But none of those presumptions prepared me for the kind of lover he was, a beast in bed and I loved every second of it.
I rolled to the side, well aware that I was in his bed. His scent, musky and oaky, surrounded me. Branded inside my nose and pressed against my skin. I let out a groan for a few reasons. One, I was sore. After we’d made love for the first time, I’d reached for him twice more in the night, not nearly sated.
Second, my ass cheeks felt a bit raw. I’d never let anyone spank me before, but Sothea showed me how much it turned me on. Especially since it was him doing the spanking.
“What was that for?” His voice was even gruffer in the morning. I hadn’t meant to wake him up. When I opened my eyes, his gaze was on me.
He was already awake.
“Were you watching me?” I could be playful with him. He made me laugh.
“Who, me? No. That would be creepy, and sometimes you wiggle your nose when you sleep.”
I snorted. “How can you see me in the dark? You couldn’t possibly.”
He paled. “I have very good eyesight, I’ll have you know. Now, answer the question, omega. What was that groan for? Was I too rough with you last night?”
I shook my head. No way would I want him to change how he was with me —how we were together. “No. You were perfect. All three times.”
That growling noise was back. He slid his hand down my face, neck, and let it rest over the tattoo on my chest. He’d had these moments, several times. He looked at me with such adoration. If I let my thoughts wander, I could hope he was in love with me. No way I was going to tell him first, but the love was there, embedded in my heart. “I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you.” A smile bloomed on his face. “Any more than you wanted.”
“Let’s plan on not hurting each other, then.”
He laughed. “That sounds like an excellent plan. How about a warm shower and then some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“As long as there’s coffee, I’m in.”
“There is always coffee downstairs.”
We showered together, washing one another and kissing until the hot water ran out. Even without sex, it was the most intimate experience. Quiet. Shared eye contact. We’d shared a thousand words without one spoken aloud. Somehow. I didn’t understand it, but maybe I didn’t need to. Sometimes, it was better to just go along for ride and enjoy.
Even brushing my teeth next to him felt like something we’d done for decades.
“Sweet or savory,” he asked, pulling on some sweatpants minus any underwear. I did the same.
“Both? I’m a big breakfast person. But we don’t have to cook. We can order in.”
He furrowed his brow as though I’d suggested bungee jumping. “I’d rather cook for you. It would make me happy.”
I looked at his shoulder. The bite wasn’t red or angry as it was last night. I still couldn’t believe I’d done that. “I’m so sorry,” I said, closing the distance between us and running my finger over the bite. “Maybe we should get it looked at. See if the doctor can prevent it from scarring.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said, low and growly. “And no apologies.” He put his hand over my tattoo. “You have my mark, and I have yours. I love it.”
I felt like he was talking about something deeper than a tattoo and a bite mark, but I didn’t know why. I was reading into every word he said.
I nodded and yawned. “I really need coffee.”
He chuckled loudly and took my hand. “The omega needs coffee. What kind of alpha doesn’t have coffee ready in the morning?”
“The kind that was tired from a fantastic night in the sack. I’ll go downstairs and get you a cup.”
“There’s none up here?”
“I’ll make it.” Sothea didn’t let me help at all. He reached for my waist and propped me up on the counter where he served me coffee and bites of breakfast while he cooked. In about a half hour, he had a big griddle filled with all kinds of things. Pancakes, hash-brown patties, sausage, ham slices, and cheesy omelets. It was the sight breakfast dreams were made of. He had also popped some ready-made cinnamon rolls and croissants in the oven to warm.
Sothea was apparently perfect at everything.
He set up the table and put out all kinds of jams and honey then turned to me. “It’s all ready. Need help getting down?”
