I had to clear my throat before I could answer him. “No problem atall.”
Keeping his eyes on mine, he unbuttoned his flannel shirt and chucked it on the couch, revealing a torso honed to such incredible perfection that my hands trembled as I removed my jacket and draped it over the arm of the couch. As he lowered the zipper of his jeans, I walked toward the sliding glass doors and dragged them open, then crossed the stone deck and dove into the dusky pool to cooldown.
After I broke the surface, I pushed my hair off my face and stared up at the moon that was brilliant and full, illuminating the dark world surrounding us. A moment later, arms wrapped around my stomach and pulled my back against a rock-hardchest.
A rock-hardeverything.
“You’re missing the pack run,” Isaid.
“I’m here with you. Beats any pack run.” He rested his chin in the crook of my neck and inhaled me slowly. “God, I’ve missed you somuch.”
“I can tell. That thing’s going to end up bruising myspine.”
“That thing?” Hesnorted.
I turned around to flickhim.
He smiled roguishly at my fingers before backing me against the tiled wall and scooping me up. “To avoid anybruising.”
He was no longer my mate, and yet I desired him just as much as when he had been. Locking my eyes on his, I rocked against himslowly.
He gripped my thighs to steady me. “Careful,sweetheart.”
I tilted my face to the side to study his expression. “Why? We’re no longermates. . .”
Hurt darkened his freckles. “You’re my mate in all the ways that count, NessClark.”
“I didn’t mean—” I held on to his shoulders, my pale fingers crimping his brown skin. “It came out wrong.” I linked my arms around his neck. “I love you,” I whispered. “Never doubtthat.”
Keeping one hand underneath me, he brought his other up to tuck a wet lock behind my ear. “I didn’t doubt it until youleft.”
Raindrops began to fall from a dark strip of cloud that moved across the bloated moon, the droplets glittering as they plinked against the glassy surface of thepool.
“I’m so sorry,” Iwhispered.
He cupped my jaw and kissed me. And for a long,longmoment, that was all we did. And it was perfect and beautiful, but I wanted more. I craved more. So I moved against himagain.
He ripped his mouth offmine.
Before he could speak, I said, “I’m not in heat.” Sarah had taught me to use my sense of smell to determine my cycle since oral contraceptives didn’t work all that well onwerewolves.
A vein in August’s neck began to throbfaster.
I shrugged. “In case you wanted—youknow. . .”
“In case I wanted to make love to you in thispool?”
Heat crept up my neck. “Yeah.”So much for using the pool to cooloff. . .
He shifted his hold on me until we were lined up, then his thumb brushed my skimpy bikini bottom aside before settling against my pulsing flesh. As he waited for me to make the next move, he swiped his finger overme.
Heart pounding like my wolf’s when she scented her prey, I slid him in, inch by slowinch.
His thumb stilled against me, and a shudder went through him. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they glittered as wildly as the stars rioting around the stormcloud.
“I moved your body,” I said. “We never talked about it, but I movedyou.”
“I know, sweetheart. Almost got me killed.” He glided himself out and then dipped backin.
