Chromium pulled back for a second and tossed the cannoli aside as he prepared to give his mate exactly what she was asking for.

He still didn’t understand his mate’s reaction, but since she was wanting to move past it, so would he.

He stepped in closer, trapping her tightly between him and the door, enjoying the way her curves pressed against his bare skin as he claimed her mouth again, entwining their tongues, flicking and stroking and making Helen give out little moans of muffled arousal as he did.

She was so soft. So yielding. The perfect little human for a warrior like him to protect and pleasure.

That was all he cared about now. That and tearing apart guys like the one in the restaurant for even looking at her.

He bit down lightly on her lower lip, making her gasp, then moved to her earlobe, playing with it between his tongue and teeth. She struggled against the sensation, writhing against his touch, and it gave him an excuse to hold her even more tightly against him.

While his mouth moved freely across her jaw and neck, with his now-free hand, he pulled her blouse up, feeling along the delicious curves of her belly and hips, spreading his fingers across her skin so he could feel her even better.

He needed to know more of her. More of his mate.

Chromium deftly began to undo each button of her shirt, starting at the bottom and moving up one after the other. Normally, he would have torn it off completely, but the last thing he wanted to do was leave Helen without a shirt after they were finished here.

“I don’t know if… maybe we should just…” Helen’s voice was husky, and she hesitated as if nervous about being disrobed. But Chromium knew there was no reason for her to be, so he simply continued undoing her shirt and pulled it off her shoulders, leaving her in just a black undergarment that supported her ample breasts.

Even in the dim light of the apartment, it was easy to see how delectable she was.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, raising his head to look into her eyes. “I want this. But if you don’t, tell me right now.”

She bit her lip and then shook her head. “I want this.”

Chromium grinned. With each inch of newly revealed skin, Chromium felt the desire to claim her as his own. He kissed along her cute little shoulders, then down to her collarbone. Helen arched her neck back, giving him access to continue his conquest, and he moved lower to the swell of her soft breasts.

He loved where she was, pressed between his body and the door. She watched nervously as he undid the clasp of her undergarment, but didn’t try to escape. Her skin was darkened by a blush across her cheeks and chest, and when she looked up at him, vulnerability and arousal warred in her eyes. Chromium could feel his heart swell to bursting for this magnificent woman that just had to be his forever.

“I just… How could you want someone like me? Someone who’s so—”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Chromium said, pressing his finger lightly to her lips, shushing her. “Unless you were going to say gorgeous. Or perfect. That’s all you are, Helen.” He was calm but insistent.

He didn’t want her to say any crueler words about herself. He’d heard them earlier, about her weight, and harsher ones resounding in her mind.

He knew that someone must have said all these horrible things to make her feel the way she did about her body, and it made him want to tear something apart.

But right now, it was more important to build something up. And that was Helen’s distorted sense of how beautiful she was.

At least a little bit, for now.

“Just trust me,” he said quietly.

Her worried expression softened, and he pulled off the black garment, leaving her completely bare from the waist up. Chromium’s heart pounded in his chest, his member throbbing with arousal at even the sight of her.

Yes, she was perfect.

And he was going to show her just how perfect she was, right now.

His hands came to her breasts, squeezing as his mouth claimed hers once more. He was ravenous for her, so hungry he could never be satisfied without her coming. She moaned, spurring him further, and he pressed his thumbs lightly into her nipples, arousing her even more. Her scent, sweet and light like frosting and wildflowers, filled his senses.

Like whispered words, he could hear her thoughts. Her own desire to touch him, to explore him.

“Here,” he exclaimed, taking her hands and lifting them to his chest. “You can touch me, too.”

Helen’s eyes went wide for a second as she let her hands rove over his chest, his shoulders. As he did, he kissed at her neck, holding her up with his strength.

But her own avid exploration of his body didn’t last long as his kisses intensified and her hands clutched his back, attempting to steady herself.

Then Chromium had an idea.

He went to the box of cannoli and grabbed one, then acquired a small dollop of the creamy center. Then he came back to her and spread a little of the sweet substance over each nipple, noticing with amusement the blush creeping farther down her neck as she watched what he did.

Then he licked over one nipple, the taste of sugar and skin ecstasy in his mouth. Helen gasped, and he flicked his tongue against her, squeezing her soft, sensitive breast with his hand as he did.

He didn’t hesitate moving to the other side, going faster as his need to devour her intensified. Helen sighed and moaned, pressing her body against him, rubbing them together like steel and flint, creating more sparks of arousal with each touch.

The dragon in him was practically roaring, and he reached one hand lower, pulling up her skirt and finding the apex of her hips as he continued to ravish her breasts with his kisses.

“Yes—yes.” Helen gasped in pleasure as he stroked his finger over her clit, sounding as hungry for his touch as he was to touch her.

Even as her body began to tighten with tension, while Chromium held her tight with an arm around her waist, Helen thrust her hips against his finger, intensifying her arousal.

Then, with one long, torturous stroke, Helen came. All at once, her muscles and limbs went taut, and she buried her face in his chest, trying desperately to hold back her body’s incredible response to so much pleasure.

“Chromium.” She said his name between gasps of air as he felt her body throb in release against him.

It was more wonderful than he could have ever imagined.

Then after several moments of perfection, her body relaxed, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. Her beautiful blue eyes were glazed over, seemingly lost in the aftermath of arousal, and Chromium couldn’t suppress a smile at seeing her like this.

“That was incredible,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. When he pulled back, she looked up at him in alarm.

“Wait, that’s it?” Her pulse was still beating rapidly at the base of her neck, and her cheeks were still flushed. “What about you?”

He lifted his hand to lick a stray bit of cream from his thumb, keeping his eyes locked on her. “Utterly satisfied.”

For now, it was enough to maintain control of himself and pleasure her utterly while showing her clearly how he felt about her curves.

He could wait for anything more.

“I… That was amazing,” she said, putting her bra back on and buttoning up her shirt. She fumbled with several buttons, and Chromium came up, helping her with the misplaced ones while she straightened her skirt.

“There you go,” he said when she was finished.

“I guess I should go,” she said reluctantly. “I have to get up early tomorrow for work.” But the look of longing in Helen’s eyes as they took in the sight of his bare chest said much more than her words did.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be down to help with breakfast. Though, to be honest, breakfast would be best eaten off of you, I think.” Chromium was still memorizing the face she made as she came so he could always have the sight of her like that in his mind.

Helen blushed again, her eyes darting to the side in embarrassment. She was so easy to read, her body communicating to him everything her human logic refused to say out loud. “You’re too good to me, you know that? Cooking and helping me in the restaurant and… doing what you did…” She trailed off as she turned toward the door, ready to head out.

“Oh, that wasn’t even half the things I want to do to you,” he said, watching her intently. “But I can wait until tomorrow night.”

Helen’s gaze snapped to his, then down to the ground in embarrassment. “Oh God, you’re right. I’m going to be back, aren’t I?”

Chromium just nodded, folding his arms and enjoying the way she licked her lips as she appraised the bulge of his biceps. He flexed just for her and laughed as she sighed and then opened the door.

Everything about her appeared utterly pleased. He followed outside, watching as she crossed the walkway and entered her own apartment. She gave a quick wave before her door closed, and he listened for the sound of her lock snapping tight before closing his own door and turning off the lights to go to bed.

And as he jumped onto his back and settled in, a wicked smile crept on his lips as he plotted all the myriad things he would do to get his hands on his mate again tomorrow.