Chapter Twenty-Two
Mary bathed with the efficiency of a general, something she’d learned to do growing up in foster care. Water was never wasted. Neither was time.
Her mind lingered on the man who’d been captured by the Marines. What if he was telling the truth about Jefferies’s intentions to dispose of the children? If so, he would do it tonight.
Nausea rolled from the anxiety that coursed through her veins.
Could she really risk the children’s lives on Rykaur’s hunch? What if he was wrong?
On the other hand, if Rykaur was right about Jefferies’s bluff and Mary went running to the children’s rescue, they would die regardless…as would she herself.
Was she willing to give her life for the kids? Yes, she was. She loved them as if they were her own. And in a sense, they were.
Her mind made up, Mary finished her bath, climbed from the pool, and dried off. She donned her clothes and called out to Rykaur.
He stepped from the alcove, the towel he wore tented in front.
Mary’s gaze zeroed in on it. Images of him lying naked on the floor of that tent came flooding back with a vengeance. The sheer size of his shaft should have been enough to terrify her.
Glancing away, Mary cleared her throat. “Rykaur? I—”
His lips slanted over hers. Her feet left the ground the second his arms closed around her.
The feel of his tongue demanding entrance was all the coaxing Mary needed. She opened for him, moaning at the first touch of his tongue touching hers.
Rykaur gripped her tighter, his hands going to her ass to hold her more firmly against him.
Mary wanted him— No, she needed him in a way she’d never needed anything in her life. And after tonight, she might never see him again.
The thought pained her, but nothing would stop her from doing what she had to do. Not even her feelings for Rykaur.
And she did have feelings for him, of that she was certain.
“Hold on to me,” he mentally implored her, striding from the room.
Mary’s legs came around him to lock behind his back. She hoisted herself up higher, never breaking contact with his ever-moving lips.
She’d never tasted, smelled, or felt anything more intoxicating than Rykaur. His very essence seemed to slide through her body, possessing everything in its wake.
They arrived at Rykaur’s apartment a couple of minutes later, and Mary found herself on his bed with his big body covering her.
He lifted his mouth from hers. “Please tell me that I can have you, Mary. I know that I cannot force you to love me, but I will do everything in my power to make you feel loved.”
Mary’s heart turned over. Though it pained her to know that she might never see him again after this night, she was determined to make it the best night of her life.
She stared up into his emerald-green eyes—eyes full of sincerity and emotion. “Yes.”
Without warning, Rykaur rose up on his knees, jerked the towel from around his waist, and tossed it to the floor.
Mary’s gaze sought out his huge erection.
“Do not fear me, sweet Mary. I would rather die than hurt you.”
Swallowing hard, Mary reached for him, pulling him back down on top of her. She couldn’t seem to get enough of his scent.
“Your scent is an aphrodisiac to me as well,” Rykaur growled against her neck, obviously picking up on her thoughts.
Mary’s heart hammered with excitement and anxiety. She was about to give herself to Rykaur, to experience sex for the first time.
She knew there would be pain, and even more so, given Rykaur’s size. But she didn’t care. Nothing mattered in that moment but taking him into her body and becoming one with the first man she had ever cared about.
“I am not a man,” he rumbled, reading her thoughts. “But I will never harm you or mistreat you in any way. I will remain faithful to you in this life and the next.”
Tears sprang to Mary’s eyes. Rykaur’s words, coupled with the incredible way he made her feel, were nearly too much to take in.
In all her twenty years, Mary had experienced nothing but pain, rejection, heartache, and disappointment. No one had ever loved her or shown her kindness other than the children. Yet here lay this strong and powerful creature opening himself up to her in the purest and most beautiful way imaginable.
He wanted her… He loved her.
“Make love to me, Rykaur.”