“Your side of the bed?” she spluttered. “What makes you think we’ll share a bed either.”
This time I laughed, hauling her even higher and closer. “You're insane if you think we're not sleeping in the same bed. You're with me from now on."
I would protect her with everything I had. Even from myself.
26
Justice Winter
He was naked. Gloriously, decadently, hugely—like what the hell could I do with those extra inches—naked. I'd seen a lot of naked men in my life, and some were okay, some were nice, some were disgusting. But Jacob … he was clearly no ordinary man.
If I could have sketched his beauty, I would be a millionaire. Women the world around would flock to see what he had going on.
And I'd just taken sex off the table.
What was wrong with me?
With a sigh, I directed him to my room, using the most deserted path I knew. It was odd to be carried like this, and while I thought I would hate it, I was rather enjoying this brief moment of surrendering my independence and allowing someone else to shoulder it.
"I won't make you choose," he said to me. "We can work out a way to have both, even if it's only that we never fully consummate this relationship so the true mate bond doesn’t permanently settle."
I jerked my head up, almost cracking him in the chin. "You don't want to consummate with me?" An archaic term that sounded weird on my tongue, it did fit with the way true mateships were borne here in the jeweled lands.
Jacob stopped walking. "There's nothing I want more than to touch you, run my tongue over your center again.”
My heart beat faster.
His lips were close to mine now. “I want to hear you scream my name as I bury my cock so far inside of you that you'll never remember another man has touched you before me."
Whoa. Hot and possessive.
And I was totally not complaining about that.
He started walking, and I tried to shake off my shock and arousal.
"You deserve to be courted," Jacob continued, huskily, like he hadn't just almost burned my freaking panties off. "I won't rush the sex stuff—"
I snorted, cutting him off. Memories of the way he'd made me come in the hall were flashing across my mind. His grin was slow and delicious. "Any more than I already have."
"And you'd really be okay with never having sex with me?"
His reply was dead serious. "If sex meant that I would lose you, then fuck, it would be dead to me. No consideration required. Plenty of other ways we can love each other."
There he went again. Panty-melting bastard.
"You don't have to worry about it, Jake," I told him honestly. "Wewillbe having sex. Wewillbe cementing the true mate bond. I refuse to believe that I could be gifted a mate only to have a huge part of my life reject that fey. It can't work like that. I won't give you up to be a princess." My face screwed up at the very thought. "Fuck, I don't even want to be aprincess."
Maybe not the complete truth, but enough that I wouldn’t be too sad if it was gone.
When we stepped into my room, I gestured for him to put me down near my bed. "I grew up with a plastic bag full of hand-me-down clothing. What do I know about this life?"
He turned me to face him and I kept my eyes firmly on his face. If I looked any lower, thattaking it slowthing would be off the table. "You’re exactly the princess a kingdom needs," he said. "Loyal, smart, down to earth, caring, and most importantly, you don't value yourself above your people. It's the perfect makings of a royal … but, as always, it's your choice."
He was right. It was my choice, and tonight I didn't have to decide anything.
Shaking my head, I focused on Jacob. "Why don't you jump in the shower and I'll rustle up some clothing for you." I really needed his perfect naked ass to get covered.
Jacob grinned like he knew what I was thinking. Maybe he did … the bond seemed to be strengthening even without the sex. I certainly felt his energy stronger than I had when we were on Earth.
