A breath hisses between Griffin’s teeth. “Cat…”
My eyes sweep up, and Griffin’s molten gaze collides with mine. I arch my back, lifting up on my knees and slowly sliding along his thick, hard length. Heat spreads through me like sunshine on a summer day. His lips part, and he seems to stop breathing, his dazed reaction ratcheting up my need. I don’t want anything between us.
Griffin blinks, then his fingers tighten on my hips. In a low rasp, he asks, “How should we celebrate?”
I lean forward and kiss him hungrily, sliding my tongue along his full bottom lip. “How about we find a holy man and take some vows,” I whisper against his mouth.
Griffin makes a rough, masculine sound that scorches me to my toes. I’m on my back in two seconds flat, and we never make it to the baths.
“Happy birthday.” Griffin brushes a warm kiss across my temple. “What kind of ceremony do you want?”
It takes a moment to process what Griffin is talking about. Our wedding.
I’ve only just opened my eyes and found myself in my favorite place—sprawled half on top of him, my arm across his broad chest, my legs tangled up with his. Crisp hair tickles my thighs and calves. My breasts are pressed against skin as smooth and hot as sun-warmed marble. He smells like man and home, and I nestle in, nowhere near ready to get up yet.
Griffin’s large hand covers most of my back. His fingers move in an idle pattern. “A public ceremony would make a statement. Show you to your people.”
My insides lurch, waking me up like a thunderclap and eradicating the pleasant warmth spreading through my body. My people. Fisans. Sintans by the end of the day.Tarvans, too?
“A public ceremony will make me run away,” I croak, my voice still hoarse from sleep.
Griffin’s chest rises on a deep breath, lifting me, too. “You can’t run anymore, Cat. Fate caught up.”
Shuddering like I just got doused by a bucket of ice water, I sit up, pushing tangled hair out of my face. “Fate can bite me, and so can you if you try to make me do this in front of thousands of people.”
Looking at me from under his thick, inky lashes, Griffin loops an arm around my waist and drags me back down, making sure I land mostly on top of him. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve been planning a private ceremony.”
“Planning since when?” I pinch his side to let him know I’m annoyed.
He scoots out of my grasp, grinning. “Since the birds woke me up about three hours ago.”
“What?” I sit up again, kneeling on the rumpled sheets and finally noticing how bright it is outside. I’m an early riser—or I used to be. “Why did you let me sleep?”
“Why not?” His knuckles graze my thigh in a slightly rasping caress, and he looks at my naked body with an intensity that makes me shiver. “I knew you’d wake up when you weren’t tired anymore.”
I huff. Sort of. “Well, would Your Logicalness care to take me to breakfast and tell me about your plans?”
Meeting my gaze, Griffin slowly drags his knuckles up the sensitive skin along my inner thigh.
“Would Your Nakedness care to get dressed first?” he asks.
My eyes drop to his formidable chest, his ridged abdomen, and the trail of inviting dark hair leading from his navel to under the impressively tented sheet. I lick my lips, suddenly dying to taste every inch of him. “Not really.”
Griffin’s mouth spreads into a wide grin. He sits up in one quick, powerful surge and then reaches for me, his eyes glittering with intent. With his wild black hair, shadowed jaw, and storm-cloud eyes, he looks so determined and dangerous that I twist and lunge across the bed, narrowly escaping him.
Griffin pounces, catching my ankle. He hauls me back and then rolls me beneath him, pinning my hands on either side of my head. I squirm and pretend to fight, loving every second of it. He grips me harder. Looking fierce and stern, he lowers his face until our noses almost touch. Then he slides down my body, leaving a trail of hot kisses, wet licks, and soft little nips. He doesn’t let go of my wrists. He just drags them down with him, holding me fast.
“Breakfast in bed?” he rumbles against my hip.
I grin as his mouth settles over my most intimate place. My knees fall wide. He’s not talking about food.
We do eventually get dressed and look for food, although we only make it to the dining room in time for lunch. Egeria accepts her ousting as Alpha Sinta without a hint of anger or regret. Clearly, it’s what she was expecting all along. Piers is away on a recruitment trip, but the rest of the family is here and overjoyed by our wedding announcement. Jocasta decrees that we have to go shopping,now, and Kaia bounces in her seat, beyond excited about any outing that will actually get her on the other side of the castle gate.
Shopping requires money, so I dig around in Griffin’s pocket under the table, letting my fingers wander enough for him to nearly choke on his stew. I find four gold coins and hold on to them. “You never pay me.”
He looks aghast. “I can’t pay you anymore.”
“We’re about to get married. No one’s going to confuse me with a prostitute.”
