“Mace,” she whispered, her gaze clinging to his. “I want you. Please.”
She didn’t have to beg. He’d never make her do that. Besides, he wanted her, too, with a fierce possessiveness he’d known he was capable of but had never thought he’d experience. Not when the one female he’d truly always wanted wasn’t available.
She still wasn’t. But at least he had right now.
Impatient, he positioned himself between her legs, the tip of his cock at her slick entrance.
I love you.
He didn’t say it, but he thought it as he slid inside her welcoming heat. Closing her eyes, she arched up to meet him, taking him deep. Her tight walls squeezed him, rippling along his shaft with every pump of his hips.
He wanted to break loose, to give her everything he had, to claim her, but he held back. In part to give her the passionate, gentle experience she’d missed out on with Blade, and partly to keep from losing himself to obsession. She was a match, and he was tinder, and this friction was dangerously close to sparking a fire.
But as their bodies entwined and their kisses grew hotter, he couldn’t help it. He pounded into her, coaxing another orgasm out of her. And another. And another. He lost count of his own climaxes, each one tearing him apart until they crashed into a pile of panting, moaning exhaustion.
He recovered first, fetching the sparkling wine and strawberries, which they scarfed in bed, tangled in the sheets.
“Wanna get some real food?” he asked, as he poured the last of the bubbly into their glasses. “Or go to a movie?”
She laughed as she reached for one of the two remainingstrawberries. He loved her laugh. Deep and melodic, she’d always been so free with it, unafraid to find the humor in almost any situation. “Can’t you just relax for ten minutes?”
“Relax?” He scoffed. “Do you even know me?”
Stretching out on the mattress like a great, sleepy cat, she propped herself up on one elbow and regarded him with curiosity. The sheet covered her hips and waist, but it had slipped, exposing her breasts, and he had to force himself not to stare like some kind of perv.
But they were just so perfect.
“Your bird suits you, you know.”
He nudged the remaining strawberry closer to her. “My bird?”
She nudged it back and then pointed to his neck. “Your personal symbol. The eagle is in perpetual flight. Just like you.”
He’d heard that a few times in his life. “My mom swears that I’ll settle down someday, but I don’t see that happening.”
“Oh, come on. Someday, you’ll meet a female, and you’ll finally perch somewhere.”
Ouch. Okay, yes, that was the plan. There was no way he’d let himself turn into a monster after his next transition, and mating would prevent that. But he didn’twantto meet a female to settle down with. There was only one he wanted. Scotty was part of him, and he supposed she had been since they were kids.
Part of him, but not his.
Deep thoughts and yearning threatened to take him down, so he did what he always did when shit got too serious, and he shoved the tray and glasses aside, not caring that they spilled.
“Mace!” Scotty sounded positively scandalized.
Grinning, he pounced on her, wedging himself between her legs. “You didn’t think we were done, did you?” Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her, a playful, teasing kiss that made her giggle. “We have this room for ten more hours, and we’re going to make the most of it.”
They did, and afterward, as Scotty snored softly in the wee hours of the morning, he lay awake, thinking that this had been the best night of his life.
And also, a huge mistake. They might have put their friendship back into order, but his heart would never recover.
Chapter 25
Blade was heading out as Mace was coming in. They met on the back porch, and Mace looked like he’d had a rough night. Blade felt that. He’d been juicing up with sexual suppressants since his time with Scotty, and his body felt like it was starting to fall apart.
Itwasfalling apart. That was the danger of the injections. The effectiveness wore off sooner with each one. Eventually, they wouldn’t work at all. By then, a Sem could be half-dead. Oralldead.
Stryke knew all about that.
