Warrior's Hope (Dark Protectors #16)(84)
There was no clear path for them to follow now, and he had no idea what their next step would be after he took care of the danger threatening her. But none of that mattered any longer.
She deserved a good life, a great life, and he’d find a way to give her happiness and peace. She’d bucked nations, fate, and maybe her own life to give herself to him, and worthy or not, he was accepting her gift. He was going to take Hope and make her his forever.
He held up his hand, showing the mating mark that was burning a hole through his palm. “Before we get carried away, where exactly do you want to wear this?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Hope faltered, so much need coursing through her she could barely stand. His mark darkened in front of her eyes, and for a moment she paused. This was for real and this was forever.
Then she looked up into his silvery-blue eyes and smiled, her heart stuttering. “Over my heart.” Where he’d always lived, even when she’d pretended otherwise.
His eyes flared. Yeah, he liked that answer. He kissed her again, an edge to him she’d never tasted before. He was more aggressive than she had thought, but she liked it, or at least her body did. She was wet and ready for him, and she wanted to wear that marking more than anything in the world.
When she’d made her choice, she’d done so with her eyes and heart wide open. She could’ve gotten them both killed, and she’d known that at the time. But he was her choice in this lifetime and in any other, and that moment needed to be recorded for fate, and more importantly, for Paxton.
He kissed her again, one hand around her waist as he backed her onto a cot, laying her down. They were tall cots, but not very wide, not that they needed to be.
His body was heavy over hers, so much bigger and stronger than she’d ever be. Even if she gained full power, she’d never match him in strength. Her body trembled. She moved against him, feeling him at her sex. He was huge and throbbing, and she felt a momentary panic.
“It’s all right,” he said, nibbling down her neck to sink his teeth into her shoulder. The sting flashed through her, landing between her legs, and she arched against him. He chuckled and moved down to her breasts, taking time with each one until her nipples felt like they were as needy as the rest of her aching body.
“Paxton,” she whimpered. “I think I’m ready.” He had to do something about this terrible ache inside her.
“I’m not.” He nipped at each of her ribs and spent time on her healed wound. “Are you all right?”
She moved against him, wanting all of him. Now. “I’m all healed,” she said, tunneling her fingers into his thick hair. “I’m fine.” Except she wasn’t. She was about to disintegrate if he didn’t make this horrible ache go away.
He enclosed her left hip bone and sank his teeth in, leaving his mark. It didn’t hurt, but he made his point. “I love you, Hope. I’ve waited for you, for this, my entire life, and I won’t be rushed.”
Her heart swelled. Then his words caught her. “Wait a minute.”
He lifted his head as if somebody had denied him a treat. “What?”
She wanted him so badly it was difficult to think. “Mating might make me stronger...or you weaker.” She had to tell him the full truth. “I’m human. What if I make you human?” It was unthinkable. He was a strong warrior, much more powerful than even she had realized.
“Then I’ll be human.” He licked her rib cage. “It’ll be the two of us, living a life together. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I don’t care if it’s as demons, Kurjans, or humans. It’s you and me, Hope.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded. There was no other path for either of them. He filled her, all of her, and she didn’t want it any other way. She didn’t know if soulmates existed, but he touched something deep inside her. Maybe it was her soul.
She let him continue his wandering and then sucked in air as he settled himself between her legs and shoved them wider apart. His shoulders held her where he wanted her, and she’d never felt more vulnerable in her entire life. She slid her hands down his face, scratched her palms with his whiskers, and dug her fingers into his powerful shoulders.
His body was impossibly hard, like solid steel. Pax was a true warrior, and he was about to be hers.
He settled his mouth at her core and started to play, almost as if he was pleasing himself. His shoulders were unrelenting as they kept her thighs far apart. She liked the dominant side of him, but she’d never admit it. Although based on her body’s responses, he probably already knew.
“God, you taste amazing,” he murmured, sending vibrations up through her entire torso.
Need coiled high inside her, making the pressure unbearable. Her breasts ached as much as her core, but he wasn’t in a hurry. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the little keening sounds she kept making. She’d never felt this alive. She knew for a fact that she’d never been this alive. How was it possible to feel such raw, pure pleasure? “Paxton,” she cried.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered. He used his fingers and his teeth and his lips and then his tongue, and all she could do was feel the different sensations quickly coming at her, driving her higher and higher until she was afraid she couldn’t breathe. It was unbelievable.
Finally, something sharp crossed her clit, and she screamed, falling over the edge and fracturing into a million pieces. The orgasm tore through her, stealing her breath. When she whimpered, coming down, he kissed her clit.