She met me with the same urgency. Her fingers tangled deeper in my hair as she pressed closer, her body fitting against mine as though it had always belonged there. The wine glass slipped from her hand and rolled quietly into the sand outside the gazebo. Neither of us paid any attention as the dark red liquid spilled onto the ground.
When I finally pulled back enough for her to breathe, she gasped softly against my lips. "I hated tonight.” Her hands moved across my shoulders and chest as if reassuring herself I was real. "Watching them touch you. Watching you smile at them."
"Every smile was false," I growled, lowering my mouth to the side of her neck. I pressed slow kisses along the rapid beat of her pulse. "Every touch made my skin crawl." My hands tightened gently around her waist. “I only want you.”
"How does the beast know? How does he know it’s me?" Her voice trembled slightly, but her hands continued to roam across my chest and shoulders, exploring with restless curiosity. “Are you sure?”
“The beast chooses. I do not know how he knows.” I leaned in and brushed my lips over her cheek. “But I am pleased with his choice. You are perfect.”
"No, I’m not. Jessica kept putting her hand on your arm and I wanted to?—"
"What?" I lifted my head to study her face in the dim moonlight. "What did you want to do?"
"Scratch her eyes out," Tori admitted immediately. The ferocity in her voice stirred something deeply satisfying inside my chest. "Rip that perfect hair out by the roots," she continued. "She's been throwing herself at you all night. Touching you. Flirting with you. And you had to just stand there and take it."
"I wanted to transport her to The Colony and let her deal with an entire planet of restless fighters," I said quietly. “They would have no trouble making her behave.” That woman was asking for trouble, and I knew plenty of warriors more than willing to meet the challenge.
“Is that what you are doing? Trying to make me behave?” Was that anger in her voice? Challenge? I did not know her yet. Did not understand her moods.
“No." Every time she touched me, my beast raged. “I am yours, Tori. I want you exactly as you are.”
Tori's breath caught sharply. "Say it again."
"I want you." The words felt inevitable. I cupped her face gently, my thumbs brushing the soft curve of her cheeks. "My heart. My body. My soul. Every part of me is yours. I knew it the moment I caught your scent. I will know it for the rest of my life."
She kissed me again, sudden and fierce. Her hands tugged impatiently at the shirt I had changed into. I had showered as well, washing Chet’s ridiculous glitter from my torso.
"Take this off," she murmured against my mouth.
I pulled the fabric over my head and tossed it aside, barely breaking the kiss. The moment her hands touched my bare chest we both inhaled sharply. Her palms were warm against my sensitive flesh, sliding slowly over the scars and muscle there as though she were memorizing the shape of me. The sensation sent heat flooding through my body as I held absolutely, perfectly still. Fought for control.
My beast wanted out.
"Tell me about the beast," she whispered after a moment. "I've seen the show. I know what they say. But I want to hear it from you."
I shifted slightly and pulled her into my lap. She settled there easily, her skirt bunched around her hips, her knees settling to either side of my hips. The movement pressed her close, her warmth seeping into me in a way that made my cock rock hard where her body pressed against mine. She gasped softly at the contact. My hands settled around her waist, holding her in place, her hot pussy wedged against my hard length. My pants and whatever she wore under that skirt the only barriers between us.
"The beast," I began slowly, "is instinct. Protection. The part of an Atlan warrior designed for battle and survival. He does not think the way humans do. He does not follow your rules." Her fingers traced the line of my shoulder as she listened. She touched me. Was not afraid.
The beast was pleased at the touch. Wanted more.
"When the beast recognizes a mate," I continued, "the bond forms instantly. He knows before the male mind understands." Her eyes searched mine. For truth? Answers? Patience? I didn’t know what she wanted. I needed to know her. Learn her secrets. Understand everything about this female that was mine.
"And the cuffs?"
My jaw tightened slightly. "They are designed to help control the beast."
“How?”
"When they are placed on both our wrists, the claim becomes real. Public. Permanent. When we are apart, the cuffs act as a reminder to the beast to remain in control." My beast stirred restlessly at the thought of being away from her again tomorrow. Even for a few minutes.
He was fucking gone for her already.
“With pain. Right? They zap you or something?”
“Yes. The pain is welcome.”
“That’s crazy. Does it hurt the woman, too? To be separated?” I can hear the disapproval in her tone. The anxiety.
