Nate hauled her up onto the bank. Water sluiced down her bikini-clad body to seep into the snow, and his gaze slid over her and back up, need burning in his eyes. With a low growl, he grasped her chin and kissed her possessively. Ely groaned and leaned into him, desire pooling in her core, leaving her aching. Stars! She broke their kiss.
“Let me aid you,laika,” he whispered, lowering his brow to hers. “I hate what you’re doing to yourself.”
Panting hard, whether from her exertion, her arousal, or the damn heat pinging through her once more, Ely shook her head, her wet hair raining more water down on her heated skin. “No.”
“Ely—”
“Gods, Nate! I want you, too, but not when it means the beast hurts you in retaliation. I won’t put you in that position.” She stepped back and picked up her clothes.
“It’s my choice—”
“No.” She glared.
Growling, he scooped her up and flashed them to his cabin. He set her on her feet, then paced the length of the sofa, back and forth, repeatedly dragging both hands through his mussed hair.
Ely dropped her clothes on the couch backrest and grabbed another of the t-shirts he’d left there for her, and put it on, then picked up the towel and rubbed her wet hair.
He stopped in front of her, seeming more in control of himself, and she lowered the towel as his gaze caressed her face. “I missed you.”
“Me, too. I mean, I missed you, too.”
A hint of a smile.Vae, it made her want to climb him and stay there. Before she did something dangerous like jump him—the stars knew just how she ached for him—she moved away, and her hips bumped the couch. Her clothes draped on the backrest fell.
“You hungry?” he asked, picking up her things. “Since we’re far from any fast food joints, I can whip us up some…” He frowned. “I think we have eggs—so fried egg sandwiches sound good?”
With her appetite deserting her recently, it now reared back, and her belly twinged. Heck, she’d eat the damn snow if he offered it to her. “Sounds delicious.”
His lips twitched. “Bodes well for the future since I don’t have much skill in the culinary department. Just the basics.”
And she couldn’t cook at all. Still, Ely scrunched her face.
“Okay then.” He dropped her clothes on the backrest again. “Here.” He handed over her cell, which must have slipped out of her coat pocket, and smiled at the toy car in his hand. “Yours?”
“Yes. I mean, no.” Heat rushed to her cheeks. She’d forgotten about it with all that had happened recently.
He laughed. “You like cars, so do I. I have a Charger I’m rebuilding back at the workshop…” He studied the small metallic blue automobile, the color faded a bit from her stroking it when she needed to calm down, remembering. Always remembering. Her stomach dipped, recalling the little boy she’d sought. She hoped he was safe and happy with the old couple.
“Most young kids like these types of cars,” Nate murmured, tracing a finger over it. “I had them, too, when I was younger.” Then he handed the toy back, sauntered to the kitchen, and got a loaf out of the fridge.
Ely followed. “You keep bread in the cooler?”
“You don’t?”
She blinked, taken aback. “Well, I…”
He laughed, the sound warm and teasing as he the door shut. “I don’t come here often, except, well, you know when. So the loaf’s better off in the fridge. Stays edible longer, too.” He opened the package and popped slices into the toaster. “Since we’re gonna be here frequently, I’ll stock up now.”
“Let me help you.” She rounded the counter.
He moved in her path and settled his hands on her waist. “No, you stay right there.” He walked her backward and away from his tiny workspace. “Where I can see you and reaffirm just how lucky I am to have you.”
Her heart squeezed at his words. His tender gaze skimmed her face, and desire stirred again.Vae. Ely bit her lip and pressed a palm to her belly, like that would help. With a soft curse, he pivoted to the kitchen and got the butter and a tray of eggs from the fridge, setting them on the granite surface.
“So, you have a brother,” he said after a few minutes of silence.
Grateful for the normalcy in conversation, Ely smiled. “Yes. It’s just the two of us…” She settled on a stool there and filled him in on Reynner living on Earth for now since he’d mated a human.
Nate snorted as he removed a pan from the cupboard and put it on the stove. “Wouldn’t have thought so of the hardass.”
