My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 189

Chapter 189

My Cheating Mate

Epilogue

The house was finally quiet.

Grace had gone to bed an hour ago after a lengthy debate about whether staying up to finish her art project counted as educational” and therefore exempt from bedtime rules. Emma had won that argument with the kind of patient firmness that only came from ten years of parenting a child who could out–argue most adults.

Nate had crashed thirty minutes later, exhausted from an afternoon of running around with the pack kids, his stuffed velociraptor clutched in one hand and his face peaceful in sleep.

Cas had left for the evening without being asked–he’d developed an uncanny sense for when Emma and I needed privacy, disappearing to handle coalition business or visit his coven or whatever ancient vampires did when they weren’t being Uncle

Cas.

Now it was just us. Emma and me. Alone in our house for the first time in weeks.

I’d planned this carefully. Had coordinated schedules, arranged childcare backup with my father just in case, made sure nothing urgent was happening with pack business or coalition coordination. Tonight was for us. Just us.

No children. No Council politics. No vampire uncles. No birthday party planning.

Just my mate and me and the bedroom we hadn’t had uninterrupted time in for far too long.

I found Emma in our bathroom, washing her face before bed. She was wearing one of my t–shirts–the oversized grey one that had become hers years ago and nothing else that I could see. Her hair was down, curling slightly at the ends from the humidity. She looked–goddess, she looked perfect.

Ten years. Two children. Wars and betrayals and rebuilding trust from ashes. And I wanted her as desperately now as I had the first time. More, maybe. Because now I knew exactly what I had. What I’d almost lost. What I’d fought to keep.

She saw my reflection in the mirror and smiled. “Kids finally asleep?”

“Grace is reading under her covers with a flashlight she thinks we don’t know about. Nate is completely out.” I moved into the bathroom, positioning myself behind her. “Emma.”

“Jeremy.” She tilted her head, exposing her neck in that unconscious gesture that made my wolf surge forward with possessive need. “You have that look.”

“What look?”

“The look that says you’ve been thinking about getting me alone all day.” She dried her face, meeting my eyes in the mirror. The look that says you have plans.”

“I always have plans where you’re concerned.” I put my hands on her hips, feeling the warmth of her through the thin t–shirt. But tonight–tonight I scheduled this specifically. We have the whole evening. No interruptions.”

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