When she finally emerged, she was wearing a white, glittering gown that hugged her body in delicious ways. If she thought they would be talking while she wore that, then she was sorely mistaken.
“I didn’t say we had to talk first,” she told him, his thoughts coming through their bond loud and clear.
“And do you really think there will be any talking after I am done with you?” Lucian’s eyes perused his mate’s lovely form.
“If you leave me with enough energy to gripe at you over your possessive obsession of ‘not sharing an inch of my flesh with another living being,’ as you so eloquently put it, then you might as well leave now.”
Lucian couldn’t help the deep chuckle. “You sound frustrated, beloved.”
“I would like to sound satisfied. Do you think you could assist me with that, my wolf?” Her eyes glowed as she walked toward him with the grace the fae were known for.
He patted the bed beside him. “Leave the gown on,” he ordered before she could use her power to make it disappear. Her flesh broke out in goose bumps at his command, and he could hear her heartbeat increase.
She laid next to him on her side, her elbow propping her up. Lucian rolled to face her. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled her to him until their bodies touched from ankle to chest. The hand resting on her hip gathered the material so that it crept up her body, revealing her delicate skin inch after inch. When he’d finally gotten the gown high enough that he could touch her silken flesh, they both moaned.
“I want you to make me a promise.” Lucian’s hand continued to push the gown up further. His female’s eyes fluttered as she tried to focus on his words, but through the bond, he could feel her senses were mostly focused on his touch. “We will never sleep apart again. I don’t care where in the world you are, or I am, or what we’re doing. You have the ability to make sure we’re together. Promise me you will always return to my side when we sleep.” Lucian had exercised much restraint in their relationship when it came to his possessiveness, but after seeing his sister in-law and brother lose their lives, he knew that there were some things he was no longer willing to give up. Holding his mate in his arms while she slept was one of them. No matter how long or how short their time left in this life was, Lucian wanted every day to end like this. With them together, where they belonged.
Peri’s hand reached up and cupped his cheek. Her eyes met his, and Lucian felt her love flowing through the bond. “You realize there is nothing you could ask of me that I would ever deny you, right?”
He nodded. “Just as you realize I would never ask of you something that would divide your heart between us and your duties. But this is something I need. And if you can’t come to me, then you can bring me to you.”
“I promise,” she whispered and leaned closer. His female did not press her lips to his but waited for him to take the lead. It was something Lucian treasured. This strong woman with immense power, who had led thousands in battle, preferred her mate be the one to take her. It was in the privacy of their room that Lucian had the privilege of seeing a side of his amazing mate that no one else ever would. Laid bare, vulnerable, flush with her desire and need of him, she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever beheld.
By the time he finally leaned forward and kissed her, her gown had been torn in two, and Lucian had given up any pretense of patience. He’d missed his mate fiercely, and as she responded to his touch, his kiss, and his passion, he knew she’d forgiven him for his gruff statement that he’d wanted the human’s hands, female or not, off his mate’s skin.
“You’re not totally forgiven yet,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he kissed his way down her body. “By the time I’m done, you won’t remember that there’d been any other hands on you.”
“I’m counting on it, wolf.”
*****
Jen stumbled out of her room and into the main living area of the suite. She glanced around and saw the other females of their group in various states of wakefulness. All of them were still in their sleep clothes.
“By the looks of y’all, I’m guessing you were each rode hard and put up wet? And I mean that in the best possible way.”
Rachel coughed on the cup of coffee she’d been sipping from at Jen’s words.
“The original meaning of that phrase has no ‘best possible way’ scenario in it,” Sally pointed out.
“Not from where I’m standing.” Jen plopped down on an empty spot on the couch. “Well, sitting,” she corrected.
“Was anyone else surprised that their mate was here?” Zara asked.
A chorus of “nope” filled the room.
“Huh.” Zara frowned and squeezed herself in between Jen and Jacque.
“Don’t worry.” Jacque patted Zara’s leg. “You’ll learn that no matter what you say, your mate will always show up when you tell him you want girl time.”
“Why?” Zara asked.
Jen snorted. “Because their brains do not recognize any words that eliminate them from the equation, in any scenario, when it pertains to their mates.”
Zara seemed to think about Jen’s words for a moment before saying, “That was a very complicated sentence.”
“It will make perfect sense after all the sex endorphins leave your system.”
“So, they’re all gone?” Crina asked.
Jen frowned. “The sex endorphins? Hell if I know. Everybody’s body is different.”
“She meant the guys.” Jacque rolled her eyes. “Are all the guys gone?”
This time, a chorus of “yep” went around the room.
“And the kids, too,” Jacque added.
“Wait.” Zara spoke up again, sounding a little less drowsy. “How on earth did y’all get ‘rode hard,’” she held up quotation fingers, “if you had kids with you?”
“It’s called allergy medicine,” Jen said as Jacque and Sally nodded, “sans the non-drowsy bit.”
Zara’s eyes widened. “You drugged your kids so you could…” She paused and seemed to search for words that were a little less crass than “got rode hard.” Lucky for her, Jen had no such aversions.
“So we could get our cowgirl on? Have rough, angry sex in retaliation for being told we had to give up our very expensive massages?”
“Uh, yeah, that,” Zara said lamely.
Jacque laughed. “No, we didn’t drug our kids. But your face was hilarious, and I could tell you were trying to determine if you should remember that maneuver for when you had kids.”
“So how did…” Zara began.
“Believe it or not, wildcat,” Sally smiled, “even Canis lupus males have a quieter side when it comes to being intimate. And when your kid is as old as ours, you can simply lift their sleeping body and put them on the couch in another room for a little while.”
Zara’s eyes jumped to Jen. “It wasn’t the males I was wondering about keeping quiet.”
Snorts of laughter filled the room.
“You learn new tricks when you have a mini-me,” Jen shrugged.