“Nevermind,” she chuckled.Her final piece of clothing finally dropped, revealing every inch of her glorious body.
I sat up as she moved toward me, the glow from the coals in the brazier casting tantalizing shadows over her skin.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured.She stepped between my legs, her breasts at the perfect level for my mouth.I settled my hands on her ribs, rubbing my thumbs over her smooth skin as I leaned forward and planted a kiss on one of her small nipples.
Taz let out a purr of approval and I smiled at the feminine sound.Sometimes she was as prickly as one of the strange needle covered plants on this planet, and sometimes she was as soft as the finest pelt.I craved her no matter her mood, and I hoped eventually she’d trust me enough to shed those needles more often.
Her hands came up and she stroked her fingers over my scalp.I closed my eyes at the sensation, wishing circumstances had allowed us to disappear together as soon as I’d gentled her.Our first mating had been glorious, powerful, but rushed.
I’d planned to take my time pleasing her, make the moment last for hours and spend several days reveling in the newfound intimacy.But spotting the syto ship had taken that from us, and now I wanted to make up for it.
Pressing my face between her breasts, I took a deep breath, soaking in her touch and feeling a weight of tension falling off my shoulders.It was a male’s place to protect his female, guard her body, and tend to her spirit, but in this moment I felt strangely safe, as well.
Her palms smoothed down the back of my neck, her gentle touch sending comforting tingles over my skin and I swore the last decade of suffering and enslavement faded away like it had never happened.If I’d known Taz was waiting for me at the end of everything I’d endured, I would have volunteered for it a dozen times over.
“You okay?”she asked.
I looked up at her, taking in the worried crease in her brow and the flush on her cheeks.
“I love you, Taz.”The words came easily.A sentiment I’d never felt for anyone before.This female was perfect for me in so many ways, and I looked forward to our future together in a way I couldn’t explain.
“What?”She stiffened, and I swore I felt her heart stutter under my hands.
“I love you, little Firebrand.”Saying it again only made me more sure of my feelings.I knew she might not feel the same so soon, but I was content to wait until she did.
“No, you don’t,” she said, leaning back.I tightened my hold on her waist, keeping her from retreating.
“Yes,” I countered, my heart sinking as a flash of fear crossed her face.“I know my own mind, mate.I don’t need the words from you, but I do love you.”
She pulled her hands back, as if repulsed by my touch.
“You barely know me, Dargo.Maybe you like me, I know you’re attracted to me.But whatever you’re feeling, it’s not love.Not yet.”
I forced my face not to betray the frustration I felt at her denial.I’d known Taz was guarded.That fact was clear as day, every time we reached a new level of intimacy she retreated from me.Her natural reaction was to snap and snarl at me, often I enjoyed her sarcasm and baiting.
But that didn’t mean I was willing to lie to either of us about how I felt.
“What do you think love is, Taz?”I demanded.“What do I have to do to prove my dedication to you?”
She covered her breasts with her arms and stepped away from me.I let my hands drop, not willing to keep her trapped when she was so eager to put space between us.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking everywhere but my face.“I don’t even know if I believe in love.But I know for sure you can’t love somebody this fast.”
I rubbed my forehead as I tried to force my brain to come up with an argument she’d accept.
“I enjoy your company, I enjoy your temper.I love the way you fight me, I love the way you protect your friends.I even love your foolish lack of fear, even if it terrifies me that you refuse to back down from fights you can’t possibly win.I’m willing to die to keep you safe.I want you in my bed until one of us dies.”The more I talked, the more frustrated I became.
It was one thing for Taz to shy away from her feelings, but to have her deny mine was a step too far.I’d never expected to feel this way about anyone, and having my mate throw my feelings back at me, like the thought of my love repulsed her, hurt.
“Tell me, Taz.What is the sum of that, if not love?”
She glared at me, chest heaving as her face turned a dull shade of red.
“It’s not love,” she ground out.“It’s not.I don’t know what to call it.But I can’t believe you really feel all that for me.Not this soon.”
I scraped a hand over my hair, needing the painful tug of my fingers through my mane to center myself.I’d fought to the death more times than I could count, I’d killed percers bare handed, but I couldn’t conquer Taz’s stubbornness.I didn’t understand her near-violent refusal to believe me.I wasn’t asking anything of her, if anything, I was offering her my heart, freely and without any expectation of her doing the same.
“Then when?In a month, in a year?When am I allowed to feel those things for you?Will you ever accept it, or will you always deny the truth?”I knew the moment the words left my mouth I’d misstepped.
