Chapter 17

Torn between needing to be with his mate and wanting to give her space, Austin lingered in the bedroom. The women had prepared a tray of food containing fresh fruit, bread, an assortment of cheeses, and some sandwiches. He knew it wasn’t any of the men because of how pretty it all looked. His clan brothers would have gotten them food, but it would have been thrown on a plate, and instead of the glasses of orange juice, he’d likely have gotten a couple of beers. Unopened.

He sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for a few more minutes before going to the bathroom door and knocking.

“Come in,” she called out loud enough for him to hear.

Just the thought of having her so close, and so naked, had his blood rushing south even before he opened the door. Heaven help me.

“I was starting to think you weren’t coming back.”

Like he could have stayed away. “Is the water warm enough?” he asked as he dragged the vanity chair closer. The edge of the tub was plenty wide for him to sit, but having her in arm’s reach would be more than he could bear. Having already washed it, Tulia’s hair was slicked back away from her face, the ends floating lazily on top of the water around her shoulders. The bubbles he’d insisted be in there with her covered every part of her except for her toes that peeked out at the other end.

“It’s wonderful. Want to join me?”

His cock jerked at her words, and he nearly groaned. She wants us. She said so. Many times, now. But you’re too stubborn to listen, his dragon chided. He’d been trying so hard to take his time with her and let her call all the shots, yet she’d been telling what she wanted, and he had put her off.

As tempting as jumping into the bath with her was, he wouldn’t do that. He really did need to take care of her, and that meant feeding her. He’d take care of her other needs once she’d been fed. “No, not this time.

Tulia pouted and reached for him, bubbles sliding down her forearm and back into the tub. The movement gave him a quick glimpse of the side of her breast. “Austin…”

Fuck his good intention. He couldn’t see the disappointment in her eyes and know he was the cause of it. Taking her hand, he brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed each one, then started over again, nipping at her tender skin. “Food first. Believe me, you’ll need the energy,” he promised.

It wasn’t her soft gasp that got him. Nor was it the way her lips parted, but when her pretty green eyes widened, and the pupils dilated wide then narrowed into slits as her dragon appraised him, his own beast surged forward. Without giving her warning, or the chance to pull away, he stood and brought her up with him. Her wet, sudsy body pressed into his as he lifted her from the tub, and it was all he could do to keep from tearing his jeans off and plunging into her. Their mouths crashed together. Their moans mingled until he couldn’t tell which sound came from him, and which from her. He didn’t care.

Tulia wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled her head back a fraction of an inch, then bit his bottom lip before crushing her mouth to his again. It was too much, yet not enough. Need pounded through him like the beat of a drum, pooling in his groin.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered when they came up for air.

Austin scooped her up, ignoring the puddle of soapy water, and took her to the bedroom. A soft growl coming from Tulia mimicked the rumble in his chest, dragging his already willing dragon closer to the surface. It wanted its mate.

We have to feed her, Austin tried. Take care of her.

Yes, then we mate her, the dragon agreed.

Mate her? Fuck, he was all for it, but he had no idea if Tulia wanted that. They hadn’t had that discussion.

When he reached the bed, he sat down with her on his lap next to the tray he’d set out for them. She traced the column of his neck with her lips, kissing and sucking on his skin, and just when his eyes would cross from the pleasure of it all, she’d nip him, sending the jolt of pleasure straight to his shaft.

“Food first,” he said, his words barely loud enough to be heard. And maybe she didn’t, because she kept kissing him, touching him. Her hands stroked across what she could reach of his chest, her fingers digging into his flesh when he growled and returned her bite with one of his own.

When she released him, leaving little red scratch marks on his skin, and wiggled her hand between them to get to his jeans, he caught her wrist. “Food first,” he said again, louder this time.

“I’m hungry, but not for food, mate.” Her voice had grown raspy, driving his dragon crazy with want.

Austin’s heart stuttered, then raced. Mate. She’d called him mate. “I know what you want, and you will get it. But first, I will take care of you.”

She grinned and squirmed on his lap, her smile widening when he groaned at the contact. “Are you sure? Maybe we can eat later.”

He curved one hand around her hips, holding her still, while he reached for something from the plate with the other. He didn’t care what he grabbed as long as it was edible and she liked it. “Open,” he demanded as he brought a strawberry to her lips.

She did as he asked, and he placed the end of it in her mouth. With a wicked look in her eye, she twirled her tongue around the tip before biting down.

His cock jerked against her ass—hard. “Fuck me. You’re the sexiest damned woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

She chewed and swallowed. “Imagine what it’s going to be like when you don’t have those jeans on anymore.”

When he pressed the berry to her lips again, she obediently opened, twirled her tongue around, then took a bite. Finishing off what she hadn’t taken, he tossed the stem aside, not caring where it landed. He’d clean up later.

He continued feeding her until half the plate of food was gone and their lips were fused together so tightly he saw stars from the lack of oxygen. He’d never get enough of this—of her. He needed more.

Not breaking their kiss, he stood. Tulia squeaked in surprise, then again when he turned and set her down on the bed. As much as he wanted to continue kissing her, he needed to see her, to touch her—taste her. With her arms still around his neck, Tulia tried to keep him where he was, but he reached behind him and pulled her hands free, bringing them to rest on the bed above her head. “Keep them there,” he ordered, his voice barely above a growl.

She pulled her bottom lip, puffy from his kisses, between her teeth and nodded as he straightened. Standing between her knees where her lower legs dangled from the bed, he could see every bit of her. He expected her to be shy, or maybe try to hide her body from him, but with his gaze taking her in, she arched her back, jutting her breasts higher into the air.

The beauty of his mate stole his breath. Perfect round breasts with rosy nipples he was dying to pull between his lips, a slightly rounded belly, soft and sensual, and hips he’d be able to hold onto while thrusting into her. And between those beautiful thighs, a patch of dark curls he didn’t just want, but needed to bury his face into.

With a growl that was all animal, Austin lowered himself to his prize. When his nose nestled in the warmth of those curls, he drew a long, deep breath, taking his mate’s scent into his lungs. “Mine,” he said just before he closed the gap and stroked his tongue from the bottom of her slit all the way up to her clit.

“Yes,” Tulia all but screamed as she brought her fingers to his head and dragged them through his hair, grasping the strands in her fists. She’d taken her hands down from where he’d placed her, but he’d let her get away with it—this time. Later, when he knew whether she’d like it, he might punish her for the little offense.

Unable to contain it, Austin grinned against her feminine flesh. Who would have thought his mate was a screamer, or that she would go after what she wanted with so much ferocity?

I knew it. She’s our mate. Perfect in every way, his dragon rumbled in his mind.

“Perfect,” he agreed aloud. He brought his hand down and slid one finger inside her, groaning at the tightness that surrounded the digit. Her moan echoed his. With the tip of his tongue, he flicked her clit back and forth until she writhed against his mouth. “That’s right, take what you want, mate. Fuck my mouth with that sweet pussy of yours,” he encouraged when she thrust up against him, seeking firmer contact.

“Austin,” she said between sighs. “I can’t hold off.”

“Don’t. I want you to come for me, Sweetness. Let me taste all of you. Give me that.”

He sucked her swollen clit between his lips, and Tulia’s back arched off the bed. Her scream resonated in the room, and her fingers tightened in his hair as she pulled him in tight. The little muscles clamped around his finger, fluttering and clenching in spasms so tight he couldn’t help but moan at the thought of them gripping his cock. And they would. Soon, he’d have his cock buried in her until neither of them knew where one ended and the other began.

He gentled the suction on her clit as she rode the wave of bliss. When her fingers loosened on his hair, he returned to the slow licks he’d started with, lapping her up, taking her juices onto his tongue, savoring every drop.