He could still feel her heart stuttering, so he reached between them and rubbed her clit. Her skin was unbelievably soft against his calloused fingers.
She arched against him again with a small cry, shutting her eyes. Part of him wanted to tell her to keep them open so he could watch her go over, but if she needed to keep them closed to get there, he’d let her.
This time.
Her breath caught, and her body stiffened. He rubbed harder. She dug her nails into his back and broke, her body undulating around his cock, even the waves somehow gentle.
Relief filled him. He pounded harder, sliding his fangs down.
Her eyes opened, and she caught their glint. Swallowing, she turned her head to the side and exposed her neck.
The proof of her trust landed in his heart and took hold.
He dipped and bit into the soft flesh where her shoulder met her neck, unable to stop himself from going deep. The second he pierced bone, his body shuddered, and he came.
Energy ripped through him, around him, even at him.
Her eyelids closed, and she gave a soft murmur.
Tension and more energy cascaded from her as her body started to heal. So, the mating had taken. He paused, his heart thundering. “Veronica?”
She breathed heavier, her body working in sleep.
He was still inside her, his mind reeling. In all his life, this was not how he imagined a mating going. He chuckled. Talk about awkward. Pressing a quick kiss to her mouth, he started to make plans. “We’ll talk when you wake up.”
Chapter 3
Ronni awoke suddenly and sat straight up in bed. What in the world? She looked down to see an aqua-colored teddy covering her. She fingered the soft silk, wondering how she’d ended up in it, as it had been in her bottom drawer ever since she’d won it at a bachelorette party two years ago.
Slowly, she took inventory. Her chest didn’t hurt. Wow. She could breathe. Her body kind of tingled all over.
Memories assailed her. Jared and a quickie…and then nothing. Embarrassment flushed through her.
She pushed from the bed and stood, her legs easily holding her up. The mating. Feeling her neck, she found the twin bite marks. Okay.
A sound caught her attention from the other room. Now her knees weakened. She could do this. Glancing around, she saw the matching robe lying over the end of the bed. After donning it, she tied it tight, pretending it was armor. Taking several deep breaths, she moved across the room and pushed open the bedroom door. “Hello?” She moved into the living room and turned toward the kitchen.
Jared looked up from a pan holding something that smelled delicious. His thick hair was ruffled, and his chest was bare. Muscles moved in his arms and torso, while his ripped abs caught her eye. “You’re alive.”
Yeah. She was alive. Holy crap. How had she not taken time to appreciate his hard body? Oh, yeah. Ensuing death. She swallowed and tried to concentrate on his rugged face. “How long was I out?” she asked, her stomach rumbling.
“Four days,” he said, nodding toward the small table set into the nook. “Come eat.”
“Four days?” She stumbled toward the nook, remembering belatedly that she was dressed way too sexily. “Who dressed me?”
“I did.” He dished up two plates of eggs loaded with veggies and some sort of meat. “I bathed you, too.”
She fell into the chair. “You did what?”
He sat across from her and lifted one massively large shoulder in a casual shrug. “It became apparent that you were going to heal yourself while sleeping, so Chalton took Olivia away for a few nights. My brother was impatient with the need to mate, and since you were saved, we all figured you needed to sleep and wouldn’t miss them anyway.”
Ronnie took a big drink of orange juice and tried to think. So he’d bathed her. How intimate. Heat flushed into her face. “We’re mated.”
“Yes.” He dug into his eggs, his dark gaze never leaving her face. “How are you feeling?”
Like her brains had been scrambled just like the eggs. “Stronger. Almost normal.” She reached for a fork. “Am I immortal?”
“Not yet. It takes a little while for humans,” he said. “But your heart sounds strong and healthy, so you’re definitely on your way. If you’re still feeling tingles, that’s your body healing itself.”
