She blinked up at me in surprise, lips parting.Are you sure?she asked silently, cocking her head.
I nodded once.Do you really trust my knowledge when the only thing I know was taught to me by soldiers?
A deep, red flush darkened her round cheeks. “You’re right,” she said, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. “Completing a bond is a little different than simply…fucking.”
Then teach me how to complete the bond,I said.Show me how much better it is.
Her eyes darkened as they searched mine.Not here, she said with a small shake of her head. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”
My heart raced with anticipation. The swell of my cock didn’t go down, either. Instead, it seemed to be pulsing in time with my heart, and each step out of the unused room towards her bedroom had it growing.
I sucked in a breath when we reached the doors. Within, I sensed no one, though the others were scattered around the house.
That left me completely alone with my mate.
I licked my lips as she pulled me into the bedroom. Her heart pounded, her arousal thick in the air. And when she turned to me with those wide, hauntingly beautiful eyes, I knew that I would not regret completing the bond with her.
I pulled her into me for another kiss, this one brief. It had none of the same hesitancy as the last one, purely a kiss because I could. And when I pulled away, she drew in a sharp breath.
“I’m going to need you to undress for me,” she said, stepping away and gently tugging her hand out of mine. “Take everything off.”
My skin prickled, but I pulled the t-shirt off, letting it fall to the ground. Her eyes raked over my chest, taking me in with a hunger that had me stiffening evenmore.
Without her touch, I couldn’t ask what came next. My hands went to my pants, but before I could shove them off, Ivy removed her own shirt.
The sight of her took my breath away. Full breasts bounced against her chest, marked with silver lines that moved up the flesh. Naked, the swell of her stomach was more pronounced, with the same silver scars trailing up her sides.
“Now,” she said, forcing my attention back to her flushed face. “Your pants.”
I swallowed thickly, but I listened to my mate. The pants came down, and my cock sprung free, achingly hard and weeping. Her eyes followed my movements, taking me in with the same hunger I knew existed in my own stare. Again, she tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, the flush of her cheeks darkening even more.
I took pride in the way she appeared to like my appearance. My beast especially enjoyed it. I was larger than some of her mates in the chest and stomach, broader too. Shifted, I’d been the largest bear in the false king’s army, towering over all those who came into contact with me. And although the demon stood far taller than me, not even he was as large as me. I wasn’t soft, not like my mate, delicate and gentle. I was firm, thick muscle and power that came from needing to be strong. Where she was all gentle, soft slopes like the clouds on a sunny day, I was hard like those that came with a storm.
Even though I wanted to ask her if she liked what she saw, I didn’t need to. The way her body reacted did it for her.
The sweet, deep scent of her arousal became thicker, especially as she tugged her own pants down and kicked them off. She was all milky, smooth skin I wanted to run my hands over. Her thighs pressed together looked like pillows, and her belly was undeniably soft—even with the babies she carried.
Just as she’d taken me in, I couldn’t stop myself from drinking her in, either.
Compared to me, she was small, despite the fullness of her body. I could still cover her entirely with my own body if I wanted to, and that brought not just me, but my beast, a lot ofcomfort. Being larger than her was good—it meant we could protect her.
When Ivy held out a hand, I moved towards her without any hesitancy. Entwining our fingers, I could finally speak again.You are breathtaking,I said, my other hand hovering over her naked body. I wanted to touch her everywhere—but I had no idea where to start. Should I take one of her breasts into my hand? It would so easily fill my palm, and yet I ached to feel its weight.
Or did I want to know how soft her thighs were? To have them circled around my hips—myhead…
“Touch me if you want,” she said, voice low.
My mouth watered, but I kept my eyes on hers as I palmed her breast. Just as I’d imagined, it weighed heavy in my hand, almost completely spilling from my fingers. And like I knew she would be, the skin was as soft as the finest material, so delicate as I ran my thumb over her.
I released her hand, but instead of palming her other breast, I skimmed my fingers down her chest to the swell of her stomach. Every inch of her was exactly as I knew it would be: delicately supple and pliable beneath my touch. There were no harsh or rigid lines about her, only the gentle slopes I so desperately craved to taste.
Running my knuckles down her chest, I watched her skin pucker with a shiver. Ivy held herself still, allowing me to explore her silently, but I didn’t want to be the only one enjoying this.
Touch me,I said, spreading my fingers over her stomach.I want to feel you, mate.
Again, she shivered, drawing in a sharp breath. With steady fingers, she traced one of the scars running down my chest. I couldn’t remember which punishment it was for, though most scars I was too weak to remember. And yet, that simple, reverent touch had me trembling.
Her dark eyes locked on mine as she leaned forward and kissed another on my upper arm. I remembered that one specifically, the burning of my fur as a fire magelit a torch and shoved it into my cage. The mark on my arm was old, healed enough now that it barely bothered me, and yet as soon as she touched it with her warm lips, it felt like something else.
