And that was as far as he got before Leonie let out a whoop of delight, and pounced.
Shan had been braced for an argument. Not for her to leap into his arms. He staggered, barely managing to catch her without toppling over backwards.
“Oh, youidiot.” Leonie wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her hands together behind his neck. She shook him, which would have been more effective if she wasn’t also climbing him like a tree. “Shan, you utterly ridiculous man. Were you really going to just walk away?”
“Yes.” Was she trying to embrace him, or throttle him? “I am sorry. You have every right to be angry with me.”
“I amfuriouswith you.” She punctuated each word with hard, fierce kisses along the edge of his jaw. “How can someone be so perceptive and yet so stupid? I should keep you locked in my closet for your own good.”
His qiongqi rumbled in amused agreement.Truth.
Now he was completely off-balance, mentally as well as physically. The fact that his bare hands were now full of her denim-clad backside wasn’t helping to regain his composure.
“I don’t understand,” he said plaintively. “I thought you couldn’t feel the mate bond.”
She nipped at his neck. If this was meant to be some sort of punishment, it wasn’t working. “Well, obviously I can.”
“But...you don’t have your own animal.” Ithadto be right. It was the only explanation that made sense. “I couldn’t understand why you didn’t recognize me as your mate before. Then you told me about your sister, and it all became clear.She’sthe lion shifter. You shouldn’t be able to feel the bond. Not without your eagle.”
Leonie pulled away just far enough to give him an exasperated glare. “Or, Mister I’ve-got-it-all-worked-out, I just couldn’t feel the bond because you were so convinced you were a monster, you did everything you could to push me away. How was my lioness supposed to recognize you when you kept your own animal crushed and chained?”
That, he had to admit, was also possible. It was what he’d thought himself, before he’d learned about her sister.
Secrets,his qiongqi whispered, though it didn’t sound entirely sure of itself.Truth, but not the only truth. She should have known us. Stay on the trail.
He adjusted his grip, trying to cup her buttocks as politely as he could. “Leonie. We should talk?—”
She put her hand over his mouth.
“Shan.” She leaned in, fingers trailing across his lower lip. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Her lips almost brushed his, but she didn’t move closer. She held still, eyes on his, daring him to take that final step.
So he did.
All doubt burned away. This,thiswas right. The taste of her; her sweetness, her heat.
Hunger swept through him. He kissed her desperately, the mate bond roaring in his ears. She matched his urgency, pulling him closer, fingers tangling in his hair.
Leonie broke the kiss first, gasping for air. “You must be getting tired of holding me up.”
He tightened his grip. “Never.”
She laughed, kissing the side of his mouth. “Still. Put me down. We need to do something about this fire.”
“Yes.”
She poked his chest in exasperation. “Theactualfire, Shan. Camp rules. Last one at the fire makes sure it’s safely put out. We can’t leave while it’s still burning. And I don’t know about you, butI want to find somewhere more private.”
There were very few things that could have persuaded him to put her down. That was one of them.
Leonie slid down his body—which almost changed his mind—returning to the ground. He helped her rake the embers apart and douse them. He worked mechanically, not looking at what he was doing. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, light-headed with wonder and desire.
“There,” Leonie said at last, after what seemed like several eons. She dusted off her hands. “Now, where were we?”
With a hungry growl, he caught her round the waist. “Here.”
Mine. My mate. Mine.
