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“Okay, but she may wake up groggy and confused.” Rosetta sighs. “Maybe I should just stick around. I’ll call Dak and tell him that’s my plan.”
“Or you could record a short video for her to watch, telling her everything is okay and you’ll be back as soon as she needs you.”
“Ooh, good idea.” Taking her phone from her pocket, Rosetta motions down the hall, toward the living room. “I’ll go do that, then head home.”
“I would give you a ride, but?—”
“No, I’d hate for Nat to wake up completely alone,” she says. “Dak will pick me up.”
It’s wrong to be happy when the front door closes after Rosetta’s departure. I should do whatever is necessary to provide comfort for my mate, and having her cousin here would undoubtedly increase her comfort level. But I can’t help wanting Natalie all to myself.
After a couple of quick calls to both businesses, letting them know I’ll be unavailable for anything less than an extreme emergency, I pour a glass of cold water and head quietly to the guest room door. The sun has disappeared below the treetops, and I don’t want Natalie to awaken in total darkness. That’s the reason I give myself for opening her bedroom door and entering without consent.
Her scent fills my head the moment I step inside. Light and natural, like fresh rainfall. Whatever travel griminess she felt before falling asleep is unnoticeable and irrelevant to my senses.
I inhale deeply and hold it. Breathing her in this way isn’t enough, but it will have to do for now. I tread as lightly as possible, in this moment cursing my choice to forgo carpeting in the guest rooms. Even my most careful steps cause noise; hooves against hardwood will do that.
“Constantine?” Her sleepy voice floats in the darkness.
“It’s me. You’re in my guest room. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I was going to turn on a night-light so didn’t wake up surrounded by darkness. Rosetta had to go home, but she’ll come back whenever you call her.”
“You’re not disturbing me, and you can turn on the light. The normal light, not a night-light.”
“Do you remember meeting me in the parking lot?” The silence that follows hangs heavy, broken by the sound of my tail swishing against the back of my pants. At least she can’t see it. Yet.
“I remember,” she says, finally. Softly. “You’re a Minotaur, and I’m in a magically protected town full of creatures I’d rather not refer to as monsters, since my cousin is marrying one, and I don’t think of you as one.”
That’s good. Very good. My hand is on the table lamp, but I still don’t press the switch. “Before you got in the car with Rosetta, you thought you were dreaming.”
“It was a lot of unbelievable information to take in all at once, but I’m okay. Really.” Her eyes find mine the instant I turn on the light. Then she smiles, and it brightens the room more than any light source could. “Hi. See? Not freaking out even a little bit.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but I’m glad you’re feeling more relaxed.” I set the water on the bedside table. “Thought you might wake up thirsty.”
“Thank you.” The blanket Rosetta draped over her falls away as Natalie shifts to a seated position with her back against the headboard. Her delicate chin tips up while she takes a long drink.
Watching her, even in the simple, innocent action of quenching her thirst, stirs the urge to provide for her needs. Food, water, and shelter. Also, her intimate needs. She feels our connection—I know she does. Her scent changed when she heard my voice. Then changed again when our eyes met.
Every breath I take brings more of her sweet arousal to my nose. I would bury my face between her legs and lick her to completion right now if she consented.
Her eyes go wide at the huff that rumbles from me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I control my Minotaur traits to the best of my ability, but nature has its way at times. The bullish huffing, snorting, and tail swishing are involuntary physiological responses. Frightening as they may seem, I promise you’ll never be in danger with me, with or without the protection spell over Fate’s Falls.”
“I’m not scared,” she says, rising from the bed. “There’s this part of my brain that keeps lighting up with ‘this can’t be real!’ warnings, but it’s only a small part, surprisingly.”
“I’m very happy to hear it.” Standing by the bedside table already put me in close proximity, but now that she’s in my personal space, looking up at me, it takes all my willpower not to touch her, especially with her scent filling my nose. Foolishly, I breathe deeper. The effect is as expected—my cock hardens further, straining painfully inside my jeans, and another animalistic huff pushes from my nostrils. “I apologize?—”
“Don’t. That sound doesn’t bother me. Well, it does bother me a little, but not in a negative way.” Even in the low lighting, the soft-pink coloring her cheeks is visible. “I’m not turned off by the sound. At all.” The rapid fluttering of her eyelashes, the way she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, then licks her lips afterward… She’s turned on. If her other body language wasn’t proof enough, her scent is. Her arousal is undeniable; so heady, I can almost taste it.
I haven’t been sexually intimate with a human woman before, but Natalie’s biological responses seem well attuned to mine. The temptation to pull her against me is almost too great to resist.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, forcing my mind to places other than the big bed just a few feet away, where I could spread my mate’s legs and devour her. “My kitchen is fully stocked, and I’m a passable cook for most things. Or I can take you out instead, if you’d like to get a glimpse of the town. We can order in, pick something up, or I’m sure your cousin would love to have you over. Whatever you prefer.”
If her beautiful smile is any indication, Natalie doesn’t seem to mind my obvious, overachieving desire to please her. “I’ll send Ro a quick message to know I’m awake and not freaking out, but I’d rather stay in this evening, if that’s okay with you. I don’t expect you to cater to me, though. Pretend I’m not even here.”
“That would be impossible, nor is it something I want to do. Catering to you anytime would be my pleasure.” Coming on too strong? There’s nothing I can do about it if I am. Doesn’t matter that she hasn’t consented to being my mate. She is mine, and I’m committed to her. I couldn’t turn it off if I wanted to.
“In that case, I’m starving. Not picky either. I’ll gobble up whatever you put in front of me.”
