“Not unless you want to,” he said.
“Can…canIthink about it?”she asked hesitantly.
“Of course, sweetheart.”Hestroked her hair.“Takeas much time as you need.”
Cassie swallowed.Theintense orgasm had cooled the fire in her blood and for maybe five whole minutes, she honestly believed it might be enough.Afterall, she felt so good now—so relaxed.
She lay between the two bigKindred, warm and boneless and calm, lettingRavik’shuge body press against one side of her whileSeverincradled her from behind.
The terrible clawing need had loosened its grip and the glowing bite wound on her arm had faded to a faint shimmer.Shecould still feel both males’ arousal—hard and thick and impossible to miss through their trousers—but neither one pushed for anything…they just held her.
That, somehow, made everything worse and better at the same time.
Because the oldCassie—theCassiewho had been married toMitchand thenSskarth, theCassiewho had learned not to ask for too much because asking usually ended in disappointment—would have expected them to want something back.Shehad been naked and spread open between them whileRaviklicked her andSeverinheld her breasts and talked her through it.Theywere both painfully hard now.Shecould feel that.
And still, they waited.
No grabbing.Nodemanding.Noresentful sighs.Nomaking her feel like she owed them because they had made her come.
Cassie swallowed against a sudden lump in her throat and told herself not to get emotional about two alien warriors having basic manners.Butsomehow it felt like more than manners—it felt like care.Thekind of care she barely knew what to do with because no male had ever offered it to her before.
Then the bite wound pulsed and she felt the need beginning to creep up on her again.
37
CASSIE
Cassie sucked in a breath as the wound pulsed again.
At once,Severin’sarm tightened around her.
“What is it?”he asked in a low, worried voice.
She didn’t answer immediately because she was too busy staring down at her arm.Thereddish-gold shimmer had returned beneath the skin—faint at first and then brighter, pulsing in a slow, hungry rhythm that seemed to echo between her thighs.
“Ohno,”she whispered.
Ravik lifted his head from where he had been nuzzling her shoulder.
“Cassie?”
The second he said her name, the pulse grew stronger.Heatrolled through her—not as sharp and frantic as before, but deep and insistent.Herbody, which had been relaxed and satisfied only moments ago, tightened all over again.Hernipples went hard againstSeverin’sforearm and her pussy gave a helpless little clench that made her cheeks burn.
Severin saw it and seemed to know at once what was going on.
“Cassandra,” he murmured, “Isthe need returning?”
She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her hands into fists.
“I really,reallywanted the answer to that to be no,” she said, her voice coming out strained.
“But it isn’t?”he asked.
“No.”Sheexhaled shakily.“It’sbetter than before—not as awful.Notas…desperate.Butit’s still there andIfeel like…feel like it’s getting stronger.”
Ravik’s hand stroked over her hip, slow and soothing.
“Cassie needs more pleasure?”he rumbled.
