I smiled and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “He’ll be okay. I promise. Shifters don’t always take to sharing mates as easily. And his history with Dagger, and their disagreement over handling Winterborn is compounding the issue. Then knowing that Daggergot to be your first—”
“But he didn’t!” She shook her head hard. “Dagger and I fooled around”—her voice softened into a wistful tone—“but Seb and I were each other’s firsts.”
“And that’s your right to choose.” I brushed back her hair. “I think that’s incredibly sweet.”
“Dagger and I didn’t have sex at all. He said we should wait. Seb’s venom which we’d used as pain killer was wearing off.”
“Really?” I reeled back and let out a half-laugh. “I hope you know the change you’ve had on Dagger is nothing short of a miracle.”
She tucked a bashful smile against her shrugging shoulder. “I don’t want to change him too much. I like him a little naughty. But maybe I should let Hunter know what really happened?”
“Well, heisdefinitely assuming you slept with Dagger last night, like I did. I’ll talk to him, though, if you want. He might open up a little more to me. Be less embarrassed about his mistake and the way he acted. I can set him straight.”
“Thanks, Bry.” She kissed my cheek. “I can always count on you. And I hope you know how much I enjoy spending time withyou. Doing anything.” She gripped the sides of my opened shirt and drew me into a dizzying kiss on the mouth.
Her breasts pressing against my chest, the feather-light circles her curling fingers drew on my nape, and the sweet swirls of her tongue began to stiffen my cock. I had to do an adjustment to untangle it from my underwear elastic.
She chuckled and reached down with one hand to the bulge in my pants. “You know,” she sighed against my lips, “I’m not nearly as sore from last night as I thought I’d be.”
My breath quickened, making me stammer. “O-oh?” I questioned between kisses. I cringed at how awkward it came out, heat crawling up the back of my neck.
She just nodded, drawing back just enough to give me that sexy smile, perched over me on the couch like a feline, back curving in a perfect bow that I wanted to trace with my tongue. “I think we should stay up. So long as we can find something fun to do.”
I picked her up, drinking in her laugh as I spun her once. But my blood was so supercharged that it rushed right to my head, and I had to stop. Holding her ass and thighs as she wrapped herself around me, I felt my arms tremble with anticipation and a nervous energy. I felt like a college freshman, out of his depth but desperate to please with a good first show.
Roaring fires crackled through my veins, searing across my chest as I used my knee to nudge open the door of the bedroom I always used when I stayed over, closing it behind us.
“Toss me,” she said through an adorable grin, eyes sparkling, as we approached the bed.
I obeyed, flinging her onto the mattress, where she bounced with a cute squeak. Then she stretched her legs out, leaned back on her forearms, and in a theatrical sultry voice said, “Mr. Harding, what will your secretary think?”
That startled a chuckle out of me.
“We are beingveryunprofessional, aren’t we?” I slipped off myshirt. Her playful smile and the distraction of the teasing roleplay soothed the worst of my nerves, leaving me buzzing with anticipation. I crawled onto the bed after her and shook my head. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
She batted her eyelashes, her tone lowering as she rubbed my cock through my pants. “I’d rather shout it from the rooftops. Would you fire me if I did that? Hmm,boss?”
I wrapped a strand of her auburn hair around my finger, marveling at the coppers and golds hidden in each strand. “I could be persuaded to keep you on. But I think for that we both need to get more comfortable.”
When I moved to unbuckle my belt, her fingers pushed mine aside and tugged the leather free herself.
“Let me do it.” The belt snaked free, and she slowly, pulled down the zipper. “You give so much and never ask for anything back. Let me take care of you for once.”
She tugged my pants off, followed by my socks, caressing my legs as she slunk back up to lay her body atop mine. I held her close, rubbing circles over her back and running a thumb over her jaw. When she bent to kiss me, I gently held her in place. “Wait. Just a moment. Please, angel. I want to remember this. Every second of it.”
Her eyes softened, and she stilled, gaze trailing over me as mine did the same.
“I just…” I swallowed, not wanting to worry her with a tremor in my voice or blur her face with welling tears. “I just want you to know that I cherish every time you say my name or hold my hand or think to look my way. It’s not just about the fact that you can touch me. It’s amazement at the fact that the person who can touch me is an angel who escaped hell and still has boundless compassion and creativity and resilience.”
Her tear splashed on my jaw, and I wiped another from her cheek, gut clenching, worried I’d said something wrong.
But she snuggled down closer, slipping an arm under my neckto hold me tighter, like she might be able to meld us into one. Her other hand cupped my face as she said, “I love you, Bryce.”
If she’d cut my chest open, sunlight would have poured out with all the power of a blazing star—life-giving and all-consuming.
“I love you, too, Serenity. God, I’ve known I loved you since the warehouse. When Dagger said you’d been taken, it felt like someone had torn out my heart.” I slowed my breaths, centering myself by stroking her hair. “But I didn’t want you to feel… obligated to say it back or stay because of my condition. I know how badly you’ve wanted to get out of New Nebraska.”
She paused a moment, and I could sense her mulling over her next words. “I’m starting to realize that I thought I needed other humans to feel like me again. But I’m finding out it’s not true. I feel like the woman I am with all of you is who I was meant to be.”
