To her surprise,Raviknodded too.
“Cassie says stop,Ravikstops,” he rumbled.
It seemed to be the best assurance she was going to get.Withhuman men,Cassienever would have trusted such a promise.ButtheKindredwere serious about not hurting women—it was pretty much their whole code and ethos.
“All right, good,” she said, nodding in satisfaction.“Thenwe’re all in agreement.”
Severin inclined his head.
“Indeed we are.”
She glanced at him.
“And you stay in the room with me andRavikat all times.”
“I will,” he promised.Hispale blue eyes held hers steadily.“Iwon’t leave you alone,Cassandra.AndRavikwon’t pleasure you unless you want him to.”
“Thank you.”
His promise reassured her—a little.Italso made her stomach flutter in a way she was not going to examine too closely, because apparently her body had picked tonight—the night after her husband had thrown her out to be eaten by zombies—to remember that men existed and some of them were enormous, gorgeous, and utterly devoted to female pleasure.
Wonderful timing, body,she told herself.Trulyexcellent work.
“All right,” she said at last, looking at the bed.“Sohow do we do this?”
There was a pause, thenSeverinshrugged,
“I suppose we just climb in.”
Cassie almost laughed, which seemed inappropriate considering the circumstances, but then again, everything about this was inappropriate.
The bed was raised higher than a normal human bed, probably becauseVisskousliked to be dramatic about absolutely everything.Therewere shallow steps built into the side of the landing, leading directly up onto the mattress—or nest or whatever horrible word applied here.Severinwent first, stepping up and onto the edge with careful grace despite his size.Thebed barely dipped under his weight.
Then he turned and offeredCassiehis hand.
For a moment she hesitated—was shereallygoing to do this?Wasshe really going to sleep between the two hugeKindredwearing nothing but the tiny red nighty?
Apparently she was—but on her own terms.Shehad laid down the rules and she expected the two of them to follow them.Liftingher chin, she put her hand in his.
Severin’s fingers closed around hers, warm and strong and careful.
It was so different from holding hands were her ex.Hishand wasn’t cold and scaly and he didn’t grip her in the possessive waySskarthalways had—like she was something he owned and could display or discard as he pleased.TheBloodKindred’stouch was firm, but not forceful.Hehelped her up onto the edge of the bed and then let go at once, as though to prove he wasn’t going to keep her unless she chose to stay.
And that, annoyingly, made her want to stay a little more.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome,” he said softly.
For a second, they just looked at each other andCassiefelt her stomach flutter again.Whatwas it with the bigBloodKindredthat made her feel so strange when he looked at her that way?
Then the bed dipped hard behind her asRavikclimbed in too, andCassienearly lost her balance.
Severin caught her elbow at the same timeRavik’shands settled at her waist from behind.Betweenthe two of them, she didn’t fall, but she did find herself held upright by oneBloodKindredand oneBeastKindredin the middle of a giant heated mating bed.
Which wasnota sentence she had ever expected to apply to her life.
“Careful,”Severinmurmured
