They just wanted Chris to be happy and if he actually followed through with this that wouldn’t happen.

“Madison?” Ephraim asked hesitantly from the other side of their closed bedroom door, making her jump. She hated when he was able to sneak up on her. With her damn Pyte abilities she should have known the second he was on the move. “Are you hungry?” he asked just as the scent of hot food teased her nose, making her stomach growl.

She opened her mouth to tell him to go away since she was still mad at him, but the stubborn man simply walked into the room without waiting for an answer.

Her eyes narrowed on his face, noting the rueful expression before dropping to the tray in his hands. She licked her lips hungrily when she spotted the large stack of grilled cheese sandwiches and overflowing bowl of macaroni and cheese.

For the kid’s sakes Ephraim had tried to learn how cook ten years ago, but he only mastered two dishes, macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese, which if memory served her correctly from the last pregnancy were out of this world.

“Here,” he said, placing the tray on the bed beside her.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to tear her eyes away from the food. It smelled so good, but there was a slight problem. She couldn’t eaten human food without a little blood in her stomach or she’d get hit with morning sickness.

“If you want I can go downstairs and grab you a bag of blood, but I’d rather you take from me. I know you’re mad at me, sweetheart, and I understand, but I need you to know that I’m not happy with what Chris is doing either,” Ephraim explained quietly.

For the first time since she spotted the food she looked away and could have cried at the pained expression on Ephraim’s face. She knew how much he loved Chris and wanted him to be happy. Knowing how much he loved Chris, she knew that he was less than thrilled with what was happening and she felt bad for adding to his worries.

“I’ll take from you if it’s okay,” she said, almost smiling when he let out a relieved sigh.

He moved the tray off the bed and sat down with his back against the bed and held his arms open for her.

She moved over him and straddled his lap and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

“I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch to you, Ephraim,” she said, pressing another kiss against his lips.

His hands cupped her hips, gently massaging them as he returned the kiss. “You haven’t been a bitch, baby. I understood that you were upset. We all are.”

“Your son’s being an idiot,” she murmured against his lips.

“I know,” he sighed. “I’m going after him in a couple of hours. I’m hoping I can talk some sense into him.”

“I hope he listens.”

He forced a smile. “Let’s worry about this later, baby.”

She wanted to argue, beg and plead for him to make Chris do the right thing, but she couldn’t. He was already stressed out about it and she wouldn’t add to his worries. Not on purpose anyway.

“Okay,” she reluctantly said.

“Take as much as you need,” he said, tilting his head to the side.

Madison leaned in and pressed a kiss to his neck before she allowed her fangs to slide down and into his neck.

Ephraim groaned long and loud as his hold on her h*ps tightened. The scent of his arousal hit her hard a few seconds later and she was helpless to ignore it. It had been several days since they’d made love and it was her fault.

Wanting to make it up to him, she reached between them and pulled his erection out of his cotton pajama pants and began to stroke him slowly.

“You don’t have to do this, Madison,” he bit out, groaning.

In answer she quickened her strokes on his c**k as she pulled harder on his neck, knowing how much he loved that. When she felt him go still beneath her, she pulled away from his neck and bent over to take him in her mouth.

“Fuck,” he groaned as his c**k swelled in her mouth seconds before he came. She swallowed every last drop, pulling away only to lick the head clean.

“Get up here,” he growled and she went, more than ready for what she already knew would be a very long night filled with makeup sex.

She was just moving to sit up when she heard something strange. Ephraim stilled beneath her as he cocked his head and bared his fangs as the scent of shifter drifted into the room.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

Chapter 29

“Please!”

“No!” Chris snapped.

“But I-“

“You’re going to have to hold it.”

“I can’t!”

“You can,”

“No, I can’t, you big jerk, so bring me to a damn gas station or somewhere with a bathroom before I tinkle in my damn pants!” she snapped, beyond frustrated and ready to throttle him with her bare hands.

She’d be doing it right now if she wasn’t still cuffed.

Thankfully a little over three hours ago she managed to work her cuffed hands in front of her and even managed to free her feet so at least she was marginally more comfortable. Granted, she’d be more comfortable if she didn’t have to use the bathroom, wasn’t starving and so exhausted that she thought she might be sick.

“Did you just say tinkle?” he asked, sounding amused and so help him if she caught even a hint of a smile through the rearview mirror she was going to climb into the front seat and bitch slap him to death.

“Yes,” she bit out through clenched teeth. “I have to tinkle, you insensitive bastard!”

He sighed heavily. “Now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings,” he said, sounding even more amused and she decided that she didn’t need to see proof that he was laughing at her, she was going to kick his ass now! She moved to do just that when she was reminded once again that she really needed to go.

“I’m not kidding! I have to go!”

“Fine,” he said, starting to pull over.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, watching as cars sped past them.

“Pulling over so that you can use the bathroom. What the hell do you think I’m doing?”

Her jaw dropped as she looked over to her right and spotted the thin woods. For god sake’s she could easily see thirty feet into the woods. There was no way she was going pee on the side of the highway where everyone could see her.

“Not happening.”

“What? I thought you said you to go, so go,” he said, turning in his seat and gesturing for her to get on with it.

She shook her head firmly. “Nope. I want to pee in civilization.”

“Here’s a road, cars, technology,” he said, gesturing a cell phone tower off in the distance. “You can’t get any more civilized than that. Now get your cute little ass out of here and go tinkle.”

“I. Hate. You,” she stressed as she struggled to open the back door.

“Should I come with you so that I can protect you from rabid squirrels?” he asked, laughing, but she didn’t think it was a laughing matter. Oh no, not at all.

She was back in the car with the door slammed shut and locked under five seconds flat. “You bring me somewhere where they have indoor plumbing or so help me when I finally get kickboxing lessons I will come after you and kick your ass!”

Still chuckling and apparently enjoying himself immensely, he pulled back into the first lane and thankfully sped away. When she saw the first billboard announcing a Wal-Mart was only ten miles away she nearly cried with relief. When it looked as though he was going to shoot past it she contemplated manslaughter.