Kara pressed her forehead to his chest as she groaned. “If they get better than that, we’re introuble.”
Nick laughed as his fingers ran through her hair, and he kissed her head gently. “We’re already in trouble,jailbait.”
* * *
Stella couldn’t takeher eyes off him. He was beautiful, in a very masculine way. She could tell in the way he carried himself that he was incredibly confident. This was a man who took charge but didn’t have to raise his voice to do so. His pack members probably fell all over themselves to do his bidding. There was something alluring and invitingabouthim.
“You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined you would be,” Ciro said as he took the chair across from where she sat on one of theemptybeds.
The other girls had gone with their mates, and Stella was left alone with Ciro. His comment should have sounded cheesy, but he said it with complete sincerity, and she had no choice but tobelievehim.
“This must be very overwhelming for you,Stellina.”
His voice was mesmerizing and the accent of his Italian ancestry more than a littledistracting.
“Stella isn’t short for anything.” That was her brilliantresponse.
He smiled, and her breath caught. That smile should be illegal. She didn’t know a woman on earth that wouldn’t beg him to bestow itonher.
“Stellina means star in my language. Stella is another form of the word, but it also translates to star. It seems fitting you would be a star, drawing me into your light when I have been in darkness for such a long time. You shine, not to overpower, but to help others findtheirway.”
“If any other guy said something like that I would laugh,” she said truthfully. “But you reallymeanit.”
“Ido.”
Her stomach tightened as she let herself consider a future with the man in front of her. Could she let go of everything that has happened to her? Would she be able to let him touch her, kiss her, and—she shuddered—bite her? Could she let him thatclose?
“Tesoro mio, we will move at your pace. I’m not asking for anything more than what we are doing right now. Just talk to me. Spend time with me. No touching, no kissing, and nobiting.”
“Won’t that be hard for you? Doesn’t your wolf demand that you claim your mate, that you claim me?” sheasked.
“Does he want to claim you? Yes, very much, as do I. Am I, or my wolf, so barbaric that we would do something our mate isn’t ready for? Never. I could never force you to do something that would hurt you, terrify you, or drive you away from me. I’ve waited a very, very long time for you. I am patient. I can wait for as long as you needmeto.”
“What if it’s months or even years until I’m ready for that kind ofintimacy?”
Ciro dug deepfor the patience that he just spoke of. Years would be difficult, but for her he would do it. “I will wait as long as you need me to,” he repeated slowly. “You have no idea how long I have waited for you. Is it difficult to hold back, knowing you are now so close to me? Of course, but I’ve waited centuries. A few more years won’tkillme.”
She stared at him, her gaze holding his without embarrassment. She seemed to be weighing his words and looking for any sign that he wasn’t telling her the truth. But she found nodeceit.
“Look into my mind, Stellina. Feel what I feel.” He continued to stare at her as he switched forms of communications.“I have no secrets from you. Search my mind, and you will know that what I sayistrue.”
Ciro could feel her presence in his mind. It was intimate and precious. He let himself be an open book, letting her feel him. He didn’t want to scare her with his emotions, but he wanted her tounderstand.
Her mouth dropped open slightly as her eyes widened. “You feel all that for me? When you don’t evenknowme?”
“I feel all of that for you,Cara mio, because you are my true mate. You were created specifically for me, and I was created for you. Caring for you, loving you, protecting you, adoring you, all of it comes as natural as breathing to me. For you and you alone.” He wouldn’t lie to himself, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to run his fingers across her cheek and feel the skin that looked as soft as silk. He would wait and he knew it would be worththewait.
Stella released a deep breath. “That’s intense.” She paused and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m just going to need some time to process this. Being told about the strength of emotions is one thing, experiencing it is entirelydifferent.”
He inclined his head. “I understand. Please know you can ask and tell me anything, Stellina. If you don’t understand something, or I do something that you don’t like, all you have to do istellme.”
“Fair enough,” she said. “I think I should tell you that I’d like you not to go sifting through my thoughts. There are things in my past that I may eventually tell you about, but I don’t think now is the time to dump all of that out on thetable.”
Ciro pulled himself from her mind, wanting to give her the privacy she needed, but not before he saw a glimpse of what he knew she wanted to hide. He forced himself not to react, though all of his natural instincts were screaming at him to hunt down those who had hurt his mate. But she wasn’t ready to share that part of herself with him, and he would respect that, no matter how much his wolfdisagreed.
“When you’re ready to share that part of yourself with me,” he said, his voice deeper than he intended, “please know that you will never again have to bear the burden of your past alone. I will bear it with you. And if there is anything or anyone that needs to be dealt with, I will deal with itforyou.”
“Ciro.” She breathed his name out as she stared into his eyes. “Are you saying you would killforme?”
