activated, it doesn’t stop. You simply have to be with your mate or...” He shrugged. “Well, you know. It just sucks.”
“Is that why you wanted me to do a blood test?” I asked, trying to wrap my mind around what he was telling me. It was a lot to process, including the admission of his feelings. “Just so you could confirm this is what’s happening to us?”
“That’s right.” His gaze roved over my face, a searching look in his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it before?”
“I didn’t want to pressure you,” he said with an uncomfortable shrug. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t straightforward with you, but I didn’t know how you’d react to it. I didn’t want to scare you away. But I still think we should do the test at some point in time. That way we’ll know for sure.”
“Okay,” I agreed, still thinking of what he had just told me. It made sense, I supposed. Being away from Soren made me miserable, and there was something almost magical in the way I felt drawn to him. I couldn’t say with complete certainty if a gene was to blame, but the reality was that I was addicted to him. There was no denying it any longer, nor did I want to. “But first…”
“Yes?”
“First I’d like us to finish what we’ve started.”
“The door,” I muttered, my lips pressed against his. “Get the door.”
With his hands still on my hips, Soren used the heel of his shoe to slam the front door shut. We stumbled across the corridor as we kissed, desperate for each other.
I placed both my hands on his shirt and got to work right away, unbuttoning it as fast as I could. I felt the chiseled contour of his muscles as I went, and then the grooves and ridges of his abs. Soren had an impeccable sense of fashion, but I thought he’d look even better without his clothes on. From the hungry way he was watching me, it seemed like he thought the same of me.
He pushed my dress down my shoulders, revealing the outer contour of my bra, and then started peppering my neck with kisses. His hands never stopped as he kissed my neckline, and soon enough my dress was bunched up around my waist. A quick sway of my hips and the fabric slid down my legs and pooled around my ankles.
“How can you be this beautiful?” Soren whispered, and only then did he pull back from me. He let his eyes roam down my half-naked body, and I couldn’t help but notice the large bulge straining against his pants. “You’re perfect, Maya.”
“You’re one to talk.” I chuckled softly, lacing one arm around his neck so that I could reel him back in. He came willingly, his mouth returning to mine, and a small shiver ran up my spine as I felt his fingertips exploring my back.
Once he found the clasp of my bra, he unhooked it with a quick flick of his fingers, and my heart beat faster as the cups slid to the side. My nipples hardened as the cool air caressed them, and I felt a bolt of energy shooting across my body.
I pushed his shirt down his shoulders to reveal his chest, his answering growl giving me courage. Surprisingly, his golden skin was covered in tattoos, the intricate patterns drawing my attention. I ran my fingers over them and then looked up at Soren.
“I didn’t know you had tattoos.”
“I have more than just tattoos,” he threw back, his lips curling into a wicked grin. I had no idea what he was hinting at, but I sure was curious.
“Bedroom,” I muttered, eager to uncover his secret. It was just one word, but it was enough for Soren to get the message. Gathering me into his arms, he made a beeline down the hallway.
He nudged my bedroom door open with the tip of his foot and stumbled around in the darkness until he found the bed. The mattress shifted under our weight as we crash-landed on it, and we went back to that feverish kiss of ours.
This was all new and unfamiliar territory for me, but it was like my body somehow knew what to do, responding instinctively to Soren’s touch, urging me to explore as well.
My hands went to his belt and I pulled it free from its loops with urgency. I clawed at his pants and underwear, pushing it all down his legs as he kicked his shoes off,