“Nothing, this is nice,” I answered. “It just doesn’t seem real.”
Kaleem smiled. “This is real, and I want you to get used to this. I want you to get used to being pampered and loved. We have so many lifetimes ahead of us, but we have many years to make up for.”
I held his cheek.
“So do I,” I replied, but I didn’t take the strawberry.
I looked around us at Kaleem’s effort to make me happy. He’d done so much for me, and I haven’t down half as much. He’d been kind to me while I was too blinded by anger, and he welcomed my Dad and me when he knew it would cause issues with Colin.
He fought for my father and gave his all to protect us.
He deserved to be surprised and pampered too. He deserved to be told he was my only and greatest love. I was forced to be tough for so long, to hide my emotions and not show weakness, that now, when I wanted to be vulnerable for him, I didn’t know how.
“I’m not…” I took a breath. “I’m not very romantic,” I whispered while looking away. “I know that, and you deserve to be pampered too, Kaleem, and to be told you’re loved because, Goddess, I love you, you have no idea. You have no idea how grateful I am to you and just how perfect you are.”
I faced him and found him staring at me, listening tentatively as he always was.
“But I’m ready to do better, to…” I laughed and rubbed at my forehead, but my heart was hammering away although I was laughing. “I’m ready to be your Luna and be someone you deserve and the pack too, but while I might not say it often or show it often with grand gestures, I love you. I really hope you know how much I love you.”
I was starting to get emotional. I wanted him to feel what I was and know the profound and explosive feelings I had for him, even without our mate bond.
I exhaled when he kissed my temple and laid his cheek on mine.
“Diana, I love you just as you are,” he said, and I closed my eyes. “I don’t need grand gestures from you. I just want you. I needyou. You don’t show your love the way I do, and that’s fine.” He pulled back to cup my cheek. “You show your love in your support, loyalty, and devotion to the people you care about.”
“You’re passionate when you need to be about the important things, and you’ll fight tooth and nail to protect your own. You don’t have to mentally prepare to be anything to me or the pack. You’re already a Luna. You’re already someone people look up to, that I look up to and respect, and that’s because of who you are.”
When a tear fell from my eye, he kissed it.
“I love you,” he said. “And I know you love me. Never think I don’t know. I knew even when you were lying to yourself.” I smacked his arm, and he laughed. “I don’t want you to cry tonight, okay? I want you to enjoy tonight, enjoy this moment between us that I’ve ensured will not be interrupted by anyone or anything.”
“Except rain,” I laughed, and so did he.
“Except that,” he agreed. “But I’m hopeful.”
He pinched my chin and moved my leg, so it was thrown over his. “I only hope when we have a daughter she’ll be as loyal as you and that she’ll cherish me as much as you cherish your father.” He leaned back and grew serious. “What you two have, it’s an incredible bond. I know you wanted him to be here, in the pack with you, but no amount of distance can ruin what the both of you have. Mathieu’s a great man, and a great father.”
“He is, and you’ll be an amazing father, too,” I told him. “There is no doubting that or a need to hope you’ll be loved by our kids.”
He didn’t say anything after that. He only stared at me. I decided then I wanted our kids to have his eyes. There were so beautifully unique, like the universe and stars.
“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” he asked, and I nodded.
“We have so much further to go,” I whispered while my eyes darted to his lips.
I was waiting for him to make the first move, but I could do what I wanted. Couldn’t I? So I kissed him gently, and he kissed me back. His hand slid around to my nape and our embrace deepened while I shuffled closer to him.
I tasted the strawberry and the wine we’d been drinking on his lips, and my shoulders dropped, my defenses down.
When he tried to lie me down, I pulled away and straddled him instead. Tonight I was going to take the lead to start. Tonight I was going to worship him as he always did to me.
I kissed his forehead, temple, cheek, and lips while lying him down, and my kisses traveled to his neck, chest, and stomach. His body was so hard yet soft and incredibly hot both to the touch and eyes. I wanted to devour him, and I planned to.
I nibbled on his side while pulling his pants down, and his member sprang free.
When I grasped it in my hand, Kaleem stiffened, and I smiled. He had control of my body, and I was glad it was the same with the tables turned. I had him in the palm of my hand, literally, and I kissed the slick tip of his manhood.
He hissed when my mouth slipped over his hardness, and I looked up to watch his eyes roll back.