she had never let herself experience. He. Was. Hers.
To hide her sudden tears, she threw her arms around his neck, not caring about PDA. The villagers were used to that. His arms went around her tightly, squeezing her entirely against him. It was like he couldn’t get close enough.
She felt safe in his arms like nothing in the world would ever hurt her again. Not the haughty looks of skinny women, or the disgusted expression of a boy not wanting to touch her, or those TV commercials that guilt you into being someone you weren’t.
He wanted her just the way she was.
He peppered kisses on her face. “I missed you.”
She giggled out loud. “You were only gone a few hours.”
“A few hours too long.” He pulled back and saw droplets on her face. His smile faded. “What is wrong? Did somebody hurt you?” His face started to darken as he kissed her tears.
“No,” she breathed out, losing more control over the rock wall around her heart every second. “I’m fine. It’s just…I’ve never been this happy. I’ve never allowed myself to reach this point. To let go. To make myself so vulnerable to someone. My job demands that nothing affects me, or I would’ve failed a long time ago. I have to learn how to live like this.”
“Yes, you do,” he replied with a playfully stern face, “because I am not letting you out of my life. You better get used to all this happiness ‘cause I’m going to cram it down your throat.” A wicked smile graced his expression, and he leaned closer. “Then, I am going to cram my cock into you until you are screaming my name, begging me to let you come.”
Oh my freaking god. A shudder ran through her. No one had ever said anything like that to her in her life. Her undies had never been so wet. Shit, all her girl parts tingled. All she could do was stare at him and lick her lips, thinking about how he would taste in her mouth.
He laughed. “That is much better. My dragon likes what he smells almost as much as I do.” He leaned in and kissed her neck. “Is our little dome still up.”
“Hey,” Wren called from the group of elders, “I know what you’re both thinking, and no, it’ll have to wait. Get over here.” Lilah’s face flushed hot enough to make sweat beads pop out on her forehead.
He chuckled, taking her hand. Damn, she was just a blob of goo ready to spread herself all over her man. Her man.
Ferrus guided her toward the others as she tried to get her mind straight on what she should be thinking about, which was not how his dick filled her completely, stretching her to such pleasurable pain. Her mate breathed deeply, squeezed her hand, and growled.
He whispered, “You keep thinking what you are thinking, and I am going to throw you over my shoulder, and dirt hut or not, you are going to come harder than you ever have before.”
How the hell did he expect her to think about anything else after saying that? Shit, shit, shit. Snap out of it. After her own deep breath, she pulled it together, but let him wait. There would be a time when turnabout was fair play. And she couldn’t wait till that opportunity showed itself.
“Ferrus, what did the king say?” Daphne asked. Her mate sobered quickly, all fun and games over with.
After a moment, he said, “He is willing to negotiate. He is starving.”
Her cousins whooped at the seeming victory, but she wasn’t all that happy. “Lilah,” Daph said, “you have that face that says you’re going to chew someone’s head off? Isn’t this a win?”
Her eyes narrowed as she stared off into the trees. “No, it’s not a win. The king gave in way too easily. He doesn’t fully understand this isn’t a negotiation. It’s all or nothing.”
Ferrus turned her to him. “I do not understand.”
“Negotiating is a give and take. A compromise. How can I tell the women they don’t have to wear those ugly ass coverups, but they’ll still be forced into sex with whatever man comes to their room at night? No,” she shook her head, “I can’t do that.”
The group was deathly silent. Maybe the mention of the sexual abuse was too personal to share with the group, but dammit, she refused to let that continue. She’d stay here and fight as long as it took to free these women.
The