Ezra leaned over, nibbling at my neck while I drove, murmuring, “Dumping them somewhere is sounding excellent.” His lips lifted against my neck, purring, “Then we could have the whole back seat to ourselves.”
“Stop it,” I whispered, blushing and pushing at his shoulder, which didn’t help.
Cahal groaned behind us, and it sounded like he started moving around. “Please tell me this back seat hasn’t been used for that.”
Ezra’s chuckle rumbled throughout the SUV. “We’ve only been back there once.” His hand started roaming up my thigh, and I quickly swatted at it, my flush flaming high, knowing he was talking about the time he had drunk off me in King Hall’s parking lot. “I wouldn’t mind a longer, and more thorough, session, though.”
Ezra’s face jerked against my neck when Antonio smacked the back of his head. “Quit groping her in front of me.” He sounded ticked off. “She may be grown, but there are still some things I don’t enjoy seeing happen to my baby girl.”
I pushed at Ezra’s shoulder again.
He assented after raking his fangs against my neck once, settling back into his seat and mumbling over his shoulder, “Thanks for letting him hit me, Dad.”
Cahal grunted. “You deserved it.”
I squinted. “Oh, my God.” I bit my lip, glancing at Ezra. “Is that who I think it is?”
Ezra’s mien instantly changed from lazy playboy to alert Vampire, scanning the area. He squinted like I had, then rested an elbow on the console, covering his mouth. “Incredible.”
“What is it?” Antonio asked instantly, leaning forward. “I can’t see shit back here.”
Dry words from Cahal. “It’s my mate.”
“What?” Antonio asked, incredulous.
I started slowing for the hitchhiker — Vivian — on the side of the road, standing next to a POS car with its hood up. “You told her where we were, Elder Zeller?” I knew Ezra hadn’t since he hadn’t been able to get in an intelligent word.
“It may have slipped,” he muttered, head in his hands. “I didn’t expect her to do this.”
Dry words from the son. “It’s Mom. Of course she would do this.”
Like, risk her damn life to tag along and make sure her son and mate were alright. “Jesus.” Sighing heavily, I muttered in defeat, “You two had better make room back there.” I stopped my Hummer behind the pseudo broken-down car, her expression not one of surprise at seeing us, peering at Ezra. “You’d better behave if you don’t want your mom knowing about us.”
The back door opened just as Ezra’s face fell into his hand, his mom asking instantly, “Know what about you two?”
One green eye opened to glare at me between his spread fingers. “Vampire, sweetheart.”
I bit my lip and turned my attention forward as Vivian threw her bag in the back, Clyde and Bonnie growling, and made herself fit in the back seat with Cahal and Antonio. Hell, no one even asked her what the f**k she was doing here with only a shawl over her head as a disguise, she was that damn scary. She waited until she closed the door to ask again, “Ezra, dear, what don’t you want me to know about you two?”
My lip was damn near bleeding I was biting it so hard, and I quickly busied myself with getting us back on the road.
Ezra growled quietly, tugging on one of my pigtails. “Coward.”
“Yep.” Where his parents were involved in our love affair, that answer was definitely yes.
A beat, then he sighed, saying, “Stop the car.”
I exhaled profoundly myself, and then decided that pulling over was probably the best course of action, just in case she tried to attack me once he told her. Again, I stopped on the side of the road, maybe twenty yards ahead of where I had initially pulled over. I parked it, then took my seatbelt off and turned on my seat.
Ezra stated to Vivian, “This, Mom.” He blurred, leaning over the console, and his lips were suddenly on mine. A tiny squeak was all I was capable of before I sighed, sinking against him when he gently cupped my cheeks, softly caressing my lips with his. As far as kisses went, it was fairly chaste, but it still felt like heaven as our lips molded to each other’s.
The deep rumble of a throat clearing broke us apart, and then Antonio groused, “If your lips hadn’t been attached to hers, I would have hit you again.” He pointed an aggravated finger at Ezra’s grinning face. “I saw enough in my damn office to blind me.” His finger punctuated each word. “Quit. Groping. Her. In. Front. Of. Me.”
Ezra’s cocky, self-assured grin — a daring expression — didn’t change as he lightly ran his hand up and down my throat in clear ownership.
Antonio growled, then glared at Cahal, saying, “Get control of your son before I hurt him.” And…it didn’t sound like an idle threat, either.
Before this went any further, I whispered, “Ezra, stop it.” I patted his chest lightly, then pushed more firmly. “Or you’re going to sit in the back.”
Ezra’s eyes slammed to mine, narrowing. “You can’t be serious.”
My own gaze narrowed as I placed a hand at his throat, since he hadn’t removed his. “I am if you start a fight in my car.” I felt him swallow slowly against my palm, the action easy since neither of us were squeezing, even as his eyes flared at my simple threat. My eyebrows rose. “Just stop, alright?” This was turning into a battle of alpha wills real quick. I knew how to deal with those easily enough. “If you do, I’ll let you sleep in bed with me tonight.”
Never ignorant, he stilled, and gently he asked, “Where else would I be sleeping?”
Easy. “On the couch.”
His Vampire growled deeply, sounding furious.
My gaze didn’t waver. “Your choice. This may be a long trip and everyone needs to get along.”
At least a full minute passed as his Vampire continued to growl, no one in the back seat moving — or breathing from the sound of it — as we stared each other down. My own wolf wanted to growl right back, jumping at the challenge, but I pushed back at her. My words had been my growl, and adding anything else to this would only escalate it. Little by little, Ezra leaned forward, his eyes glowing a bit, and his face hovered right in front of mine before he nipped my lip, hard enough for me to know he wasn’t pleased…then he released my throat without another word and moved back into his own seat, my hand sliding from his own throat.