Severin said nothing, but his gaze lingered on her face in a way that made her feel shy for some reason.
“Um, just so you know,I’min perimenopause soIcan’t promiseIwon’t have a hot flash tonight,” she said to him, just to make conversation.“Imight get you both all sweaty.”
A slight smile touched the corner ofSeverin’smouth.
“IfIwere a cruder maleImight say thatIwouldn’t mind getting ‘all sweaty’ with you,” he murmured.
Cassie felt her cheeks go pink and wondered if he could see her blushing in the dim amber light of theVisskousmating chamber.
“Yeah, well you’d better keep that kind of thing to yourself,” she said, but her words lacked sharpness.
“I only saidIwould say it ifIwas a crude kind of male—whichItry not to be,”Severinsaid.“Andyou’ll have to forgive me for staring at your breasts earlier.They’revery full and ripe and it’s been a long time sinceRavikandIhave been around such a beautiful woman.”
His words, spoken in that soft, deep voice and the way his blue eyes were half-lidded as he looked at her seemed to do something toCassie.Onceagain she felt desired—bybothof them—at least if theBeastKindred’srigid shaft pressing against her ass was anything to go by.
But she felt strangely safe too—no one was trying anything—they were both keeping their hands to themselves.Andas for the wayRavik’scock was pressing against her behind, well, that was just a natural reaction to being close.
“I forgive you for looking,” she said and arched her back, trying to get more comfortable—or so she told herself.Butto be honest, she was very aware that lying on her side this way pushed her breasts together and the tiny nighty she was wearing showed a lot of cleavage.Shecould feel her nipples—which were still extremely tight—pressing against the red silk fabric.
Severin’s blue eyes flicked downward and then back up to her face as a low groan rose in his throat.
“Please stop that—you’re tempting me to look again and it’s incredibly hard not to when you’re so gorgeous.”
His words surprised her and made her heart flutter.Cassiefelt an unfamiliar heat building between her legs.Whenwas the last time a man had looked at her like this?Sskarthdidn’t count—he’d considered her more of an exotic oddity than a true beauty andMitchhadn’t even noticed her at all until she left him and he couldn’t understand why.
“Can you see in this light?Imean, without your glasses on?”she asked curiously.
He nodded.
“I’m not blind to beauty,Cassandra,” he murmured.
“Well, thank you.Butmy first husband,Mitch, always saidIwas too big to be beautiful,” she remarked.
“He was a fool.You’reaMatureElite—theGoddesshas blessed you with extra curves.”Hiseyes were hungry now.
“MatureElite,”Ravikechoed, his rumbling voice vibrating her body.“Cassieis beautiful.”
“Which is whyI’mhaving such a hard time taking my eyes off you,”Severinadmitted.
“Well…”Sheshifted again.“Imean,Iguess if you just look and don’t touch…”
Severin’s eyes widened.
“You’re giving me permission to look?”
“You canbothlook—as long as you don’t touch.”
Cassie didn’t know what had gotten into her—maybe it was the unfamiliar feeling of being desired or maybe it was the combination of their scents that filled her senses or maybe it was feeling warm and safe in the big bed between them.
Whatever it was, she decided to act on her instinct.Sheturned over so that she was lying on her back instead of her side.
At once,Ravikwas looking at her with a confused frown on his face.
“IsCassieall right?”he rumbled.
“I’m fine, big guy,” she assured him.Reachingup, she cupped one scratchy cheek in her palm and looked into his eyes.“I’mgoing to let you look at me—both of you,” she told him.“Butyou can’t touch.Doyou understand?”
His eyes widened but he nodded slowly.
