I jutted my elbow toward my room.
“Much as I like — er,lovethis — we should get moving before Bene shows up with more asparagus jokes.”
“Screw Bene,” Roux grumbled, kissing my neck.
I chuckled. “I’d rather screw you. Soon.”
When he scraped his teeth over my skin, I nearly yowled. Suddenly, sex in the semi-public place didn’t seem like an issue.
But Roux pulled away and slowly lowered me. I grabbed his hand and raced toward my door. We burst through and slammed it behind us.
The lower story of the east wing was its own little apartment of four big rooms, arranged in a square. An old couch and a coffee table stood by the fireplace in the first room. My queen bed took up a fraction of the second room, facing the windows and kitty-corner to another fireplace. Mina’s apartment above mirrored mine, though her bedroom faced the back while mine faced the front. A good thing, because sound carried, even with walls as thick as these.
Usually, that helped reduce the noise I was subjected to from upstairs. Tonight, it was likely to be the other way around.
I stopped, pushing back Roux’s jacket, then tossing it on the couch. He threw mine on top of it, and more layers quickly followed.
It was cold as hell, and I quickly led him to my bedroom.
“Should I light a fire?”
His eyes glowed as he shook his head. “Later. Right now…”
He trailed off, running his hands over my body. Kissing muffled my squeaks of pleasure, but when we finally rid ourselves of our last layers and slid into bed—
“Oh!” I gripped the carved posts of the headboard as Roux kissed his way down to my core.
I’d left on a lamp in the living room, and a slice of dim light spilled into the bedroom. Just enough to make out a comical hump under the blankets. Well, it mightappearcomical. Thesensations were heavenly, and my cries rose in pitch. Roux wrapped his arms around my thighs, drawing me to his mouth. It was raw. Greedy. And so, so satisfying.
No more sneaking off secretly. No more keeping quiet. This man was mine, and I was his.
And boy, did I let the world know it when he brought me to the first shattering orgasm of the night.
“Shh.” He chuckled, climbing back up my body as I lay panting in the sheets.
“You want Bene to joke about asparagus all week?” I scolded.
“Pretty sure we’ve eliminated that possibility.”
A lock of hair fell over his eyes, giving him a roguish look. Nice to see my straitlaced military guy loosen up for a change.
I grinned up at him, trying very, very hard not to crack more asparagus jokes.
Don’t you dare,he grumbled.
I changed tack, patting the mattress. “What do you think? Comfortable enough?”
“Didn’t really notice. But, yes.” He ran a hand over it. “Seems pretty comfortable.”
I cupped his cheek, growing serious. “Comfortable enough for you to use for a long, long time?”
Sparkles flashed in his amber eyes. “Are you asking me to commit to a mattress?”
I play-smacked him. “I’m asking you to stay. With me. For…” My tongue tangled there.Forevercrossed my mind, but I didn’t want to scare him off. “For a while, at least.”
He shook his head. “Not for a while. Forever. Tigers knowforeverwhen they find it.” He took a breath, then went on. “Geneviève, you could live in a shack and sleep on the floor, and I would be there with you.”
He paused, searching my eyes. Half afraid, I sensed, that I might say no.
