There was nothing in the world sweeter than kissing Maya, he thought and squeezed her tight to him. He knew without a doubt where this would lead, and he was more than willing, but first things first. He had to clear up any doubts she might have about them.
This was it, he thought as he considered Bolder’s words earlier that night. He had to tell her. Now or never, he decided, moaning as her tongue delved into his mouth.
She kissed like a goddess and he wanted her so damn bad. Fuck, she was so soft and silky, pale as ivory and just as precious. Her blonde hair curled toward her face, and pink lips parted as he withdrew, albeit reluctantly, from their kiss.
“Maya, you know why I asked you to be my mate,” he said running his finger down her cheek.
“I thought I knew why,” she said eyebrows raised in question, “I mean, because Mr. Devlin thought it would be mutually beneficial, right?”
“Not exactly,” he confessed, “you see, my Polar Bear has known from the second I first laid eyes on you that you were the one for me,” he said wondering if she’d know his meaning without him confessing it all.
“Has he?”
“Yes. It’s always been you, Maya,” he whispered.
“I’d like to meet him, your Bear,” she followed the movement of his lips with her eyes, swaying closer with every breath.
Hell, it was heady to know that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He was beginning to feel like some kind of pervert. He couldn’t go two hours without picturing her naked or thinking about the ways he was going to make her young body tremble and quake beneath his.
It was getting hazardous now, he grinned thinking about how he almost had his head taken off earlier that day in one of his training sessions with the other Enforcers.
Tonic’s mind had trailed back to her lovely image at an inopportune moment, which was, of course, when Bolder had struck with a roundhouse kick that left him seeing stars for a few moments.
It was all fine and good now of course. Especially after he’d pinned his brother and gave him the mother of all wedgies. It was a brother thing.
His Bear chuffed inside his head and he thought about what Maya had said. She had a point. Maya had never been introduced to his inner Polar Bear. She’d yet to come face to face with his animal, and that was not something he could avoid much longer.
The beast yearned to be close to her, and where he feared his animal was a bit volatile, even Tonic had to admit, he could never hurt her.
“How about tomorrow?” he asked and brought his hands up to either side of her neck.
Her pulse began to race, and her heartbeat sounded loud as she smiled at him and nodded her head happily.
“Come here, I’ve gone hungry too long,” he growled and caught her mouth with his sighing with pure joy as he claimed her lips once more.
Would he ever tire of kissing her this way? The answer was a resounding no. She was everything to him. Her mouth moved under his fluidly, perfectly, reeling him in and holding him tight.
She made a sound like a purr deep in her throat, wrapping her essence tightly around him with every stroke of her lips and tongue. Being with her was pure heaven.
“Maya,” he breathed her name, repeating it over and over again like a litany of worship she so rightfully deserved.
He sipped from her lips like she was some fine vintage. One that experts would sample and spit out, but no, not him. She was much too good to relinquish and he was far too greedy to part with even a drop.
This was not some casual thing. She was not to be used and cast aside, nor was she a princess in an ivory tower. She was his mate. His aippak.
This was real. She was real. Made of flesh and blood with a scent like roses on the vine and skin soft as blooming petals. Maya was all woman, and she was all his.
He took either side of her button-down shirt in his hands and opened his eyes, riveting them to hers while he tore the thing in half. The muted violence of the act only served to fan the flames of their passion.
Tonic swallowed her gasped moan as he treated the rest of their garments to more of the same. He had no head for fashion. Couldn’t care any less about clothes or material things. If she wanted, he would replace them. Hell, he would give it all to her. Everything she ever wanted.
“Those were my favorite underwear,” she grinned and bit his lower lip in a way that tempted him to near madness.
“I’ll buy you more,” he promised.
“As long as you promise to rip them off me too,” she returned then cried his name aloud as his teeth scraped down her neck and his mouth covered her hardened nipple.
He tugged on the plump berry with his teeth, until she was pulling him by the hair. Not pulling, pushing, he thought with a wicked grin as she leaned back and opened her legs.
Grabbing his head, Maya shoved him down to where she wanted him. He had to admit he enjoyed it when she got demanding. Loved seeing that little assertive spark he found so damned sexy.
“What do you want, aippak?” he blew hot air against her glistening curls, watching the betraying flex of her hips.
She was wet and more than ready. Her needy little clit was swollen and oh so close to his lips, but he wouldn’t take her in his mouth. Not until she told him.
“Kiss me,” she moaned and rolled her hips once more enticingly.
“Where? Here?” he asked and kissed her thigh, “Or here?” he growled and dropped a kiss on her curls.
More and more. Closer and closer. Tonic left a trail of little kisses, meant to rouse, always near, but never quite reaching the spot where she wanted him most.
“Tonic,” she growled his name and he swore he heard her she-Bear, the one she’d buried so deep inside herself, come through, “please.”
“Tell me what you want, or you won’t get it.”
“I want your tongue on me, your lips, your fingers. Kiss me, lick me, fill me,” her blue eyes glowed to almost white as she made her demands and he’d never felt so fucking proud of her as he did in that heated exchange.
“Watch me, aippak,” he said and opened his mouth, lowering his head, but never his gaze, as his tongue and lips found her dripping sex.
Maya cried out, but she stayed with him. Move for move, she writhed and wiggled, matching the thrusts of his fingers while his mouth closed over her tight nubbin. And the whole time her eyes never left his, their glow never subsided.
“Need,” she moaned, and yes, he felt that too.
His Polar Bear surged forward, the creature anxious to give her everything and more. All that he had. Tonic had never done this before, never felt this way, but even as his fangs descended he understood what she needed.
“I got you,” he told her, “let go, come for me,” with that growled command he scraped one long fang against her clit.
Maya yelled out loud. An incoherent, deep, guttural sound that made his dick harder than steel. Tonic’s claw-tipped fingers tore at his pants and briefs before retreating back to normal fingernails so as not to hurt her.
He moved up her body, breathing heavily, uncertainty in his gaze, but Maya made it all okay. She cupped his face, relieving him of doubt, of all thought, and in that one moment she communicated to him everything she felt.
Mate, something inside of her announced it to him and Maya pulled Tonic down for an openmouthed kiss.
That other voice was gone, or maybe, it was his ability to think that had flown the coop. He so loved kissing her mouth. Especially when he still tasted of her juices, and she didn’t shy away.