Breathless, I touched his cheek. “Why not let me pleasure you?”
Tak dropped his head on my shoulder, his breathing just as heavy as mine. “I like the feeling of wanting you.”
“Then have me. My pleasure shouldn’t be your punishment.”
Tak chuckled. “We’re gonna have a great sex life.” He perked his head up and waggled his brows. “Not many couples can say that, you know. They fall in love, but they struggle to know each other in bed. Tomorrow you can sit astride me and face the other way. I want to try that.”
I thought about the complicated position. “Wouldn’t you rather have me on my hands and knees?”
After all, that was the most desirous position for male Shifters.
He pursed his lips. “I want to do things with you that I’ve never tried. My hands on your backside as you rock those luscious hips at your own sweet rhythm, the look you throw me over your shoulder as I beg you to go faster. The best of both worlds.”
“Then why wait?”
Tak kissed my nose. “Today is about you.”
I furrowed my brow when he closed my shirt and fastened two buttons. The man possessed more restraint than I’d ever understand. With flushed cheeks, he sat back and put my panties and shorts back on. I didn’t usually wear such revealing clothes, but Tak brought out the woman in me. He made it clear he loved every curve on my body, and seeing the way he kept looking at my thighs made me appreciate why differences mattered.
After I sat up, Tak put a bottle of cold tea in my hand.
I pressed the glass against my neck and sighed. “So which tree are you pinning me against?”
He winked. “That comes after.”
“After what?”
“You ask too many questions.”
Still breathless and post-orgasm, I soaked in the beautiful morning.
Tak cleaned up with a napkin and then pulled out plastic bags filled with cheese, summer sausage, and fruit. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
I gulped down my tea and screwed the cap back on. “I went to see Dutch last night.”
He ate a handful of cheese cubes and gave me a pensive stare. “What for?”
“Because I owe him my gratitude. He blinded that bear and risked his life to help someone who’d insulted his integrity. He’s hurt, Tak. I didn’t see all the scars, but he’s hurt bad.”
“I didn’t think he’d survive. I guess the fates aren’t done with him.”
After eating a few grapes, I tossed the stem in the grass. “He made me promise not to tell anyone about his scars or what happened. I want you to do the same. I already talked to Mel, and she gave me her word.”
Tak nodded. “Needn’t ask me twice.”
“I can’t help but feel responsible.”
He bent his knee and gulped down half his drink. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set the bottle against the basket. “You had nothing to do with it. Men have to stand by their decisions, and what kind of man would he be had he done nothing? Warriors don’t let fear hold them back.”
“Dutch said he doesn’t blame me, but he’s bitter about what happened. I don’t think he has anyone to look after him. He hired someone to run the store, and I have a feeling he’s never going back.”
Tak touched his bottom lip, his eyes pensive. “Promise me you won’t go see him again.”
I frowned. “Why?”
He gazed at something in the distance. “A reclusive man with anger in his heart becomes filled with his own poison. His heart grows bitter. You don’t know this man well enough to save him from that dark place. If he ever had feelings for you, he wouldn’t want to see you again. Especially now that I’ve got claim on you.”
I stood up and strode off. I knew Tak was right, but it still felt like I wasn’t doing enough. Dutch needed a miracle to bring him back, and I didn’t have the power to be that miracle.
