Being around our mate must’ve somehow given my Divine enough strength to reach out to him. It could’ve been a call of distress or affection I could never fully hide.
But I can never admit that out loud. Dean’s ego is already big enough, and if he finds out he’s been literally healing me, I’ll never hear the end of it.
Dean spins me around, his hands caressing my arms, greedily grabbing every part of me he can reach. He’s insatiable, unable to stop touching me, pressing us together until our heartbeats sync, and I love every second of it.
He brushes my hair aside, his fingers slowly tracing down my bare back before unlacing my dress. A shiver runs down my spine, equal parts anticipation and vulnerability.
My hand comes to my chest when the dress starts to slip, and I slowly turn back to him.
He doesn’t know where to look. His gaze drags over every inch of me, his pupils dilating when he notices my hand holding the dress up.
And then I let it fall.
A breath rushes out of him, and Dean chokes on nothing. A strangled sound escapes him, doing wonders for my confidence.
I don’t think he was expecting me to be naked under the dress.
Good. I want him off balance for once.
The dress pools at my feet, and Dean can’t take his eyes off my chest.
He stalks closer like a predator locked onto his prey, his lip caught between his teeth.
“You are a dream, Hazel.”
I love the way he says my name.
His knuckles trail over my stomach before drifting higher, brushing my nipple, rolling it between his fingers with a slow twisting. The touch is almost hesitant at first, like he’s giving me time to stop him… and when I don’t, something darker flickers in his eyes.
I gasp at the light touch, and whatever restraint Dean was holding snaps. His hand grabs the back of my neck, pulling me into a fierce kiss that sends heat spiraling straight through me, making me grind against him.
Dean groans when I slide my hand between us, palming him through his pants. He bucks into my touch, but when I reach for his belt, his hands close around my wrists.
He pulls back, cheeks flushed, scratching the back of his head as his breathing turns uneven. Suddenly, he looks almost… embarrassed, but not enough to stop tracing patterns along my hip, keeping me closer.
“I’m not…” He clears his throat, still avoiding my eyes. “I would’ve waited for you my whole life, but I was told I didn’t have a mate, and as the years went by…”
“Dean, it’s okay. I’m not a virgin either.”
His brows shoot up. “How?”
When my head jerks back, he lifts his hands in surrender. “I’m just curious. You didn’t like being touched before I came along and swept you off your feet.”
There’s a hint of teasing, but his eyes are watching me carefully.
My fingers toy with the loop of his pants as I laugh, suddenly just as awkward as he was a second ago.
“I was sure Tiberius would find me someday, and I just... I didn’t want him to ruin that for me. So when I found someone kind and considerate, I let myself feel good for once. It was kind of sweet.”
“Again... purely out of curiosity, who was he?” His casual tone barely hides the edge underneath.
Oh, he’s jealous. Perfect.
I look up at him, grinning as I flutter my lashes. “Why do you assume it was a he?”
Dean’s head drops in the crook of my neck with a pained groan. “I’m dead. You killed me. I’ll see you in Azure.”
A laugh bubbles out of me as I tangle my fingers in his hair and lift his head. “Before you die… take me to bed.”
