He should put her in her crib. Instead, he held her for a long time, gently rocking her while she slept. He really should have changed her clothes. This dress couldn’t be comfortable. The neckline was so high it was practically choking her. The sleeves were tight, intentionally protecting the mark on her wrist to avoid inadvertently touching him with it. It was similar to every other ceremonial dress, the design meant to exude purity and modesty.
Once he got the layers of material off her, she would never be pure or modest again. It wasn’t a custom practiced among the Alphas and their mates.
Jayce was certain no one had come anywhere close to touching his mate before. Certainly not a man. The entire society in the valley was rather prudish, but marked females were guarded more than others to ensure their total innocence at the time of their claiming.
The fact that Sienna had kept her marked status a secret probably meant she hadn’t been as closely supervised when she wasn’t with her parents. But it also meant a protection detail hadn’t been necessary.
In addition, Jayce doubted she’d been told much more than the basics about sex, all of which would have come from hermother who wouldn’t have had the first clue about the sort of bond her daughter would have with her Alpha mate.
Sex in the valley was rather repressed, even between mates. That was not so up in the mountains. Sienna would soon discover that her mate intended to worship her body in ways she couldn’t begin to imagine.
He couldn’t wait to show her, but he would for as long as she needed.
She whimpered and snuggled into him deeper, making it harder for him to want to put her down. Almost from the moment they’d been left alone in the ceremonial room, she’d leaned into him. Trusted him in a way.
The instinct was caused by their growing bond. He knew that. But he didn’t care what was causing her to turn to him. He’d take whatever he could from her for the rest of his life. She could sit in his lap and wrap her arms around his neck every damn day if she wanted.
When he stroked her fingers, she subconsciously wrapped them around his pinky and held on tight. So fucking precious.
He could see the edge of her mark peeking through the lace of her sleeve, but he didn’t dare touch it. Not yet. He hadn’t even explained to her how powerful that would be. All the more reason to let her keep her dress on for now.
Resigned to the fact that there was no way he was going to put her down, he leaned back and continued to watch her sleep. His arm might start to tingle, but he’d get over it. Sienna’s comfort was his top priority. Her rest was important. She was in a deep sleep, and she needed it.
Watching her rhythmically suckle the pacifier made his chest tighten. She was so fucking adorable. Perfect in every way. Granted, he was programmed to think that, but it didn’t matter. She’d stolen his heart, and he didn’t want it back.
Chapter Five
Sienna startled as she awoke, confused about where she was for a few seconds before recognizing her surroundings. This wasn’t one of her visions. She really was in her mate’s home. He was holding her in his arms and smiling down at her.
It was hard to trust her reality, though. For days, she’d woken up to visions of Jayce’s house, jolted awake by being yanked into his home so she could watch him prepare her room, eat dinner, wander around the house, or relax on his back porch.
He’d seemed lonely every time she’d visited him. It had made her feel heavy and sad. Had he been waiting for her?
He didn’t look lonely now. He looked pleased. She pleased him.
For the first time in she wasn’t sure how long, she actually smiled. The movement reminded her there was something in her mouth.
Jayce reached to pop the pacifier out from between her lips, making her blush. Had she been sucking on that babyish nipple all this time? Apparently.
Now that it was gone, she felt…odd. Lost. She wanted it back, but she didn’t dare voice that. She shouldn’t crave a pacifier. What was wrong with her?
Nevertheless, a sense of restlessness consumed her. She could feel a ring around her lips caused by the plastic barrier of the pacifier. She must look ridiculous.
Jayce didn’t comment on that, though. He set the pacifier on the table next to him without breaking eye contact. “You slept so hard, Baby girl. I know you were exhausted. I couldn’t bring myself to put you down. I know I should have, but I wanted to hold you and watch you sleep.”
His cheeks turned as pink as hers felt. He was embarrassed from watching her sleep. It was sweet. Everything he did was endearing.
“You slept for three hours,” he continued. “You need to eat or take another bottle.” He gently lifted her into a seated position. “I bet you need to go potty, too.”
At the mention, her bladder made itself known. She did need to pee. Luckily not too badly yet.
“Can you lean forward, Little one? Let me unbutton this dress. It looks like it’s choking you.”
He was right. It was choking her, but she was used to the sensation. She’d been wearing dresses with a high neckline her entire life. Brown ugly ones that gave no indication of any person’s individuality.
Girls in the valley weren’t permitted to express themselves in very many ways. They all wore the same ugly dresses. They all let their hair grow, only pinning it back. They weren’t permitted to wear makeup or anything colorful before they were mated, and even then, they remained mostly modest for their entire lives.
Sienna knew more about the private lives of several Alpha Protectors and their mates than she did about any couple in the valley, including her own parents. She had no idea what sort of relationship her mom and dad had behind closed doors. They kept that part of themselves closely guarded.
