Mark of Love (Love Mark #3) - Linda Kage Page 0,42

did so adore the scenery before me. My gaze strayed to the blonde riding up ahead. She was a small, petite yet curvy thing with the sweetest round face and longest mass of hair I’d ever seen. Seriously, I could get lost in all that hair.

I shifted in my saddle, growing uncomfortable. For years, I’d wondered what my mate might look like. It was thrilling yet bizarre to finally put a face to all those what-ifs. It honestly wouldn’t have mattered to me what her physical form had turned out to be, but I had to admit, I liked what I saw.

The fiery rage that flared in her eyes whenever she addressed me was a surprise, though. She was what I’d call an angry girl. She was the type who’d just as soon punch someone than smile at them, though I had a feeling Quilla would stab before she punched.

I also had a feeling I’d never get bored with her, and that made me smile.

“You know,” Melaina spoke from the horse beside me. “I hate letting a perfectly hard cock go to waste.”

“What?” When I swung an incredulous glance her way, she was focusing on my lap and licking her lips.

“I could take care of that engorged member of yours, if you like.”

“Hey!” My shackled hands immediately shielded the erection tenting my trousers, trying to hide the fact that I’d been jonesing hard for Quilla, even though it was clear Melaina had noticed already. “You know I belong to her,” I ground out, tipping my head toward her niece. “Why in God’s name do you keep propositioning me like that?”

With a helpless shrug, she let out a long, suffering sigh. “Not entirely sure,” she answered airily. “I’m bored, horny, and like to stir up trouble, I guess. It’s a nasty habit I can’t seem to break.” Glancing my way as if apologizing, even though she didn’t sound sorry at all, she admitted, “It’s a blessing my true love is such an understanding woman.” Then she made a sad mournful sound in the back of her throat and shook her head. “She always accepted my sensual urges; sometimes she’d even join in. Those were my favorite encounters. But alas...” She cast me another smile, this one full of pain and heartbreak. “It doesn’t matter whose body I have an urge to mingle with, my heart will always belong to her.”

“Sounds like a special lady,” I said.

Melaina sighed wistfully. “She was. She really, really was.”

I noticed she kept alternating between present and past tense when referring to her true love, so I asked, “Where is she now?”

Melaina fluttered out a vague hand. “Oh, you know. Somewhere far, far away, in a place I cannot yet fully reach.”

A droplet of blood pooled in the corner of her eye and began to slide down her cheek.

A little freaked out by that, I swallowed thickly and pointed. “Uh, you’ve got a little—er...”

Seriously, how the hell did you tell someone that they were bleeding from the eyes?

She glanced at me, blinking in confusion. “What?”

“Your eyes.”

“My eyes?” She wiped at the trail slipping down her cheek and checked her fingers to find them smeared with red. “Dammit,” she muttered. “I wasn’t supposed to let this happen again. Thanks a lot for making me cry, you sick little bastard. Are you happy now?”

“Uh…” I could only blink, utterly baffled as she rode off in a huff, streaking ahead of her niece, which gained Quilla’s attention.

Obviously blaming me for Melaina’s mood, she scowled my way.

I had Holly trot up to the side of her horse so I could explain. “I made her cry.”

“Ah,” she murmured on a knowing nod. “Bloody tears?”

“Yeah.” Studying her up close, I asked, “Strange question, but does your aunt sexually harass everyone she meets, or am I just that hard to resist?”

She sent me a rye glance. “Don’t worry, you’re nothing special. She’s that way with everyone.”

“What a relief,” I answered dryly. “Because I’d hate to be classified as something so mundane as irresistibly special.”

Quilla ignored the joke and stared straight ahead, refusing to reply. I glanced askance at her, trying to figure out how to penetrate that tough exterior. But then the mere word penetrate had my body stirring.

Lust was an aggravating side effect of first spotting your true love. The urge to rut with them was strong.

Here, I honestly just wanted to get to know her, and my libido wouldn’t stop working in overdrive, filling me with the yearning to grip all that