“You’re shaking.” The worry in Jett’s voice was nearly tangible.
“Well, yeah. Hypothermia is a very real thing. It’s not like the ocean is a warm place to hang out.”
Jett chuckled. “Right. I’ll take you home and help you warm up.”
"How many hunters are left?" she asked.
"As far as I can tell, none. They all came after you, and you..." he swallowed hard, squeezing her to him.
Just being in his arms was making a difference. His hot shifter body wasn’t just hot, it was also as warm as could be. She nuzzled into his side and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“You know what works really well for warming people? Skin to skin contact.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
He laughed again. “You’re impossible, Selene. We just survived an attack and here you are trying to seduce me.”
“Skin to skin is the only thing that will warm me up.”
“Well, then I would hate to be the cause of any pain for you.” His eyes sparkled with love and lust. It made Selene dizzy, but in a good way.
Taking her into his arms, Jett rushed them to his house. Selene closed her eyes and counted every one of his breaths.
“You’re hurt,” she said as the house came into view.
“I’ll heal very quickly. I’m a shifter. It’s nothing more than a flesh wound.”
When Jett set her down to help out of her boots, she was even more cold. His absence made her shiver, and she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms again.
“Skin to skin, remember?” Selene managed to say as her teeth continue to chatter uncontrollably. His soft, warm lips pressed to her temple in a continuous kiss as he carried her to the bedroom.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked her.
Selene appreciated the sentiment, she did. He was being thoughtful and caring. It was nice, but at that very moment, there was only one thing on her mind. She had fought for her life, done a shit ton of magic, and she hadn’t even passed out. That was a different kind of magic all together.
Now there was only one kind of magic she wanted to do and it was the dirty, naked kind with Jett buried deep inside of her while he made her come again and again.
She wanted to celebrate being alive. She wanted to make sure she took full advantage of her life. And that life would start with Jett. If he was her mate, then she would lean into it completely and take on that role. It wouldn’t be any kind of hardship. He was hot, sweet, and wonderful. What more could a lady want?
“Maybe I should run you a warm bath. You could soak in it a bit and then we can see how you’re feeling.”
“Don’t make me do another strip show, Jett, because I swear to god, I will do it. I will be a stripping block of ice.”
“Why is it suddenly so important to get naked?” his brow was furrowed and she reached out to smooth out the lines.
He was much more beautiful when he was smiling. Those rare smiles were only for her, and she wanted all of them.
“It’s important because we just went through the fight of our lives. The entire time I was fighting, I was thinking about the mating thing. I should have pushed for it. We both should have. We love each other. We had sex-addled brains. Now, will you fuck me and make me yours forever or what?”
Jett’s jaw dropped wide open. He wasn’t breathing or blinking. He pretty much looked like a statue.
“Now, do you want me to be your mate, yes or no, Jett Arrowood?”
“Yes,” he said immediately. He cupped her face and kissed her lips softly. “Yes,” he repeated before kissing her again. “Yes.”
This time the kiss was longer and deeper. His tongue traveled into her mouth, and Selene wrapped her arms around his neck to keep them completely connected.
“I don’t deserve you, you know,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry, but no. None of that. We have already learned that is bullshit. You know you’re not worthless. You know you have strengths, Jett. You don’t need to keep telling yourself the lies you’ve been hearing and believing all your life. Love isn’t about deserving. It’s about receiving and giving. You love me, right?”
He gave her a nod, but his eyes were cloudy with the emotion. Selene could feel it.
“And I love you. So long as we keep on loving each other, treating each other with respect, and cherishing what we have,” she placed her hand against his heart to demonstrate what she meant, “then that’s all there is. You don’t have to be the best man in the world to love, Jett. You just have to treat me right.”
His licked his lips. “I’m going to forget that sometimes,” he said.
It was her time to nod. “Yup. And I’ll just have to keep reminding you. That’s what love is, raising each other up when the other is down.”
“I do love you, Selene. Are you sure you want to be my mate?” he asked her against her lips.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I don’t have the best of histories. I have a checkered past.”
“Stop trying to talk me out of this relationship. I love you, you love me, and we are mates. That’s that. It’s final. I choose you, Jett. And I will always choose you.”
He swallowed hard and slowly, his sad smile was replaced by one full of light and warmth. It did more to warm Selene than any hot bath could have.
Jett was quick at peeling off the wet clothes from her body. She was still shivering, but somehow, without the damp clothes pressing against her skin, Selene felt warmer. He reached behind her to unclip her bra, and the garment hadn’t even hit the floor before he was closing his lips against one of her pebbled nipples.
“You taste like sea water,” he said. “Not like you. We can’t have that. Not if we’re going to be mating.”
Selene looked at him questioningly, but before she could formulate a question, he had picked her up off the ground and he was carrying her into the en suite bathroom.
“I don’t want a hot bath,” she pouted.
“We’ll just hop in the shower real quick.”
He turned on the water to the highest possible setting and helped Selene into the shower. He placed her directly under the spray, and she had to admit the hot water cascading down her freezing body felt really good. The air was thick with steam, and even that felt delicious against her skin.
Jett was running his hands all across her body, rubbing at her skin to help her warm up. He kissed the line of her collarbone before closing his mouth against her nipple. This time he moaned as he did.
“That’s better,” he whispered against her heated skin. “So much better.”
Before Selene could respond, Jett was on his knees in the shower. He draped one of her legs over his shoulder, putting his face right at her pussy’s level. She wanted to be coy and ask him what he was doing, but she couldn’t find her voice. She knew just how good he was at giving her pleasure with his mouth, and all she could do was tangle her hands in his hair and hold on.
The first lick he took of her was slow and long, as if he were taking his time with her. He lapped at her with languid movements, never actually hitting the one spot where she wanted him. Had she had more leverage, she would have hiked her hips up for more pressure, but in this position, she was completely at his mercy.