And earned a glare from the Dark One.
“Well.” Ethan stood. “We could sit here all day or—”
All eyes fell to me. “Yeah, yeah.” I stood and grimaced. “I’ll get to work. Does anyone know what the female eats?”
“Try food.” Ethan winked. “Same as Genesis.”
Genesis walked over to me and patted my hand. “I’ll go shopping with you.”
“The hell you will.” Ethan growled his eyes flashing green, fangs lowering.
With a sigh, I tilted my head in his direction. “Do you truly think me incapable of taking care of your mate?” My question hung awkwardly in the air because Ethan knew my shame: when it mattered most, my own ha
d died in my very arms.
My stomach churned.
Nausea threatened.
“I’ll be fine, Ethan.” Genesis rolled her eyes and whispered out of the corner of her mouth, “Take me to the mall and I’ll find you the biggest pinecone you’ve ever seen, after that you can check on Alex.”
She made me smile.
Because she reminded me of what I had lost.
“You have yourself a deal.” I winked.
Hope
SMALL WAVES OF heat pulsated through my body in perfect cadence with the movement of his tongue, like he was creating the force itself with his mouth.
I wanted him.
But I didn’t want to want him.
He was kissing me because that’s what he was — a siren.
And I was kissing him back because I was weak.
And the heat had finally lifted — he tasted like fresh rain, like water — life. I couldn’t kiss him hard enough, or get close enough. My body trembled with the need to somehow crawl into him.
The world around me faded away — and all I knew was his mouth, his fingers as they dug into my skin, and the taste of rain on his tongue as I drank my fill.
A sudden image of us kissing flashed in my mind and disappeared.
My brain told me to pull away.
My body convinced me that if I did — I’d die.
Give yourself to me.
A voice whispered.
It was faint, but strong, the words caressed my body, swirled around inside my head, I could taste them on my tongue just like I tasted Alex.
Give yourself to me.
Alex’s hands increased their pressure as they lifted me against his strong body. His tongue retreated just as molten heat exploded through my body.