He kissed her moist temple. “That was amazing, just like you. Thank you.”
“Likewise.”
Sitting back so he could see her face, he grinned at her smug expression. “Satisfied?”
“Very!”
“When did you get such a naughty vocabulary, lady?”
“The potential was always there, but it’s just how you affect me, I suppose. You bring out my inner slut.” She winked.
“Damn, now I do feel lucky!” Laughing, she eased off his lap. His softened dick slipped out of its cozy home and he winced at the mess. “I think a shower is in order for both of us.”
“I think you’re right. Was that an invitation?”
“Are you kidding? You can soap my back anytime you want.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
As they dressed and gathered their clothes, Kalen smiled at this cool, playful side of Mackenzie’s nature. He loved it. He tried to recall a time when he’d felt lighter. Happier. Not in years had he felt this way, and he wished with all his heart that it could last.
A man could dream.
And he would, because dreams might be all he’d ever have.
Six
On the return drive, Mac went back and forth between cursing herself for a fool and basking in the sheer wonderment of making love with Kalen in her favorite spot.
Lord, that had been hot! No man had ever affected her the way he did, made her long to crawl under his skin and stay there. Made her need to hold him, feel his body moving against hers, possessing her.
The man was trouble, but he was her trouble. And she was falling for him harder every day.
There had to be a way to help him defeat Malik, and they’d just keep searching until they found it. Kalen couldn’t go on much longer being torn between good and evil. Earlier, when he’d shown such hatred for his parents and when he drifted off a couple of times with that blank expression on his face, he’d frightened her. The Unseelie was doing his best to control the Sorcerer, but the longer she and Kalen were together, the more that seemed to help him come back to himself.
She fervently prayed Malik didn’t catch on.
Kalen’s hand came to rest on her thigh, bringing her back to the present. He just left it there, and she liked the way his palm on her leg felt warm and sort of possessive, as though he couldn’t bear not to touch some part of her even for a little bit.
Stealing a quick glance at him, she admired his profile. She loved how his black hair feathered around his handsome face and fell to his shoulders. It was a noble profile, she thought, his nose straight, brow arched, with a jaw that wasn’t square, but curved. His lips were full, and his air of vulnerability was at war with his strength—both figuratively and literally.
And studying his many physical attributes was making her panties wet. Again.
Something about this man made it impossible for her to resist. She felt a very real pull toward him that wasn’t just physical but seemed connected to her soul as well. Which could find her paddling up shit creek very soon. However, she knew to her depths that this man was worth the fight.
How sad that only one other person in his life—his grandmother—had ever believed the same.
“Mackenzie?”
“Hmm?”
“I was just thinking that it’s been a few weeks since we were together that first time. . . .”
She nodded. “Yes. And?”
“And, um, I haven’t had any symptoms,” he said slowly. “You know, like Jax or Aric.”
“No mating fever, no aches or pains. I’d noticed.” Still, she had to quell a jolt of disappointment at hearing him acknowledge that fact aloud.
“You’re the doctor. What do you think that means?” Anxiety colored his voice. “Are we not mates? And if we’re not, why is my panther trying to shred me from the inside out because I didn’t claim you today?”
At that, she cut him a quick glance, unable to mask her surprise. “He is?”
“Shit, yeah.” He grimaced. “The fucker’s done nothing but snarl at me for the past fifteen minutes.”
A glimmer of happiness unfurled in her chest. “I don’t know why, exactly. But we do know you’re not like other shifters. You’re a Sorcerer first, a shifter second. You’re magic personified. Your physiology isn’t like the others’, so it stands to reason there will be differences between you and them.”
“So we could be mates?”
Gripping the steering wheel, she cleared her throat, trying not to sound overly eager. “It’s possible. You say your panther feels a pull toward me.”
“Not just him, all of me,” he said.
“How would you feel about us being Bondmates, considering you wanted to break things off before?”
“Jesus.” He blew out a breath. “Didn’t I make my feelings clear by now? I want you in my life. I shouldn’t because of the mess I’m in, because I’m afraid of dragging you down with me, but I can’t help myself any longer. Can you give me another shot?”
Could she? There was no question, really. She wanted him. And she had more than her own life and happiness to think about. She laid a hand over his, which was resting on her thigh.
“I’d like that. Let’s take it one step at a time, okay?”
“Yes!” Leaning over, he planted a big kiss on her mouth, almost causing her to run off the road. “Thank you, honey. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret it.”
Straightening the car, she laughed. “Just don’t run us into a tree before we get to find out.”
“Sorry.” The wink told her he wasn’t very repentant.
The day might’ve gotten off to a rocky start, but the second half of their outing was definitely a home run. Now if they could keep him safe from the Unseelie asshole, things would be fantastic.
Back at the compound, they walked in together hand in hand. Mac wasn’t sure being open about their relationship was the best thing for Kalen. She didn’t want him getting more grief from Nick and the Pack than he already had. Like it or not, Kalen was one of the rookies, while the guys had known Mac for years. They were protective of her, and Kalen was still a wild card to them. They were wary of which side Kalen would be on when the dust settled.