Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

J ake ran a bath, putting in some of the oil Dakota swore would make Samuel's skin feel so nice.

His sweet mate had been feeling very down the last few weeks since his folks had been such shits, and while he'd been trying to be upbeat, Jake had decided Samuel needed pampering.

So Celeste had taken Grant to Lars's house for an uncle/nephew playdate, and he had Samuel all to himself.

He had all of Samuel's favorite foods, a hot bath, huge soft clothes that would help keep his lover cool.

So of course he had a fluffy blanket in case Samuel got cold.

"Love? Can you come up?" he called from the top of the stairs.

"Of course." He could hear Samuel puffing his way up the stairs. "I swear, it seems so quiet without Grant, and I think Bumper and his girl have gone to be alone—Oh." Samuel's eyes widened as he followed Jake to the master bedroom and bath. "Look at all this!"

Samuel had one hand on his belly, his eyes were wide, and there was a huge smile on his face.

"Are you all right, love?" Jake asked. He should have gone and carried Samuel up.

"Yes. Yes, I'm—this is amazing. It's for me?"

"It is. I wanted to have a special day. Should we start with the bath?"

"Are you going to join me?" Samuel was already stripping off.

"I am." Jake loved that Samuel was so confident with him now, so ready to accept being loved and loving in return.

"Oh, good. I'm so ready to canoodle."

"Did you just say canoodle?"

"Yep. I'm in an Edwardian phase."

"Ah. Like Mary Poppins?" Wasn't that vaguely Edwardian? He couldn't think of a book. Jane Austen was Regency, he remembered. Dickens was Victorian.

And Shakespeare had been quite a dragon.

Samuel chuckled and offered him a long, hard kiss. Love you, mate.

I love you too. Now come and have a bath, and then we'll eat. He paused, hands on the hem of his henley, because Samuel was so damn beautiful it made his heart clench.

Keep going. I love to see you.

Sorry. Jake grinned wryly, then pulled his shirt off over his head, letting Samuel see his chest and belly.

"So perfect. You don't think I look…too big?"

"No. I think you look like mine. My mate. Who is working to give us a child. I could not be more proud." His chest swelled with emotion, his feelings for Samuel too big to hold in.

"I love you too." Samuel chuckled, and they climbed into the huge tub, Samuel sliding to sit between his thighs.

He wrapped his arms around Samuel, the warm water so good on his skin, on his scales. He could feel Samuel relax, letting the water and Jake's touch buoy him. So sweet.

"Mmm… This feels so good."

Jake knew, the sun was pouring through the window—warm and comfortable and bright. The steam rose around them, relaxing sore muscles.

"This is amazing, love. I knew it would be just the thing."

"It is. Thank you. I haven't been unhappy, but… I'm awfully swollen."

"You did say you were feeling really uncomfortable." And with Grant away with Lars and Celeste, they were all getting a breather.

"Dakota assures me that this is absolutely perfectly normal in every way. But I have to tell you, sometimes it feels like I've swallowed a live alligator. That desperately wants to get out." Samuel rolled his head back and forth, leaning against Jake's shoulder.

"Alligator, huh?" He fought the smile for all he was worth. "That sounds less than comfortable."

"Well, she is going to be a dragon, of that we have no doubt. I'm not sure she's not going to come out with a tail. And wings. I'm pretty sure that periodically I feel wings beating on my ribs. Maybe she'll have like eighteen legs." Samuel waved his hands in the air.

"That's not funny."

"You want to talk about what's not funny?" Samuel asked him. And no, he really didn't think he probably did. And if he did, he sure as shit wasn't going to say so.

Except he did.

"Uh. What's not funny?"

"This whole situation wherein this child is rearranging my organs and tap dancing on every single one of them she can find. I'm fairly sure that this morning she grabbed hold of my bladder and squeezed it. On purpose."

"You are saying terrible things about our daughter," Jake said, his laughter bursting out.

"You are absolutely right. I am saying terrible things about our daughter, who I am going to love dearly and adore every second of her life, but I am really tired of being pregnant." Samuel took a deep breath. "Have I mentioned how much I appreciate this? This is amazing."

"Well, I'm glad you're happy." And he was even more glad that Samuel wasn't going to kill him today. Tomorrow wasn't assured. At least Samuel wasn't having twins. Or triplets. He was fairly sure that, if there were triplets involved, Samuel would simply remove himself from his body and refuse to return until it was back to normal.

"I am. Happy, that is. Hormonal, totally, but happy. The cradle looks amazing by the way. Are you going to make a new one for every baby?"

Jake shrugged. "Possibly. How many babies do you think we're going to have?"

"Well, we have two. Which seems a nice number. But I might go as high as four."

"Four…"

"Maybe five? I've noticed that many book series come in fives. That might be entertaining."

"Samuel. Mate. What does the number of books in a series have to do with how many children you have?" It was possible that he was being stupid. It was possible that he wasn't being stupid, and Samuel was going to inform him he was being stupid one way or the other. It was pretty definite that he was taking his life into his own hands at this point.

Samuel just looked up at him. "Nothing. It's just sort of, like, this decent number, you know? It's not too even. But it's not terribly odd. It's just a good number."

"Ah." He nodded sagely. "Well, I guess we can make them each one so they have a cradle to take to their mate when they get married…"

"Oh, I love that idea." Samuel turned slightly, hand on his chest. "I like that a lot."

"Good deal." He did love to use his hands to make things, and the idea of creating a special piece for each of his children was very cool. Family heirlooms could be created as well as passed down.

"Mmmm. So tell me what smells so good."

"Celeste made all sorts of food for us."

"Mate." Samuel kissed him, the act deep and heady, making him dizzy. "I was talking about you."

"Oh." He chuckled. "Well, I rinsed off already so I wouldn't get our bathwater all dirty, so I guess it's my soap." His cheeks heated, because Samuel loved him so well.

"Uh-huh. It's you, silly alpha." Samuel licked a long line along his throat.

"Is it?" He palmed Samuel's ass, loving the resilient feel of his mate.

"Mmhmm…" It's going to be a long time before we're alone together, you know…

I know. So we need to take advantage. Although we have good friends and family in the wing. Maybe not blood family, but the guardians were like his brothers and sisters now.

"Mmhmm…" Samuel deepened the kiss with a sigh.

He hummed too, licking at Samuel's mouth, tasting his unique flavor. So damn fine. Jake could do this for hours.

Love. I need you. I want your knot, please. I need it.

He had to smile, because his so subdued librarian could be needy, demanding, completely upfront with his passion.

You have it, love. Anything you want. He slid his fingers down Samuel's crease to his hole, testing how wet he was.

He was soaking, and not from the bath. Someone was needing.

"Love. You should have said you were wanting me. I can find time for you at any point."

"I know you're busy, and I'm…not at my most beautiful…"

"You have never been more fucking beautiful." He slid his hands over Samuel's body, worshipping him. His mate glowed with this pregnancy, his scales gleaming, his eyes bright. How could Jake not think he was amazing?

Samuel moaned, his sweet mate beginning to glow, magic building inside him.

So pretty. He took more kisses, loving Samuel with his mouth and his hands, his balls pulling up at the base of his cock. He was ready to give Samuel his knot, absolutely.

But first, he was loving having his mate close and needy. He stroked Samuel's hot cock, then fondled his balls, letting him feel every bit of friction Jake could provide.

The lazy motions began to get more and more hungry, sharper, and his lover arched, moaned for him.

"So lovely." He plucked at Samuel's nipples, careful to keep that touch gentle. Jake knew how sensitive Samuel was right now.

"Yours. All yours. My love. My mate."

"Mine," he agreed, lifting Samuel so he could prod at that tight hole with his cock.

Samuel sank down onto him, taking him all the way in.

Oh, fuck. Jake gritted his teeth, trying to hold on. His knot was already swelling, Samuel's need, his scent, his glowing scales, all of them were conspiring to steal his control.

Samuel made him breathless.

"Love, how you need me." Samuel winked at him, licking a hot line along his ear.

"Always. I always need you, love." He lifted his hips, water sloshing as he thrust up into Samuel's heat. His knot swelled, his heart pounding.

"Mmm…" Samuel clamped around him, squeezing him tight.

"Love. Soon." Too soon. But they had plenty of hot water, and they would stay right where they were for a long while. So he was okay with it as long as Samuel was.

"Mmhmm…" Samuel knelt up and leaned in, his lips parting.

He took the kiss Samuel offered, pulling them close together, thrusting until his knot held him fast.

"Never…never get tired of this." Samuel's body fluttered around him.

"No. Never. I need you all the time. All the time." It was crazy how much his life had changed in so short a time, but he was so damn grateful.

"We found each other." Samuel's voice burned with joy.

"We did. You were so smart. So brave." They moved faster, not able to get much slide, but definitely a lot of rock.

"I was. It was worth it. You are worth it."

"Thank you, love." Samuel humbled him. Well, most of him. Nothing was humbling his cock right now.

Samuel shifted faster, fingers tight on his shoulders. They panted and kissed, steam rising around them, Samuel's glow almost blinding him. "Soon. Now."

"Now. Now, love. Now…" Samuel was perfect, the sight of his need a visible thing.

"Uhn!" He shot hard, feeling Samuel like a vise around him, hot seed on his belly as Samuel came. So damn hot.

His mate slumped close against him, breathing hard.

"I have you, love." He held Samuel, his whole body shaking with the force of his orgasm. It has been too long.

It has. I feel so much better. So much.

"Good." He took one more kiss before leaning up to run a tiny bit more hot water into the tub. Samuel put a towel under his head for him, and they lounged in the water.

He could feel the baby moving in Samuel, and he put one hand on the rippling belly.

"Mmm. She's so active now."

"I know. Our impatient girl."

"She wants to play with Grant. He talks to her all the time."

"He does, huh? Such a proud big brother." Logan said they would fight like cats and dogs.

"Yes. Should we have the new baby call me Ammu?"

"If that suits you, love." He liked it actually. It was unique. Sweet. And it was a gift Grant had given Samuel.

"It's my name, and it's unique in all the world." Samuel chuckled softly. "And my boy gave it to me."

"He did. Are you happy, love?" He could feel it through their bond, but sometimes he needed to hear it.

"I am. This is just the pick-me-up I needed."

"Good. We'll get up and eat as soon as my knot goes down."

"I'm not in any hurry." Samuel kissed his chin, then settled in with a sigh.

"Me either, baby. Me either."