his time as he plundered her mouth and held her right where he wanted her. “I don’t want to share this with anyone. You are mine. Mine. And no one else will ever see or hear what you share with me.”
Part of her wanted to defy him and fight for the stimulation she wanted to feel again. Most of her wanted to follow his command, to submit and accept his decision. Something told her that she would be rewarded for her obedience. She craved his praise and found it easy to nod and say, “Yes, sir.”
As if understanding how hard it was for her to ignore the demands of her body, he nuzzled her neck. “I promise it will be worth the wait.”
So far, he had proven himself to be a man of his word. She couldn’t wait to find out how he would make it worth her while.
Cipher untangled their legs and sat up, taking his arm from her shoulders. It wasn’t done in a punishing way but for practicality. He picked up one of the oranges and began to methodically peel it. She watched his hands, seeing the way his deft fingers moved so elegantly. It was a strange way to describe a man as big and strong as Cipher, but it was the only word she could think of as he peeled away the thick orange rind without tearing the fruit or spilling a drop of juice.
In her aroused state, it wasn’t hard to translate the movements of his fingers on the fruit to the way they would touch her body. She hadn’t ever made love, but she wasn’t an innocent child. She knew what people did together in their bedrooms. Working in the mines around so many men, she had heard more than her fair share of filthy stories and jokes while toiling away in the shadows, forgotten and unseen. She had heard other women complaining about their men when using the locker rooms at the mines. Looking at Cipher, she didn’t think she would have many complaints about him.
Her gaze traveled the long length of his legs to the top of one of his socks. It had rolled down a bit, probably when she rubbed against him. Feeling playful, she used her thin, nimble toes to grasp the thick, soft fabric. She began to tug down his sock, making sure to stroke his calf with her toes, and he shot her a warning look. “Keep that up, and I’m going to tie you to the bed.”
Heat flared low in her belly at the thought of being restrained beneath him. She had heard the stories of the naughty things the sky warriors did with their mates. The image of Cipher skimming his skilled hands over her naked body while she strained against her bonds left her breathless and eager. “Promise?”
“Brook.” There was hard edge to his voice, but the warmth in his gaze tempered the sternness of it. “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”
She nodded and grinned mischievously. “I hope you’re up for it.”
He didn’t miss the cheeky way her gaze fell to his zipper. “Eyes up here, mate.”
She reluctantly dragged her gaze to his face. “Yes, sir.”
Shaking his head, he opened the orange with his thumbs, spreading out the wedges of fruit like the petals of a blossoming flower. He plucked one of the wedges free and brought it to her mouth. When he dragged it across her lower lip, she blushed and followed his silent command to open her lips and take the fruit. It tasted just as delightful as she remembered, and she closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
When she tried to feed him a piece, he shook his head. “This is for you.”
“I know.” She brought it closer to his mouth. “I want to share it with you.”
He let her feed him, and she smiled at her little victory. They shared the rest of the orange with silent, tender smiles. It was late by the time they finished, and Cipher yawned despite his valiant attempt to hold it back. Taking his hand, she said, “I’ll be perfectly fine here if you want to go back to your quarters and get a proper night’s rest.”
“I won’t be perfectly fine,” he replied. “I feel calmer with you. I need to know you’re safe.” His gaze hardened, and she wondered if it had something to do with the work that had kept him away from her all day and most of the evening.