The truck came to a stop and Angel moved to push the door open.
"Thank God!" Amelie muttered. Shortly after, the door on the other side was pulled open and Xavier reached for her.
"Come here, babe," he rasped, lifting her out of the vehicle and into his arms. Amelie wrapped her arms around his neck and made him kiss her. Nadia smiled loving the way the couples seemed to show their affection with no care in the world.
"Hey, " Angel called, distracting Nadia from Cole and Isabelle. The other couple was holding each other tightly by the side of the car.
Nadia met his gaze and lowered them to settle on the hand he held out to her. She placed hers in it and he assisted her to come out of the truck. The rush of cold air hit her face and the smell of pine trees, food and nature assailed her nostrils. She couldn't help smiling. The air was fresh and devoid of death and misery.
"This place is beautiful…." she muttered.
"I'm glad you think so. The island too, if I recall correctly, is also beautiful," Angel rasped. Nadia, forgetting herself, smiled at him. His eyes darkened as he searched her gaze. "I will take care of you, Nadia," Angel said in a low husky tone meant only for her ears.
"I know," she whispered and her eyes smarted. Angel made to reach for her but Xavier called out to them, gesturing for them to come to the house.
"Right behind you," Angel replied and felt Nadia interlace her fingers with his. Without acknowledging the gesture, he moved, and she fell in step with him.
They entered a beautifully decorated foyer with a high ceiling and a fireplace on the side wall. A staircase was at the far end of it and Xavier headed there still carrying Amelie.
"I want to see the children, Xavier," Amelie pleaded.
"You need rest, love," Xavier replied.
"Please, baby," she persisted. Xavier sighed, and change course, taking another door to the back of the house, loud excited voices rang outside and Angel followed, watching as Isabelle followed her brother too.
"Alpha is back!"
"Dr Amelie!" a pup that couldn't be more than six years old said in excitement.
"She is Luna now, silly," a much-grown pup countered, causing Amelie to laugh. The pups ran to her, surrounding her, Xavier and Isabelle.
"I trust you have been good?" Xavier said in his Alpha voice and the little ones giggled.
"Yes, alpha!" they chorused.
"Dr Luna Amelie…." one pup, about three years old, tugged at Amelie's jacket, drawing her attention.
"Dr or Luna will be just fine, Geri," Amelie said, trying to hide a laugh.
"Did you bring the cookies?" he said in an audible whisper. The other pups of his age gasped rushing to cover his mouth.
Angel chuckled when Xavier raised an eyebrow at Amelie and she gave him a guilty glance.
"I believe what … um he meant was …"
"I know Amelie…."
"You do?!"
"Aha! I wanted to warn you nothing gets past him," Isabelle said, laughing.
"Um… Sorry…" Amelie croaked.
"Are we busted?" the little pup asked.
Xavier lowered to his knees and said, "You have been kind of busted for a while, Geri. It's okay though, but you all have to let her take breaks…."
"We can help," the pup replied, giving Xavier a warm grin. Angel felt Nadia let go of his hand and stepped forward.
"I would like to help too if it's okay," Nadia said.
Xavier glanced at her and gave her an approving nod. Isabelle reached for her hand and Amèlie thanked her.
"Tomorrow you will have fresh cookies, we promise," Amelie said. The little ones cheered.
"Alright, that's enough, back to your tents. Go to sleep," Hallec said, causing them to groan in disapproval. "Tomorrow before the cookies we will do a little exercise. You are all getting fat and lazy with all this food," Hallec added, causing more groans. He chuckled, ushering them away.
When they got back inside, Amelie drew Nadia into a hug before allowing Xavier to take her up the stairs. Angel saw Cole Miller in a corner of the room, with a drink in hand, talking with Ash.
"Let me show you guys your room, the others are already settling," Isabelle said, taking Nadia's hand.
"Do you have enough rooms for everyone inside here?" Angel asked as he followed the ladies up the stairs.
"Not enough. We have just nine ensuite rooms. So we paired the guys. You and Nadia can have our room," Isabelle said.
"Where will you guys sleep?"
"Cole has another smaller cabin not too far away from here, he prefers there than here," Said Isabelle.
"It's a big place. I can understand why it must cost a fortune to maintain for just one person, " Nadia replied.
"It is more about his military background. He prefers a simple lifestyle. I'm afraid he is exposing himself to all this for me," Isabelle said. "Perhaps you will get the chance to see the cabin before we return home, it is completely different from here and I get to cook for him. He prefers that."
"That sounds perfect," Nadia said. Isabelle chuckled.
"Don't tell me you are a recluse just like my mate."
"I just love the idea of solitude with the one you love," she replied in a small shy tone.
"You will get that too if that's what you want. You can discuss that with Angel and Angel will talk to Xavier about it." She opened the door to an expansive room and ushered them inside. Angel stayed as quiet as possible so as not to break their interesting and telling conversation. It appeared Nadia was beginning to entertain coupling with him or was all that just talk? "Here we are. If you need anything, Angel please let me know," Isabelle said, addressing Angel. He gave her a nod and drew her into a hug before she left.
"Hungry?" Angel asked from lack of what to say to her.
"No," she replied, and then started to walk towards the door Isabelle says was the bathroom.
"I am…" Angel rasped.
Nadia stopped and turned to see him taking off his shirt. She swallowed when she saw the familiar magnificent show of his beautiful body. Her eyes trailed down his front to the V of his lower abdomen as he unzipped and stepped out of the Jean, leaving white boxers on.
"Do you want me to get something for you?" Nadia heard herself say in a voice she didn't recognise as her own.
"You can't 'get' me what I want…" he said and she blinked as he moved and walked past her as naked as the day he was born. Nadia shut her eyes, inhaling his body musk and the scent of his obvious arousal. When she peered inside the bathroom a minute later, he was inside a large shower stall scrubbing his body. She trailed her eyes down his deliciously long body and her lips parted when they settled on his erected cork. She took a deep breath and hugged her back to the door frame. She wanted to go to him so bad but she knew if she crossed that line now, it would mean she was okay with everything that he had done