“I don’t have bubbles.”
“Then I expect an apology for not having bubbles.”
I huff out a laugh and head to the bathroom.
The tub is deep and old, claw-footed and big enough for two. I turn on the water and wait for it to heat up, then add some of the oil my mother gave me last winter. It’s not bubbles, but it will make the water soft and fragrant.
When I return to the bedroom, Imani is dozing against the pillows, her eyes half-closed. I scoop her up carefully and carry her to the bathroom, lowering her into the warm water.
She moans as the heat envelops her, her whole body relaxing.
“Oh, that’s good.” She sinks deeper, the water lapping at her shoulders. “That’s really good.”
I kneel beside the tub, watching her. She looks peaceful now, the tension gone from her face, the worry smoothed away.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I say quietly.
She opens her eyes and looks at me. “I know.”
“I was scared. Scared you’d think I was trying to trap you. Scared you’d feel like you didn’t have a choice.”
“Tolin.” She reaches out and cups my face with a wet hand, water dripping down my jaw. “I did have a choice. You gave me one. You could have told me the first night, could have used the bond to keep me here. But you didn’t. You let me decide.”
“I needed you to want me.”
“I do want you.” She smiles, soft and sweet. “I chose you, Tolin. Before I knew about any of this. I chose the grumpy bear who makes terrible eggs and won’t let me clean his cabin and carries my car through a blizzard to get it fixed.”
I turn my head and press a kiss to her palm.
“Now stop moping and get in here with me,” she says. “This tub is big enough for two and my muscles hurt.”
I don’t need to be told twice.
I strip off my pants and climb in behind her, settling her between my thighs and drawing her close. The water sloshes over the edge but neither of us cares.
I pick up a cloth and start washing her gently, running it over her shoulders, down her arms, across the soft swell of her belly. She sighs and leans back into me, her head resting against my shoulder.
“This is nice,” she murmurs.
“It is.”
“I could get used to this.”
“Good.” I press a kiss to her temple. “Because you’re going to have to.”
She laughs, the sound bouncing off the bathroom walls, and my bear settles completely.
Our mate is happy. Our mate is here. Our mate is ours.
19
IMANI
Sunlight warms my face and I stretch against the sheets, my body aching in ways that make me smile. Tolin’s arm is heavy across my waist, his breath slow and even against my shoulder, and I don’t want to move. Don’t want to break this perfect bubble we’ve been living in for the past two days.
Two days since he claimed me. Two days since I woke up with heightened senses and a permanent mark on my neck. Two days of learning every inch of each other, of tangled sheets and whispered confessions and his hands on my body like he can’t get enough.
I’m not complaining.
