Bad Blood (Book 4 of The Warden series) by Felicia Jedlicka

complained that she looked like a ghost, but his mouth watered just looking on her.
    Cori rolled her eyes and pulled a blanket over the top of her body, which he promptly ripped away. She looked perturbed by his gawking, but she just turned her head so she didn’t have to see him.
    He leaned down to her ear and whispered, “Touch me.” His voice was trembling and he knew she knew the restraint he was exercising not to pounce on her. She looked confused at first, but reached her hand below his waistband. He gritted his teeth against the pleasure and gently turned her chin with a trembling hand to look her in the eye. “That’s what you do to me,” he said trying to keep his focus on her instead of himself. “Just looking at you, turns me on. I am a slave to you, and only you.”
    He could see her eyes flicker between his. She released him just long enough to remove his pants and push them down with her feet. She pressed on his lower back, begging for him. “Then give me what I want slave.” She smiled.
    He descended on her giving her the embrace they were both aching for. He watched her as she climbed to ecstasy again and again, until he could no longer resist his own. Collapsing against those milky white breasts, he murmured I love you’s and promises of fidelity until he fell asleep.
     
     
     
     
     
     
    10
    The next morning, Ethan roused to the feel of a cold bed. Cori had long since slipped out of the room. He looked at the clock. It was nearly 9:00 a.m. He only had a few hours before the afternoon truck came in.
    Ethan got dressed and headed downstairs. He could smell bacon and eggs before he hit the first landing and suspected Cori was making him a goodbye breakfast. He was surprised, given what he had put her through last night that she was even awake, let alone functional.
    Cori wasn’t the best morning person and late nights of love making usually made for a grumpy-butt in the morning. It was a small sacrifice that was well worth the irritated looks and sarcastic tongue.
    As he came out of the hall to greet his blushing bitchy bride, he found Danato hard at work making breakfast. Danato looked up as he entered. Ethan must have been wearing a terribly disappointed expression because Danato deepened his brow in confusion. “What is that look for?”
    Ethan shook away whatever look he was giving and proceeding directly to the coffee, which was always, the first thing Danato prepared. “I was expecting Cori to be in front of the stove.”
    “Sorry to disappoint you.”
    “Oh, I’m not disappointed,” Ethan said as he grabbed a mug from the cupboard. “Anyone making me breakfast is welcome, but I just didn’t expect my morning kiss to involve whisker bristles that weren’t my own.”
    Danato laughed. “You should be so lucky.”
    Ethan poured his coffee and sat down at the end of the counter on one of the bar stools. “Where is she? I thought she would be here to see me off. I only have a couple hours.”
    Danato nodded. “Yes, that was a hot topic this morning.”
    “What now?”
    Danato shrugged. “You know who you married, Ethan.”
    “Yes, I know who I married.” Danato flipped several pancakes, a side of bacon, and two over medium eggs on a plate and handed it to Ethan. He preferred his eggs over easy, but anything that wasn’t burnt to a crisp by Danato, he was grateful for. “What did she say?”
    “Something about last night being the perfect goodbye and not wanting to spoil it with tears, arguing, or yelling.”
    “What?” Ethan pitched even though he knew exactly what she was talking about. He slammed his fist on the counter. “I thought we dealt with this last night.”
    Danato loaded up a plate for himself that was nearly double the size and grabbed the honey and peanut butter from the cupboard. Thanks to Danato, Ethan had come to appreciate the strange concoction over the usual butter and syrup. It was definitely more filling.
    Ethan smoothed his pancakes in peanut butter