A part of her wanted to acquiesce, but the other part held on to pride. “I’m not going to be your little sex slave while you dig into my head,” she snapped.
His cheek creased with a quick flash of amusement. “Agreed. You can set the terms for us. If you don’t want sex as part of the equation, then no sex. However, you’re with me for the duration. Period.”
Why didn’t he just kiss her and make her forget all about this world? “What doyouwant?” She plucked at a loose string on the frayed bedspread.
“Sex. Definitely sex.”
“Why?” she blurted. “You’re, well, you.” She gestured toward his ripped abs. “I’m certain you could have sex with pretty much anybody in the world if you just took off your shirt. Why me?”
“Forgetting the fact that you’re my mate?” He studied her, obviously taking her question seriously. “I’m drawn to you in a way I don’t understand. Also, you quiet the rushing energy always pummeling through me.”
Her body settled. “I bring you peace?”
“Yeah,” he murmured.
That was incredibly sweet. Even so, it sounded boring. “Not like the mate of your dreams, who’s all excitement and danger?” Jealousy wasn’t cold. It was a hot poker between the ribs.
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “Kitten, you’re all danger. I’ve trained to fight my entire life, and I’ve been in battles where not many survived. Nobody has come as close to killing me as you did the other morning. Nobody.”
She sank her teeth into her lip, acutely aware of the rock-hard erection touching her thighs. Her mind wanted to spin away and let her body take over, but she had to concentrate. “What does that mean?” The answer meant something to her heart, based on the little jumps it was taking.
“It means I’ve been dreaming about you,” he said. “You’re not human, Destiny.”
Her back stiffened. “I most certainly am too human.”
“No. You wouldn’t have survived the trip you just took to meet Ulric if you were human.”
How did that make any sense? Obviously Hope had told him about the dream. “I’m not a vampire.”
“There’s a possibility that you’re a shifter who has lost the ability to shift, but I don’t feel that in you. You have to be an enhanced human.” His tone was a low growl now.
One that licked along her skin. Like his mate?
Garrett was dangerous and more than deadly, and he had his fair share of possessiveness. Being with him was one thing when it was definitely temporary, just a way to experience life. Jumping into forever was another situation entirely, and she would need time to process that possibility. Plus, there might be a broken heart at the end of this for her. “What if I’m not your mate and she comes along while we’re trying to solve the mystery of me?”
His lips pressed together, and he didn’t answer.
She nodded. “Exactly. What if whatever the Kurjans did to me somehow made that mating mark appear on your hand? What if I’m a trap?” It sounded crazy, but she’d seen that room where they’d experimented on her.
“That’s insane.” He held up his hand, showing the vibrant marking on his palm. “This appeared in me, in reaction to you.” A possessive glint filled his eyes. “The Kurjans didn’t create this reaction.”
But what if? “I’ve watched you. You were all in with the Grizzlies, who you call brothers. You’re all in with your family. What if we’re just tooling along and your real mate shows up? If you found your mate, then she’d be your total world, and you know that. You wouldn’t be able to help yourself.” Was that longing in her voice? No. “You’d drop me in an instant, and I’m not going to put myself in that position.”
“I don’t think you’re giving me enough credit, kitten.” He seemed more thoughtful than irritated. His fingers started caressing her nape, spiraling desire down to her sex.
She cleared her throat and tried incredibly hard not to rub against him. “You have to be open to the possibility that whatever chemical is messing with my brain, with a possible enhancement, also messed with your mating mark.” She had to understand what she might be getting into here.
“Not a chance. My marking appeared because you’re my mate, and I’m more than happy to give you time to come to that conclusion.” His gaze ran over her face as if he was kissing each inch.
This was all too much, and she needed to think. Time to change the subject. “What did Hope say?”
“You tell me about the dream world, and I’ll compare notes.”
Fine. Dessie told him about the entire dream, and while his expression remained calm, blue shot through the gray of his eyes. Finally, he grimaced. “That meshes with what Hope said, and I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
She shivered. “What about this Ulric?”
“Tomorrow. I’ll tell you all about Ulric and the Seven tomorrow.” He glanced at the manual clock on the bedside table. “For tonight, we need sleep.” Yet he was steel-hard against her core.
