She dragged him from his pouting when she stood up. He reached for her, but she held up her finger. “I need to see if I have a brush. My hair will get tangled if I sleep with itlikethis.”
She turned her back to him but had only taken two steps when Gustavo moved. His canines lengthened as he stared at her flesh. He wrapped his hands around her biceps and held herstill.
“Gustavo? What’swrong?”
When Anna had stood up from his lap, her shirt had risen up, revealing only her lower back, but it was enough for him to see. “Your markings, the ones that match my own. They’re onyourback.”
“Seriously?” Her voice was nearly a squeak. “Let me see.” She pulled from his hold and walked over to her dresser where a mirror was hung above it. Anna turned so her back was facing the mirror and looked over her shoulder. Reaching back, she pulled the shirt up as far as she could. Her eyes widened. “Wow, they’rebeautiful.”
Gustavo’s hand shook as he reached out to touch them but then stopped just before he would make contact with her flesh. “MayI?”
Anna met his eyes in the mirror. “Ofcourse.”
She took his breath away. She said it as if he didn’t have to ask totouchher.
“Gustavo, you don’t have to ask,” she said as she picked up on his thoughts. “If I’m not comfortable with something, I willtellyou.”
When he started to kneel down, shestoppedhim.
“I want to seeyourface.”
“Què?”
“While you look at it, I want to see your face,” sheclarified.
“For you, my Anna, anything.” He remained standing as he raised her shirt up and up. He paused when it reached the strap of her bra. The rest of the mark was still covered. To his surprise, Anna slipped her arms out of the shirt but kept it around her neck and pulled down in front. It didn’t matter what else might have been showing because the only thing he had eyes for were the beautiful markings that started on her lower left back. He’d had to tug the waist band of her skirt down a little to see where it started. Gustavo traced the black lines diagonally up her back to her right shoulder. She shivered, but he knew it wasn’t because shewascold.
Taking her at her word, he leaned down and kissed her shoulder without asking for permission. Her skin was silk against his mouth as he continued to kiss her. He paused and looked up at the mirror to see if she was okay. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was open slightly. He looked back down at her back and continued to kiss the markings while tracing it with hisfingers.
When he reached her hip, he gently nipped her, causing her to gasp. He liked thatsound.
“You look quite proud of yourself,” she said as he stoodbackup.
“I like makingyougasp.”
“At least you’rehonest.”
She started to move her shirt so she could slip her arms back in the sleeves. Hesighed.
“What?”
“I like seeing the markings,” he told her honestly. “It pleases mywolf,too.”
“I’ll remember that,” she said cryptically. “Feeling a littlebetter?”
He nodded. “Thank you, Criña. That was a gift, and I am honored you trusted me to touch you, kiss you, andloveyou.”
She turned to look up at him. “Youloveme?”
“Very much. But I do not expect you to reciprocate. I understand this is different for you. I can wait to hear the words.” He motioned to the bed. “Youneedrest.”
Once she was in the bed, he slipped in beside her and wrapped an arm around her. Her face was pressed to his chest, and his hand was on her back. He couldn’t help himself as he slipped his hand under her shirt and ran his fingers over the markings. He couldn’t see them, but he knew where there were. The image of them was forever burned inhismind.
“That feels good. It’s making me sleepy,” she said withayawn.
“Sleep,míamõr.”
She yawned again. “Bossy.”
