Last night washer first kiss.Her.First.Kiss.
So she’s not evencloseto ready for the torrent of aggression and lust I would unleash on her if I don’t hold myself in check.
I gotta get a hold of myself.“So…let me show you around the house.”
“I’d love that,” Maisy murmurs.
The mansion design is a faux-Classical style with Corinthian columns and balanced proportions.It’s a little less gaudy than the surrounding homes because of the little details like the imported marble floors and mosaic tile around the pool.Even the landscaping is tasteful, designed for privacy.
“This place is amazing,” Maisy says.
We’re both not looking at each other, but all I want to do is look at her.
“A friend of mine owns it.”Lucius, the vampire king of Tucson, isn’t friends with many people, but he made an exception for me since I’ve treated his mate.
Lucius’s soulmate, Selene, is a creature that defies legend.Lucius reached out to me and asked me to perform some discreet medical tests to make sure she’s healthy.The shifter community has a deficit when it comes to doctors up to speed on the latest medical modalities and an even smaller amount doing the type of research I am.I obliged and pronounced her the healthiest person on the planet.And that’s saying something because Lucius is immortal.
Since then, Lucius has become a benefactor of sorts.His funding of my research allowed me to pay off all my student loans and sock away the savings that I used this morning to buy Maisy the ring and necklace.
Our partnership has borne a lot of fruit.Lucius gave me permission to run experiments on his blood, experiments that led to me developing the healing serum I developed for my mom’s condition and used on Maisy last night.He’s my main donor, so he’s more than repaid the favor for private medical care.And now he’s provided us with a safe house.I’ll have to send him and Selene a thank you gift.
I extend my hand to Maisy.“Shall we, wife?”I don’t get to call her mate, but my dick gets hard every time I call her that.Even if it’s only temporary.
“Okay, husband,” she giggles.
It’s a game to her.A joke.That’s good.I can’t tell her the truth about what she means to me.About all the dirty, devious things I want to do to her.
Maisy
He’s holding my hand, his large fingers wrapped around mine like a protective bear daddy.Except I want him to transition from daddy-bear to bear lover.I want him to kiss me the way he did last night.Like he wanted to consume me.Like I was his reason to live.Not that I mind the daddy-bear energy.
I find any man who’s older and highly competent hot.
At least that’s what I told myself when I started lusting after Matthias as a teenager.I was fifteen when I went through puberty–a late bloomer.Still am, I guess, considering I just had my first date and kiss at age twenty-two.Who knew it would also come the same week I got married?
The Universe works in mysterious ways, I guess.
“Wait,” he says.“We’re forgetting something.”Still holding my hand, he leads me to a small building next to the infinity pool.
The tile work in the pool area is incredible.The colorful mosaic reminds me of an ancient Roman bathhouse, but it’s blue and green and shimmery like a mermaid’s tail.
Matthias goes to a cabinet beside the bar and opens it to reveal a hundred different types of sunscreen.
“Wow, this place is well-stocked.”
“Lucius is old-fashioned.It’s important to him to be a good host.”He pulls out a bottle of sunscreen and squirts a bunch in his hand.“Lube up, beautiful.”
I bite my tongue.Don’t make a dirty joke.“Right.Sunscreen is important.”
Matthias starts rubbing the lotion onto his muscled chest, and it’s like porn.All I can do is stand and stare.
Don’t think about that…think about something else.Something not sexy.
“Skin cancer,” I blurt.
Matthias quirks a brow at me.
“It’s bad,” I say because apparently being around my new husband makes me lose brain cells.I draw in a breath and exhale.“That’s why we wear sunscreen.”I focus on applying sunscreen all over.
