“Verner? Oh yeah, always has been.” Tori’s tone turned mischievous. “I’m pretty sure he was conceived via anal sex. Only way to explain why he’s such an asshole.”
A surprised bark of laughter escaped Baldewin, and he relaxed a notch. Alright, Tori wasn’t as upset as he feared.
“I can’t believe you turned into a dragon. You looked like you were going to eat him.”
Baldewin blushed. “That was the plan.”
Tori cackled and shook his head. “I shouldn’t be laughing. You can’t go around eating mages and humans who insult me.”
“He deserves it.”
Tori sighed heavily before saying, “Why don’t you take the next left?”
He threw on the turn signal even as he questioned, “Why left?”
“Because it might be easier and safer for us to talk if we aren’t moving.”
Baldewin’s stomach sank like a stone. He’d thought with Tori’s laugh that he was forgiven, but that had been wishful thinking. Had he succeeded in pushing his mate away with his high-handed behavior?
The road wasn’t a road; it was a dirt turn off, worn from time and use. It curved a little around a softly rolling hill, and the bank of the river was right there. Putting the SUV into park, he turned off the engine and slumped in his seat, feeling as if his heart was breaking.
“Hey,” Tori said gently before touching his chin. “This isn’t an ‘I don’t want to see you again’ talk.”
Baldewin’s head jumped up, and he looked over at the mage, his heart surging into his throat. “Really?”
“Of course not. How could I ever live without you? But this is a boundaries talk.”
“Okay.” Baldewin nodded, grateful Tori wasn’t kicking him to the curb for his stupid loss of temper.
“I get that you want to protect me. You have no idea how much that means to me when there has been no one in my life to watch my back. The fact that you stand up for me, defend me—it’s amazing. It takes my breath away.”
Baldewin leaned in and pressed the lightest kiss to Tori’s lips. “You are my everything. I will protect and defend you until my final breath.”
Tori made a happy little sigh and then shook his head. “I know, but you have to remember I can also defend myself. Assholes like Verner, it’s time I stood up to them. You and our clan have given me the confidence to stand up for myself. I want the chance to do that before you rain fire down on their heads and eat them for dinner.”
Baldewin lowered his gaze and nodded. He was proud of Tori for wanting to take a stand but felt horrible for nearly stomping all over his new sense of self-confidence and pride. “I understand. I am sorry. You are the strongest person I’ve ever met. I know you don’t need me to defend you. I lost my temper.”
Tori leaned in and pressed a kiss to the tip of Baldewin’s nose. “I am honored that you wanted to defend me, and I will always need you in a hundred different ways. Plus, I really love the idea that if I ever get in over my head, you will always have my back.”
He dared to meet Tori’s gaze again, a smile starting to tug at his lips. “I will always have your back.”
“Good. Now come with me.” Tori jerked away and opened the passenger door.
“Where?”
“Now that we’ve had our talk, I want to show you a secret little place to reward my brave, angry dragon.”
Baldewin didn’t waste any time jumping out of the SUV and following Tori around the front. They were hidden from the road by high grass, allowing them to get lost in a tangle of arms and legs. They kissed desperately and tugged at clothes, trying to get a little closer while not wanting to release each other.
With his emotions running high and sex clearly on the table, Baldewin was tempted to yank clothes off and let instinct take over.
But after that disaster back there, he also felt the need to say the words that had been caught in his throat for days now. Even if Tori couldn’t reciprocate, he wanted this precious man to know he was loved.
He pulled back from the kiss, framing Tori’s face with one hand. Those crystal grey eyes were cloudy with passion, mouth looking sweetly used, and it was all very distracting. Baldewin firmly kept his mind on track, although it took more willpower than it should have. “Wait. Let me say this first. Tori, you’re amazing and intelligent. You’re one of the most capable people I’ve ever known. You don’t need me. You never have.”
Tori’s mouth opened on a protest.
“You don’t,” Baldewin said, his heart in his throat. “You’ve proven time and again, even before I came into your life, that you don’t need anyone to take care of you. But if you choose to have someone in your life who will, who will love you and support you, then I want it to be me. I want you to choose me.”
“I already have.” Tori huffed a little laugh, eyes warm. “You silly man, of course I have. You’ve seen the environment I grew up in, how stifling it was. I dreamed of having someone like you. Someone who would give me the freedom I craved. You’re a breath of fresh air in a life that had gone stagnant with desperation. I can breathe freely because of you. But can I be everything you want?”
“You already are. You are my mate. Whether you are ready to accept it or not, I’ve known for a while now. My dragon has known it. We are fated to be together. And I will happily wait for you to be comfortable with that idea, no matter how long it takes.”
Tori’s eyes grew wide, and his entire body stilled against Baldewin’s. “Mates? Really? You think we’re mates?”
“I know we are.”
Tori blinked back tears and released a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. I was hoping we were, but I was afraid that we weren’t. I didn’t know how I was going to live with the idea of someone else being your mate.”
Baldewin’s heart soared, and even his dragon roared loudly in his head, celebrating that they at last had their mate. He was so relieved to know that he’d won this man, he nearly melted under the force of the emotion. But he didn’t like that Tori still doubted he was enough, and he couldn’t leave any trace of that behind. He made sure to use Finnish so Tori had no room for misunderstanding. “Rakastan sinua.”
Tori’s smile was breathtaking, almost supernova in its intensity. He said the words back with no hesitation. “I love you.” He kissed Baldewin sharp and quick before repeating, “I love you. And as soon as I learn the proper spell to bind us together, we’ll do it, but not here. Home.”
“Home,” Baldewin agreed, so happy he felt like flying. But also like making love. And maybe crowing. Lots of instincts were at play, and he went with the one that would give them the most pleasure.
He kissed Tori again, this time with the intent to rile him up, his hands traveling down to his waistband. Clothes definitely had to go away.
Tori was thankfully on board with this idea, as he was quick to follow Baldewin’s example, working on his trousers and shoving them out of the way enough for him to wrap a hand around Baldewin’s dick and give it a good stroke. Baldewin groaned into the kiss, the relief of having that hand stroking him too amazing.
He returned the favor, enjoying Tori’s reaction, how he arched into him and gave that sweet gasp. Tori was just so beautifully sensitive; it was fun to drive him over the edge. Baldewin’s only regret was that he had no lube on him. He really should start carrying some.