“I have nothing to give you in return.”
Tak cradled my neck in his hands, his eyes piercing my soul. For a moment, our spirit wolves danced in the depths of our gaze. “You’ve already given me what no other woman has.”
“What’s that?”
“Compassion.”
Chapter 15
Tak stripped me out of my shirt and bra before he could bring a blush to my cheeks. He worshipped me with his mouth, drawing in my taut nipple and circling his tongue until I moaned. Tak made me feel like a goddess, as if my curves and imperfections were everything he craved.
I needed to be with this wolf. He awakened a hunger in me that made my heat spells pale in comparison.
When he reached for the lamp, I captured his wrist. “I don’t want to be in the dark. I’ve only ever known the darkness. I want to be in the light. I want to see you.”
His breath was hot against my skin as he circled his tongue around my other nipple, his hands unfastening my pants and tugging them free.
Tak pulled me to my feet and then peeled back the comforter. His eyes were ravenous, like a man who hadn’t eaten a meal in forty days. “Get in.”
Those two words sent a lick of desire through my body, his alpha power pulsing against my skin like a heartbeat. I crawled beneath the covers to the center of the bed while he leisurely stripped out of his pants. Tak struck me as a wolf who took what he wanted, when he wanted, so I couldn’t figure out why I was beneath the covers instead of beneath him.
Despite the torment of waiting, I liked the way he took his time undressing, his smoky eyes trained on me. It gave me a chance to admire his impressive physique—his bronzed body; broad chest; strong legs; and the scars that peppered his knee, shoulder, and torso. Battle scars were common among males, but some of these looked older. I wanted to trace my fingers over each one and learn their stories—offer him the understanding that other women hadn’t.
I averted my eyes when he faced me, his impressive erection aimed like an arrow seeking its target.
He eased between the sheets to my right, resting his face on the pillow so our noses touched. “You can look at it if you want.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ve seen plenty.”
He chuckled, his eyes like crescent moons as he smiled. “There’s a difference between seeing packmates naked after a shift and seeing a man who’s hard for you. I’m hard for you, and I want you to touch me.”
This had always been my worst fear—being with an alpha who would consider me too inexperienced for his needs.
He guided my hand down to his shaft. “Like this.”
I’d never touched a man. My previous lover liked me on all fours, and that was as far as we’d ever gotten. Curious, I peered down for a closer look. Tak’s wasn’t pink and curved like the man I’d slept with years ago. It was thick and enormous up close. I let go, suddenly ashamed for putting him on the spot like that.
Tak caressed my cheek. “I don’t think I’ve ever made a woman blush before.”
“Not even your mate?”
A rueful look flickered in his eyes as he brushed my hair away from my shoulder. “We were never intimate. She was twenty but hadn’t gone through her first change yet. It’s not right to take a woman until she’s one with her animal.”
It struck me how respectful Tak was to have honored that tradition. While he’d loved her, she still wasn’t an adult in his eyes.
“Mood killer,” he muttered.
“Not at all. She was an important part of your life. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t care.” I stroked his cheek, the inked side buried against the pillow. He looked so normal this way, and it bothered me for some reason. “Can we switch sides?”
His eyebrows gathered in a frown. “Why?”
“You’re always hiding your face from me. Why do you do that?”
“Because you didn’t know the story behind it. Now that you do, it’s ugly in a different way. Anyhow, it’s not exactly my best asset,” he said, humor edging his voice. “Would you like to see whatthatis again?”
When he started to lift the sheet, I playfully slapped his hand. “Switch sides with me.”
Tak didn’t hop over to the other side; he took his time sliding over me. Our naked bodies brushed together sensually, and I sucked in a sharp breath. My breasts rubbed against his thick chest as he gazed down at me with invitation swimming in his eyes. Tak finally nestled beside me, his unmarred cheek against the pillow.
