.
    Jorrin chuckled again and held her to him, Cera’s arms slipping around his waist. “Just teasing, love.” He stroked her hair.
    “You’re still a wretch,” Cera said, ignoring his grin. “I have to go, help me?”
    “Of course.”
    When she’d seen to her needs, he intended to help her back into their bed but she shook her head. “I want to sit by the fire, and I think you need to let Trik out before he has an accident,” Cera said, easing into the oversized chair near the hearth.
    Jorrin opened the door so her bondmate could go out for the night. He didn’t lock the door, to stave off being woken in the middle of the night at the wolf’s return. Trikser was insistent about being by Cera’s side. But locked door or not, Trik somehow always managed to get back into their rooms.
    “Did you have a good day, love?” He pulled a chair next to hers and slid into it.
    Cera sighed and nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as Jorrin scooted his chair closer. He threw his arm around her.
    “I won’t lie. I’ll be happy when the baby arrives.”
    “I know, love. I can’t carry him for you, but I feel what you do.” His wife’s love for him and their child, as well as her heavy exhaustion, washed over him through his empathic magic, when her beautiful gray eyes met his gaze. Jorrin swallowed back a yawn; his limbs suddenly weighed a ton.
    “It makes me feel better that you can really feel us,” she said.
    “I love you both.”
    “We love you, too.” Cera flashed a smile that had Jorrin’s heart accelerating.
    He rested a hand on her swollen stomach. His baby responded to his touch. Cera’s palm landed next to his, and she leaned up to brush her mouth against his.
    Jorrin cupped her face and deepened the kiss, tracing his tongue at the seam of her lips until she opened for him.
    She sighed into his mouth, and he tamped down his libido, as he tasted her for the first time all day. Cera was exhausted, but his body didn’t care. He wanted his wife.
    They hadn’t made love in a few sevendays, but not because she didn’t want to. The further her pregnancy advanced, the more fatigued she was, so Jorrin didn’t push her. But they’d had fun being inventive with positions as her belly had grown.
    Breeches already tightening, he broke the kiss before his blood started singing. Jorrin held her as close as he comfortably could, considering their seating arrangement.
    “Did you see Avril today?” Cera asked.
    “No. But Leargan said she’s willing to see you and the girls?”
    Cera nodded. “Ansley mostly. She’s been visiting daily. I think Avril feels a connection with her since Ansley found her. Men make her leery, except Roduch.”
    “Understandable. I really want to know who the bastard is, so I can hunt him down.”
    “I agree, but we need to wait for her to be ready. If she