Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
And I fucking treasured it.
“Um, thanks for the flowers and candlelight,” I mumbled.
Aleksei huffed a laugh against my neck, then nuzzled there and shifted some of his weight to a forearm.
I stroked his hair.
Because I could.
I played with a curl at the end.
Also because I could.
With my other hand, I traced the tips of my fingers down the hollow of his spine.
Ditto on the because I could.
His lips came to my ear.
“I fuck hard, darling,” he whispered.
“I didn’t miss that, drahko,” I replied.
He lifted his head and looked down at me.
Lilith, he was beautiful.
And mine, mine, mine.
I moved my hand to his jaw, ran a thumb through the hollow below his cheekbone, across his luscious lower lip.
Yes, because I could.
“Bissi.”
I gazed into his eyes.
The violet was gone.
I missed it.
“But I’ve never fucked that hard. Are you okay?” he asked.
“Dandy.”
“Certain?”
“What about me in the melted pile of female you’ve made of me indicates I’m not one hundred percent preening that I landed a mate who fucks like a rocket.”
Aleksei started chuckling.
Way, way, way the best way to hear and feel him do that.
“You’re remaining hard,” I whispered with no small amount of surprise.
“That’s new too,” he whispered back. “I could fuck you again right now.”
Oh my.
“Seems this mate thing might ultimately have some bonuses,” I noted.
“Seems like,” he teased.
“Are we going to do that?”
“Are you going to be honest with me and tell me the actual state I’ve left of your pretty pink cunt?”
I darted my eyes side to side.
His hand still curled around my neck squeezed. “Laura.”
I looked at him. “Okay, she might need a wee break.”
Instantly, but gently, slowly, and mind-bogglingly sweetly, he slid out.
He then fell to his back, but he pulled me around and tucked me to his side.
This very much worked.
New terrain.
I trailed my fingertips over the swells, peaks and valleys of his chest.
“You’re very easily seduced,” he told the ceiling.
I tipped my head back to look at him.
He dipped his jaw down to catch my eyes.
He looked satisfied, even arrogant.
It was hot.
“Don’t annoy me,” I warned. “It might mess with my enjoyment of the pot roast you made me.”
He immediately assumed an offended expression that wasn’t entirely playful.
“Prime rib roast, darling,” he corrected.
I smiled at him. “But of course.”
He drifted his hand to the cheek of my bottom, but he simply cupped it before he said with a warning tone, “We have plans tonight, Laura.”
Of course, he’d steer us back to that.
I sighed. “We do.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t throw yourself at me to avoid them, did you?”
I made a mental note to load that in my arsenal for the future.
He squeezed my behind. “I saw that.”
I focused on him. “Saw what?”
“You filing that away for future use.”
“I would never play those kind of games,” I sniffed (and lied).
He pulled me fully onto his chest and then tucked my hair behind my ears.
A lot of it still fell to curtain our faces anyway, but it was sweet how he did that.
“One thing that’s good to know. My creature and I are both a lot less tense, not only now that you’re home, but now that I’ve had you.”
Not seemingly able to get enough of him, my fingertips trailed his jaw, then his neck, the column of his throat, his collarbone.
They did that as I said, “That’s good.”
He wrapped his arms around me, gave me a squeeze, and said, “All right, darling. Let’s go eat.”
And part two of me wishing we could stay in bed.
But this was us.
Now and forever.
I needed to know his.
He needed to know mine.
Once it was done, it could be done.
And we could get on with it.
So might as well get it done.
Even if it was going to suck.
Though, luckily, once it was done, we could go back to bed.
Chapter 19
Unique
Cozy night at home, post-coital, with my ridiculously handsome mate meant Aleksei put the white long-sleeved T-shirt back on, with some charcoal-gray sleep pants.
I donned a pair of soft-knit, ballet-pink lounge pants, a matching shelf-bra cami, and a slightly darker, lightweight, shawl-neck cashmere cardigan.
And together, holding hands (he was so totally cute), barefoot, we walked down to the kitchen.
Fortunately, our bed frolics didn’t burn the roast.
Also fortunately, Aleksei had a fully stocked wine room (of course he would, he sure had the room for it), and the red he selected might not be as good as Chateau LeBrand, but it was smooth, rich and tasty.
And we both discovered (at least I hoped it was both of us) that tinkering around, putting the finishing touches on a meal together was relaxing and kind of fun.
Aleksei didn’t mess with courses.
So the salad, rolls, meat (with jus and delicious homemade horseradish sauce), buttered asparagus and fondant potatoes he served all at once.
And I knew, once we settled, and after I’d only had one bite of the crisp lettuce tossed in a creamy, peppery, garlicky dressing, he wasn’t leaving anything to chance.