It wasn’t until we’d closed the door into our own chamber, that Melek muttered,“Clearly,I need to stop roaring at night while he’s still awake.”
“Melek, if he can hear you, the staff must… oh dear,” I said, laughing, hands on my hot cheeks.
“And here I was withplansfor you tonight,” Melek said, slipping his arms around me and pulling me closer, staring down at me through hooded eyes and a wicked smile.
“Plans?”
“Plans.”
“Plans?”I asked, a little surprised. “You just mean mating, right?”
His face puckered. “Is that not enough?”
I laughed, and leaned up on my toes to kiss him. “You’re always enough. You’remorethan enough.”
“Excellent,” he said, nibbling at my lip, then fussing at the button of my skirt waistband, his eyes twinkling. “Though, I suppose your favorite wine and chocolates at the hot pools might also be a bit of a draw?”
I smiled. “I mean… only if you’re going toroar.”
“I hope so,” he muttered, tugging off his own shirt, then helping me with mine. “Apparently I’ll only be able to roar when we leave the palace, though. If these walls aren’t thick enough to stop him hearing, then we’re screwed.”
“I thought the screwing was the problem?”
When he tried to answer, I hooked my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss—then immediately pushed him backwards so he stumbled and dropped into the large chair in our bedchamber.
He was shocked, but also pleased. His brows high as he watched me walk towards him. “I thought you wanted to go to the pools.”
“I do,” I whispered as I crawled into his lap. “However, first I want to tell you what an amazing king you are—and an even better father,” I said, sliding up his chest and widening my knees to straddle his lap.
Melek’s eyes went dark, his pupils dilating as he reached for my breasts with both hands.
“A good father, hmmm?”
“The best,” I sighed and arched my back as he leaned forward, kneading my breasts, pressing them up and close, then opening the space between his thumb and forefinger to lay his mouth on my nipple.
When he sucked, I made a whimper of my own.
Melek growled, then lifted his head to kiss me.
“Are you certain?” he rumbled a moment later against my lips, as our kisses grew heated. “I can’t roar here, remember?”
I couldn’t answer immediately because he sucked my tongue.
“I like watching yourestrainyourself,” I breathed when I could, then reached between us to stroke him, smiling when his head dropped back and his hands clapped to my hips, holding me in place.
I bit my lip, watching him twitch and grunt as I touched him, his eyes raking down my body—my breasts, that were no longer so pert or full, but had nourished a child, and my waist, which was thicker, though my training, as Mael grew older, was returning my strength.
There had been a time, soon after Mael was born, that I’d spentmonthsconvinced Melek wouldn’t ever again enjoy my body as he had before our son.
When I’d finally admitted the fear, he’d practically chased me around the palace to prove me wrong.
For a month.
I no longer questioned his desire for me, even as my body—and our lives—changed. But sometimes it was nice to remind myself that I could still make him break that self-discipline that had only grown stronger over the years.
I stroked him a little harder, then started to back off him, to kneel between his knees.
Melek grabbed me and pulled me back up, shaking his head. “No, I want you here, where I can touch you.”
