Gods above and below, Rik thought as he captured Sam's lips. She tasted sweet, of rich, dark coffee, buttery croissants, and pure Samantha Kelly. It was a taste he knew he would never tire of, and one he quite greedily was not willing to share with any other.

When her hands came up to rest on his chest, Rik pulled back from the kiss. Don't rush this, idiot! He mentally chastised himself, only to groan when her little hands fisted in his sweatshirt and tugged him back down.

"More," she huskily commanded. An order he was more than happy to obey.

Wrapping his arms around her bare back, Rik lifted her up as his lips crashed back down. Cupping her sweet, plush ass in his large hands, he drew her up against his chest as he turned and sat down on the bed. Now that she was securely trapped in his arms, he devoured her as he had ached to do since he had left her bed.

Encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist, Rik held her as tightly as he dared. Remembering her unconscious in his arms, the sheer, unadulterated terror that pulsed through him, he trembled.

Rik tore his lips away from Sam's hungry kisses, his breathing hot and heavy as he stared into her dazed eyes. Pressing his lips against her forehead, he whispered, "Baby, I need to see you. I need to check and make sure you're okay." He swallowed, "That our baby is okay."

Rik gently lifted her off his lap. Keeping her loosely trapped between his spread thighs, his hands gripped her hips as his eyes traveled over her body. Sam stood bashful beneath his gaze. Her small hands rested on his shoulders as she watched his face.

Her skin was pale, the sign of a true Northwesterner, but the same freckles that graced her face spread down along the slender column of her throat, over her shoulders and upper chest. A few faint freckles dotted her stomach, and when Rik turned her around, he saw the same light scattering trailing down her spine, to disappear into the boy shorts she seemed to prefer, though these were more utilitarian than sexy, they perfectly framed that adorable ass of hers.

Trailing his hands down her waist, Rik slowly began to lower her panties, revealing the creamy white orbs as he slid them down her legs. Yep, more freckles! Just a few, here and there, but Rik leaned down and pressed his lips to each of them.

Each press of his lips against her heated flesh drew a small gasp from his woman, making him grin. "Ah, baby, just making sure each and every one of your 'fairy kisses' is properly claimed."

Her voice trembled as she murmured, "Well, there's a lot of them. May take you awhile."

Rik chuckled, then slowly, torturously, he drew his tongue up the length of her spine as he nuzzled through the curtain of rose-scented, coppery waves cascading down over her shoulders. Pulling her back into his lap, the curve of her naked ass nestled firmly against the thick, insistent bulge trapped within his jeans, Rik rested his chin on her shoulder and just held her for a few moments.

Sam wrapped her left hand over his, entwining their fingers as she said, "I've been meaning to ask, what's up with the tattoos?"

Nuzzling at the edge of her ear, Rik murmured, "All Oaths have a mark, think of it like a contract. The mark of mates, however, is a little different. As they grow closer together, it changes, evolves, just like their relationship." He grinned as he looked down at their joined hands. Lifting them, he pressed his lips against the back of her hand. "Our marks are not finalized, so they're still growing, until we complete the bond."

"What does that entail?" Sam asked huskily, turning her head slightly so she could meet his gaze.

"Well," he said, flushing, "we've already completed the physical joining by having sex without protection. It can also be done by exchanging blood, like the vampires or shifters do, or like blood-brothers, you know?"

Sam nodded, "And then?"

Rik's right hand unconsciously rubbed small circles over Sam's stomach. "Then there's the verbal oath. It can be anything, any words, as long as they come from the heart." He cleared his throat, "I...may have already said mine, so the final part of our union would require you to pledge your heart to me, and to accept mine in return."

Sam surged out of his lap, turning to glare at him with her hands on her hips. "You said yours? When?"

Leaning back, hands resting on the bed behind him, Rik gave her his best little boy smile. "The first time we had sex. I said, 'Je t’aimerai et je t’adoreas pour toujours. Vous êtes mon cœur et mon âme. Je partage mon éternité avec vous.'”

Tapping a tiny foot, Sam demanded, "Which means?"

Turning serious, Rik said with utmost sincerity, "I will love and adore you forever. You are my heart and soul. I share my eternity with you."

Sam ducked her head, her shoulders slumping. With her face obscured by her hair, Rik couldn't see her expression, and he'd admit—if only to himself—that he panicked a little. Only a little. Really. A tiny bit, barely worth mentioning.

"Baby?" Rik cleared his throat and leaned forward. Ducking down, Rik tried to see her face. "I meant every word."

Sniffling, Sam gave an abrupt nod of her head. Clearing her own throat, she said, "Don't think that means you're getting off easy, Mr. Leon." Tossing her head back and giving him an imperious look worthy of a Sidhe Empress, Sam looked down her nose as she continued, "Wooing will occur. There will be much wooing. We're talking dates. We're talking long walks on the beach. Flowers. Candy. Love notes. The whole nine yards!"

Fighting the urge to grin, Rik nodded solemnly. "Deal."

When Sam rapidly began checking herself to see if any new marks had appeared, Rik could no longer hold back his amusement. Leaping to his feet, he swept his woman up into his arms and spun her around, smooching her all over her face as she squirmed and flailed, batting at his chest.

"Stop that, you brute!" Sam exclaimed between breathless giggles.

Tossing her into the center of the bed, where she bounced and jiggled quite prettily, Rik leered at her as he rapidly stripped off his sweatshirt. "Oh, baby, if you want a brute, I'm more than happy to go caveman on that pretty little ass."

Not giving her the chance to squirm away, Rik quickly ripped open his jeans and shoved them down, along with his boxer-briefs, before he pounced atop of her. Grabbing her wrists, he pulled them over hear head as he pinned her lower body between his strong legs, letting the weight of his hard, throbbing cock press firmly against her mons.

Leaning up so he could look down at her face, already flushed with passion as she met his eyes, Rik ground his erection against her sex, rocking his hips and watching her expression through heavy-lidded eyes. "I'm going to fuck you," Rik said bluntly, grinning as her face blushed so very prettily. "I'm going to be so deep inside of you, baby, you'll never get rid of me."

He swooped down, catching a pink nipple between his teeth and giving it a firm tug before he laved it with his tongue until it was a lovely deep rose hue. He groaned aloud at her soft, trembling gasps, her body arching beneath his and pressing her core against his aching dick. Moving his attention to the other nipple, not wanting it to be lonely, he lavished the same treatment upon it, alternating flicks of his tongue with gentle nips, until it too was a swollen, aching nub.

Shifting his weight, Rik pinned both her wrists against the headboard with one hand while he slid the other between them. Grazing his fingertips down over her clit, he traced the heated flesh between her thighs.

"Aw, baby, I need to get you ready," he growled against her neck as he slid just the tip of a finger into her body. Filled with that primal need to mark her, he nipped at her skin before he suckled hungrily, painting her flesh with his brand as he pressed his finger deeper into her body.

Sam strained beneath him, her small body trembling as he worked his finger steadily inside her, stroking the inner muscles as his thumb teased her clit. Again and again, he plunged his finger into her, working open the tight muscles, each stroke drawing a strangled gasp from her.

Feeling her sweet juices beginning to flow, Rik drew his finger out and fisted his cock. Teasing her with the bulbous head of his shaft, Rik leaned up to once more watch her face. "Tell me what you need, baby..."

"You," Sam answered without hesitation, desperation edging her voice. Her eyes were dark, stormy with passion, her lips swollen from the force of their hungry kisses. With her arms straining to break his grip on her wrists, she hooked her strong legs around his narrow waist and ground into him. "Please...Rik. I need you. Just you."

"Good girl," Rik gritted as he began to slowly press into her. She was still so tight, but Rik was too desperate to be buried balls deep inside of her, he couldn't wait any more. Every muscle in his body was tense as he forced himself to slowly sink into her welcoming heat.

Releasing her wrists, Rik wrapped both hands around her ass, clutching tight as he buried every aching inch of his cock within her. Burying his face in the crook of his neck, he panted, straining for control as her inner walls pulsed around him.

"Baby, just...don't move," Rik grunted between clenched teeth, closing his eyes as her inner walls clenched around him in a death grip that damn near tore the come from him. He palmed her ass cheek and gave it a light slap as he pleaded, "Give me a second..."

The little wench bit him!