Bound to Shadows (Riley Jenson Guardian 8)

"Too bloody right," Rhoan said, handing Liander a croissant before squeezing past him to grab his coffee. He glanced at me. "I've already told Jack we aren't available that afternoon, no matter what happens or how many crazies appear. "

I raised my eyebrows. "But you were supposed to be undercover. How were you going to get around that?"

"Given that's no longer a problem, it doesn't really matter, does it?" He gave me a grin, then took another croissant out of the bag. "I'm betting we have a boy - mainly because I don't think the world could stand two Riley Jensons. "

I snorted softly. "Better another me than another you. "

"It can't be the image of either of you, because thankfully it will have my genes in the mix. Which ultimately means it will at least be sensible," Liander commented. "And I don't care if it's a he or she, as long as it's healthy. "

"Amen to that. " I leaned past him to grab a croissant for myself, then spotted Quinn coming through the door.

"Hey, handsome. About time you got home. "

He gave me a grin and snagged one of the towels from the clean laundry basket that was perpetually sitting in the living room. A fine sheen of sweat clung to his face and darkened his blue T-shirt, molding it to his lean, muscular body. Hollywood would have everyone believe that vampires had no need for bodily functions, but that was nonsense. They might not eat the same way as the rest of us did, but they still had to drink to survive, and what went in had to come out in one form or another. And while they didn't sweat that much, it happened.

Quinn had recently added long-distance running to his fitness regime. He was getting fit for the baby, apparently - which said a whole lot more about his anticipation of the impending birth than my staid old vampire's often blase attitude would have us believe.

Liander shifted to give him room to pass, then flared his nostrils. "You know, it's damned unfair that he smells so good after running fifty kilometers. "

"It was only twenty-five today," Quinn corrected, then grabbed my hand and tugged me into his arms, kissing me quickly but thoroughly. "Because I have an appointment with a real estate agent at nine. "

"You're determined to get us all out of this apartment, aren't you?" Rhoan said.

"Neither Liander nor I is used to living in a hovel, and we need some breathing space. And babies do tend to bring their own mountains of mess. We'll all end up feeling trapped before you know it. "

"It isn't that bad," Rhoan protested.

"I agree," I said, a grin twitching my lips. "There's actually plenty of space. You just need to clean it up better. "

"It's not Liander and me that make the mess, so why should we be the ones cleaning?" he retorted dryly, then kissed my nose. "I'll hire a housekeeper once we move, though I think she'll face an impossible task. "

He had that right. I wrapped my arms loosely around his waist and breathed in the scent of him. Liander was right - he smelled delicious even when he was sweating. "So, where's this latest house situated?"

"It's not a house. It's a three-story brick warehouse in Abbotsford, situated right next to the banks of the Yarra River, with Dickinson Reserve and Studley Parks on the other side. Each couple could have one floor, and the general living area could be in the middle. It even has a fenced parking lot that can be converted into a safe playground for little werewolves to play. "

"Sounds ideal," Rhoan commented. "Between that and Riley's land in Macedon, we have the perfect mix of city pad and country retreat. "

"Let's make sure the place actually matches the real estate blurb before we start making plans," Quinn said, then reached past me to grab a mug, his damp body pressing against mine and fueling the already-stirring embers of desire.

But with it came an odd wave of reassurance. Not everything in my life had gone so horribly wrong. Quinn was here, still standing by my side through all the tears and the heartbreak and the more than occasional bad mood.

He loved me and he wouldn't go away - he'd told me that so often in the last few months that it had almost become a joke between us.

He was also damn hard to kill, because he wasn't just a vampire but an Aedh - a being who could became shadow and mist, and for whom there were few physical threats. Which didn't mean he couldn't be killed - he certainly could when in flesh form - but he was harder to kill than your average vampire, and for that, I was mighty grateful. I'd lost my soul mate. I didn't think I could live through losing my heart's desire, as well.

I pressed myself a little harder against him and said, "So, you want company in the shower?"

"That's another reason to get another apartment," he said, dark eyes sparkling as he glanced at me. God, I could lose myself forever in those depths. "The shower in this place is far too small for couples. "

"Squishy is fun," Liander said. "You just have to use a little imagination. "

"Oh, trust me, Riley has enough imagination for the two of us. " Quinn's voice held a dry edge, but the smile teasing his lips just about melted my bones. "That doesn't make it any more comfortable, however. "

"You forget, he's a sedate old vampire," I said, my grin growing, but nowhere near as much as the pleasure blooming deep inside as his fingers came to rest on my hip. "And you know what old people are like when it comes to their comforts. "

One dark eyebrow rose, and the depths of his eyes sparkled with warmth and love. "So I'm sedate and old, am I?"

He moved quickly, his body a blur, and before I knew it, I was being thrown up and over his shoulder. Luckily for me, he swung around so my head didn't smash against the fridge door. But with my nose buried in the middle of his back and his scent filling each breath, some of this morning's sadness washed away.