Chapter 101: Little Dracula Babies? I Think The Hell Not!

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Lorenzo was beside me, propped against the headboard, looking way too alert for someone who had spent the previous night making me reconsider the value of physical activity.

His hair was loosely tied back, and he wore a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. A book lay open in one hand, though judging by the way he was watching me, I doubted he’d read more than a few lines since I’d woken up.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that, creep?"

"Like what?"

"Like you just won the lottery."

"I have."

I stared at him. "Did you win money?"

"No."

"Then I don’t get why you’re grinning."

He closed the book and set it on the bedside table. "Because my husband is lying next to me."

I pulled the blanket over my head. "I’m going the fuck back to sleep."

His laughter followed me under the covers. "Come on, Alex."

"No."

"Tesoro."

"I’m not available to the public right now."

"I wasn’t aware you had opened a business."

"I have. It’s called Leave Me Alone Incorporated, and you’re trespassing, Dracula."

He gently tugged the blanket down just enough to reveal my face and I glared at him.

He looked delighted...I hated that stupid, beautiful look so bad.

I hated how his eyes softened when he looked at me, and I hated that some silly part of me wanted to see it again, even though I knew better than to hope for anything from Lorenzo Castelli.

"Does anything hurt?" he asked.

"Everything."

His smile faded a little. "Your back?"

"Yes."

"Your hips?"

"Lorenzo, if you keep listing body parts, I’ll start charging you for my consultation."

He brushed a strand of hair off my forehead. "I’ll have the doctor check you."

"No doctors."

"Alex—"

"I’m not dying. I’m just sore."

He studied my expression for a moment before nodding. "All right. But if the pain gets worse, you’ll let me know."

"Sure. I’ll send out a formal announcement." I muttered as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. I tried to look annoyed, but it was hard when his hand felt so softly against my face.

Then I shifted my head a bit and felt a sharp little throb near my neck.

My hand shot up to the spot. "Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!"

Lorenzo’s eyes followed the movement. "What is it?"

"Your bite."

His expression changed, and he reached toward me, stopping just short of touching the mark. "Is it hurting?"

"It’s throbbing."

"I’m...sorry."

The genuine tone in his voice threw me off.

I lowered my hand and glanced at him. The mark was still tender, and the skin around it felt warm and sensitive. I’d known the bite would leave a mark, but knowing something in theory was worlds apart from waking up with it on my actual body.

I turned toward the mirror across the room, just catching a glimpse of my reflection.

"Great," I muttered. "Now I’ll have to explain why I look like I’ve been attacked by a ridiculously expensive vampire."

Lorenzo smiled. "I think the explanation is pretty straightforward."

"Don’t start."

He chuckled and leaned back against the headboard.

I was still staring at my reflection when another thought hit me.

A rather unpleasant thought and one that seemed to wait until I was awake, sore, and stuck in bed with the very man responsible for it.

"Dracula?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Can I end up pregnant from last night?"

His eyebrows raised a little and for one horrifying moment, I thought he was going to laugh.

Instead, he looked at me with a small, knowing smile. "Are you worried about having my pups?"

I turned to him so fast that my neck immediately protested. "Of course I’m worried!"

His grin widened. "What a pity. I was starting to imagine a little Castelli running around the estate."

I blushed so hard, you’d think I sat under the desert sun all day long. "Absolutely not!"

"Maybe two."

"Don’t you dare."

"Little ones with your pretty eyes and my hair."

"Little Dracula babies? Running around this house, scaring the staff and demanding expensive toys? No, thanks."

Lorenzo laughed heartily then, the sound warm and deep as he reached for my hand. "You make them sound awful."

"They’d be your kids. They’d probably have a private security detail before they could walk."

He leaned closer and kissed me, and even though I planned to keep arguing, I found myself momentarily forgetting what I was mad about. His hand cradled my cheek, and the kiss lingered long enough for my brain to slide into chaos.

When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.

"You were so good for me last night," he whispered. "I love you."

My smile faded as I looked at him, at a loss for words. He brushed his thumb along my cheek.

"I’ll have someone bring you medication to reduce the chances of pregnancy, if that’s what you want."

Relief washed over me.

"Yes," I replied, maybe a bit too quickly. "Please."

His face turned serious. "All right, then. I’ll take care of it."

I stared down at our intertwined hands.

The idea of bringing a child into the world terrified me for reasons that went beyond Lorenzo’s teasing. There were still people out there who wanted me dead, and the attack on the convoy had proved that his enemies could get frighteningly close.

The investigation into who had orchestrated it was still on according to Lorenzo, and I had no idea when the danger would end, if ever.

I could barely protect myself.

The very thought of being responsible for a child amidst all this chaos made my stomach churn.

"I can’t have a baby right now," I admitted softly. "Not with everything going on."

Lorenzo’s grip around mine tightened. "I understand."

I wasn’t sure he really did, but he didn’t argue or try to change my mind. He just reached for the bedside phone and gave the necessary instructions to have the medication sent to our room, ensuring it would come from the estate’s medical staff.

Once he hung up, he turned back to me. "Would you like breakfast?"

I blinked. "Is that a trick question?"

"No."

"Because I’m starting to think that every question you ask is part of a bigger scheme."

"Then I guess I’ll need to earn your trust again."

"You could kick things off by bringing me something edible since I can’t be a divorced Omega."