“That was—” He left the sentence hanging, but she could sense the smile in his voice, and she laughed.
“Pretty amazing, huh?”
“I’m glad we didn’t do it the other night.”
She sat up and glanced at him.“Why?”
He cupped her chin and swept his thumb across her jaw, over her bleeding lip.“Because I wouldn’t remember any of this, and I want to recall this forever.”
Katya swallowed hard.She was at a loss for words.Forever.Did he know?Did he have any way of knowing they were mates?Foreveris what her tiger wanted, but she couldn’t give him forever.She had to save her sister.She had to save herself.She didn’t have time for romance.He must have noticed something in her gaze because he chuckled and pulled back quickly.
“Sorry, that was sappy.I’m going to, um, take this off,” he said, pointing to the condom which she hadn’t noticed he’d rolled on at some point.
Katya nodded.She wanted to yell at him that she wanted forever too.Instead, she rolled on her back and closed her eyes.
“I’ll be here,” she said.Though, I don’t know for how long.
Chapter Ten
She woke up with astart.Where was she?She moved to the side, her shoulder smarting.Gingerly, she touched it.He’d marked her.Unknowingly, he’d claimed her.He hadn’t drawn blood, he hadn’t even bruised her, but it was there.She felt it in every fiber of her being.She opened her eyes.Slowly, her surroundings began to make sense.She glanced at the space next to her.It was empty.The night came rushing back.The exhilaration.The passion.The desperate craving for him and only him.After a brief nap, they’d made love again and again.Every time, the tiger was closer to the edge, desperate to take what it knew belonged to them.She covered her face with her hands.She wasn’t sure how she’d been able to hold back.
She had to get out of there.Katya stood up and wrapped the sheet around her.Where were her clothes?She headed out of the bedroom and toward the sounds of someone cooking.She stopped at the door.Adam stood with his back to her dressed in nothing more than his boxer shorts, cooking and humming.Her heart constricted.She could get used to this.To him.
No.
He turned then and smiled at her.The kind of smile which reached his eyes and promised the world.It made her knees weak, forcing her to lean against the wall.
“Don’t be shy.I’m making breakfast.I figured you’d be as hungry as I am.Feel free to take a shower if you’d like or put on one of my shirts, if you feel ...erm ...exposed.I left a few out, over the chest of drawers in the bedroom.”He chuckled, nodding toward the bedsheet she wore.“I don’t think your makeshift dress is too comfortable.”
Katya nodded wordlessly.Tears prickled the back of her eyes.She couldn’t stay.The best thing she could do was leave.Immediately.Yet, for some reason, she returned to his bedroom and found a faded t-shirt.It was black with the words “Mastodon” written in white on it.She slipped it on and walked back to the kitchen, where he was setting the table.
“I made eggs and bacon.I wasn’t sure what you would like.I can make pancakes too if you prefer something sweet, and there’s fruit.”He placed a plate full of strawberries and blueberries in front of her.“Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” she replied.
Her mind reeled.She couldn’t remember the last time someone had tried to please her like this.He was trying so hard, and she had to leave.
