Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
She knew he was right. She felt emotions intensely. She had from the time she was a child. His fingers in her hair wreaked havoc with her senses. She was too tired to fight her body’s reaction to him. She was going to crash hard. She knew she was, and she just didn’t care. She did care about what he needed from her.
“Say it,” she encouraged. “I’m not making promises, but I’ll try to help you.”
“I will warn you it is an unreasonable request, and I’m well aware of that fact.”
He was stalling. This confident, bordering-on-arrogant man was stalling, reluctant to tell her what his unreasonable request was. She could tell it meant something to him.
He straightened in one graceful move, a fluid, easy movement. Muscles rippled beneath his shirt, fascinating her. He very carefully removed the pack she still had around her neck and tossed it to the little table close to the hammock before shimmering nearly transparent and then materializing completely in the middle of the woven threads. Easily, he caught her around the waist and eased her body beside his.
She should have fought that far-too-intimate position, but she was just too tired. Instead, she cuddled up to his warmth, and when he took her wrist to draw her arm across his waist, she let him.
“I would very much like you to help me out by not speaking mind to mind to Luiz, or any other man, without inviting me into the conversation.”
She closed her eyes against the ominous burning behind her eyes. She didn’t want to cry. Tears were useless, and she was so exhausted she nearly forgot what she wanted to sob her heart out over.
“I don’t really understand why it would bother you that Luiz talks to me. He is my cousin. Believe me, I know when a man is interested, and he most certainly is not.”
“That doesn’t matter. I need your help to deal with this while I’m learning to handle the emotions.”
As if he knew her head felt like it was stuck in a vise, he began a slow massage of her scalp. She had to admit that felt nice.
“I’m not telepathic.” It didn’t matter that Luiz had said she was. She had never spoken mind to mind to anyone before her cousin. She tipped her head to look at Tomas. “I would help you if I could, but Luiz bridges the gap between us. I wouldn’t have the first clue how to invite you in.”
“It is easy enough to establish a connection between us.”
She nearly came off the hammock, but one arm locked around her waist as if he knew she would attempt to bolt.
“Absolutely not if your solution is the same as Luiz’s. I’m not okay with any of this. It’s crazy. The entire lifemate thing. It isn’t just crazy, it’s scary and wrong. I don’t like anyone taking away my rights as a human being. Or as a woman. You don’t get to make my decisions or tell me what to do.”
He waited, unmoving, not responding until she lay back against him and relaxed. His fingers settled on her scalp, and he began that slow massage that was taking away the headache from hell.
“I would like to promise you that I would not make decisions for you, or that I wouldn’t tell you what to do. For instance, I told you I wouldn’t enter your mind, but your head is hurting. I can easily take that away. I need to take the pain away. You’re my lifemate, and that means I see to your care. I’ve held off in order to get your consent, but I know, if you do not give it to me, I will still remove the headache.”
As confessions went, it was straightforward. He was being honest with her. She didn’t like what he said, and yet she did. She didn’t know if she was confused and conflicted because she was too tired and couldn’t think logically or because her head pounded and she feared she might start throwing up. Maybe that would send Tomas packing. A vomiting lifemate. Lovely.
“Woman, you’re too much sometimes.” There was definite amusement in his voice. “I don’t have to read your mind to know your thoughts. When you’re tired, you broadcast fairly loudly, at least to me. I would like your permission to take away the pain in your head.”
What was the use of saying no when he’d already informed her he would simply do it anyway? And it would be wonderful if the migraine was gone. Sometimes they lasted for days.
“Have at it. Both of your brothers called me sisarke. What does it mean?”
“It is a term of endearment meant only for family. It means little sister. The three of us always wanted to have that. You are already in their hearts and minds. They consider you family and hope that one day you will feel the same about them.”