“Stay, little one.Get some rest.”
Little one.No one had ever called her that before, and as she drifted closer to sleep, she decided she liked it.
6
Aknockonherdoor woke her, and confused, Edwina took long moments to work out where she was and why she was naked.
“Half an hour until we begin our descent, Mrs.Lermontov.You need to get up now.”The taps against the door came again, and it slid open.“Mrs.Lermontov, are you awake?”
“Barely,” Edwina said.
“Take a quick shower, and I’ll have coffee and breakfast ready for you in the cabin.”
“Thank you.”Edwina waited until the blonde woman retreated before sliding from the bed.Mikhail’s scent surrounded her still, and she frowned now that she was marginally more awake.They’d made love—no, had sex to mingle their scents.It had been fantastic.Incredible.And if she were honest, she wanted a repeat.Sharing his bed would not be a hardship.Their age difference leaned toward the positive since his experience had made the event enjoyable.
Edwina stood, her muscles tender.She tottered toward the shower because his scent surrounding her made her uneasy and yet satisfied.How the two emotions existed together, she didn’t know, but they were battling for supremacy.
She’d bitten him.
The memory thumped her over her head, and she froze while turning on the shower.
She’d bitten him.
Claimed him.
Oh, gods.This was a disaster.What she’d done… She couldn’t take back.She’d marked him, and he hadn’t mentioned her actions.Perhaps tigers differed from leopards, and they didn’t bite their mates.Edwina slid under the warm water with a resigned sigh.
This was bad.
Terrible because it meant she had a permanent connection to him.Finishing their relationship at the end of the year wouldn’t work now.The mark.
Tears stung her eyes.She’d made another misstep in a line of many, but this one was a doozy.No takebacks.Only death could break this bond with him.
Aware of the ticking clock, she hurried through her shower, using the unperfumed shower gel to cleanse herself.She scrubbed her skin hard, trying to remove his scent.Her feline half wasn’t happy about this, but anger threaded through Edwina.She’d let her feline persuade her when all she’d craved was the freedom to follow her dreams.Edwina had refused to go from her parents’ home directly to that of a husband.She’d wanted to live.Experience life.Make mistakes and achieve her goals.The last thing she wanted was to step into another cage, another set of rules.Protected and cosseted—what sort of life was that?
ShockfollowedMikhail’sswiftsteps from the bedroom.He’d showered and changed into casual clothes before leaving Edwina to sleep.Luckily, his shirt had a high collar to hide Edwina’s mark.His tiger released a throaty chuff of approval.The young woman was their mate.The information changed everything, and he’d need to alter his plans.Time to ponder that later.
He entered the cabin and took a seat with his friends.
Ivan lifted his gaze from a tablet.“Job done?”
Mikhail didn’t trust himself to speak and merely nodded.What he’d thought to be one of the many steps to success had become more enjoyable than he’d envisioned.The sexual rapport between the two of them was a welcome surprise.
“Was it that bad?”Gregory held a coffee mug in his large hands.His chunky gold ring glinted and clinked faintly against the white china.
“No.”
“Was she a sweet virgin?”Ivan asked, wriggling his bushy black eyebrows, his blue eyes bright with amusement at Mikhail’s expense.
“I’m not discussing this,” Mikhail said.
In the past, he’d been open regarding his sexual exploits.With his two friends, at least.The reporters exaggerated most of what appeared in the gossip pages.His mind drifted, and the bedroom incident came to mind.The instant she’d bitten him, he’d wanted to return the favor, every instinct screaming to claim her the same way.As it was, he’d had to fight his urges, barely controlling himself.If he marked her, he wouldn’t have autonomy and the ability to continue his plans.His grandfather wanted him to marry the Ivanov girl.He’d taken care of that problem, but now Edwina had introduced a new set of difficulties to navigate.
“Was it worse than bad?”Gregory asked, a teasing note in his voice.“So awful that you shudder to remember the act, and the idea of repeating the sex is abhorrent?”
Mikhail released a curse and closed his eyes.His friends wouldn’t let this go.Maybe he should tell them the truth.He inhaled, the breath steadying him since it hinted at her sweetness.He raised his hand and swept his collar aside, his thumb rubbing across the raised mark she’d left.Sensual awareness flooded him, every cell in his body throbbing.
Ivan noticed the mark first, understanding what it meant.He whistled, even as he leaned forward for a better look.“She marked you.”
