grazed over her clit, she whimpered and pushed backward, seeking the relief that only he could give her.
He ran his hands down her back and reached underneath her to tweak a nipple. She cried out when he pinched hard. He chuckled darkly and soon gave her other breast the same rough treatment.
“You are so beautiful, little human.” His deep voice drifted over her like a possessive caress, and she shivered in response. “I am grateful that you’re mine and I vow to you that I will protect you always.”
Her throat burned at the conviction in his tone.
“I-I’m grateful that you’re mine too,” she said in a trembling whisper, overcome with both emotion and arousal.
“I love you, human,” he said, and for several long moments she couldn’t breathe. “I never expected to love another, not after… but I do. I love you.”
All at once, the world tilted on its axis. Had she misheard him? She swallowed past the abrupt dryness in her mouth and struggled to process this new information. She was already aware that he cared about her, that he felt possessive of her, but love… love was different.
Love was scary, so scary that she’d refused to allow herself to even contemplate the question of her loving him.
She cared about him of course, and had he died from the knife wound she would’ve been devastated. Utterly heartbroken, in fact.
“It’s all right if you don’t love me, Layla,” he said, running a hand through her dark tresses, sweeping her locks aside so he might better see her face, not allowing her to hide behind a veil of hair. “I don’t expect you to.”
Tears blurring her vision, she peered over her shoulder, and when her eyes collided with his, she finally allowed herself to examine the depths of her heart, to explore the parts of herself that she’d tried so very hard to keep closed off to Zamek. Walls crumbled to dust, shields clattered to the ground, and warmth and light flowed through her as her heart was finally, finally laid bare before him.
In the midst of the destruction, in the center of her unguarded soul, the answer stared her so clearly in the face that she felt like a fool for not having realized the truth sooner. She did love him.
She pushed herself off the pillows, turned around, and grasped his face.
The dark depths of his eyes lit with surprise, and he froze. Even his chest stopped rising and falling. He was holding his breath, waiting for her to speak.
“But I do love you,” she said softly, and some of the tightness in her chest eased.
The shock in his gaze burned brighter. He stared at her as if she’d just sprouted antennas. Her smile broadened and warmth flooded her.
“Wife,” he said in a tone filled with affection. “My wife.” He cupped her face firmly. “I would have never dared to dream of holding your heart, but oh how it pleases me.” He swallowed hard and gave his head a slight, disbelieving shake. A brilliant smile soon broke across his face.
She nudged the pillows aside, lay down on her back, and parted her thighs.
“Make love to me like this,” she said. “Please.”
His nostrils flared and he pounced on her, settling himself between her thighs and leaning down to kiss her. This time, he was rough, and she clutched onto his arms and struggled to take in air through her nose as he deepened the kiss. Her heart beat rapidly and she groaned when he thrust into her, driving his cock fast and deep.
As he set a rapid pace of claiming her, of loving her, he withdrew from the kiss to stare into her eyes, holding her gaze as their bodies joined and they officially consummated their union.
“I still plan to breed you,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “I’ll fill you with my seed fifty fluxxing times a day if that’s what it takes to finally see your stomach swell with our child.”
She flushed all over and tightened her grip on his arms. She tried not to think about how rare Kall-human pregnancies were. Only human females who possessed a specific and very rare genetic mutation could conceive a baby with a Kall male. Oh but how her heart ached with longing at the thought of having a child with Zamek.
He swirled a finger over her clit as he pumped into her, and the headboard banged against the wall with his every rapid thrust. Just as pleasure swept over her and she cried