Page 51 of Cheating Fate

“While I know you have your own savings, I have more money than I will ever need. So when you are ready, we can rent an apartment or buy a home,” I suggested.

“Or we can build our home,” she countered.

I stiffened and gave her a surprise look. “Build?” I echoed.

She nodded, her gaze locked with mine, then licked her lips nervously as if preparing to take the plunge on something she wasn’t certain how I would respond to.

“We have a huge piece of land,” she explained carefully. “My parents said that each of us could build a home on a section of the lot. It would almost be like your Braxian compounds except without the protective walls. As you can see, our land spreads over a few acres, so we would still have plenty of privacy.”

Her spine steadily stiffened as she spoke, her tension almost palpable as she awaited my response.

“That’s a fantastic idea!” I said with a smile.

“Really?!” Zhara exclaimed with an air of disbelief.

“Of course. That sounds like a great plan. If we had moved to Braxia instead, we would have looked at a similar scenario. And I’m sure your parents will love having you nearby, if only to keep me in check,” I added with a grin.

She squealed and gave me a bone-crushing hug. I chuckled and captured her lips in a tender kiss. My blood immediately started boiling, and I forced myself to release her.

“Okay. Obviously, there’s no rush. But we can start looking around for this spot we would prefer to build on. And until then, we can play it by ear,” she said.

“Sounds good,” I replied.

We continued walking for a short while longer, but I sadly quickly started feeling winded. I fucking hated how weak and flimsy I’d become.

“Stop pouting, you big baby,” Zhara teased as we made our way back to the house. “You’re doing great. Honestly, my father was less roasted than you were, and he took far longer to recover than you did. It also didn’t hurt that we learned from his case how to handle a situation like this. So no complaining allowed from you. And that gives me an excuse to put my hands on you for some healing.”

She burst out laughing at the shameless predatory grin that settled on my face at those words.

As soon as we entered the suite, my pulse immediately picked up. Before now, we’d always been surrounded by other people. This would truly be our first time fully isolated as I stripped down to my boxers. It took every ounce of my willpower not to make a show out of it as my mate’s gaze shamelessly roamed over every inch of my body with the possessiveness that set my blood ablaze. The discreet scent of her blossoming arousal did nothing to help the situation.

Zhara gestured for me to get on the bed, and I complied, mortified by my blood rushing to my groin. She kicked off her shoes and knelt on the mattress next to me before starting to run her hands all over my chest. Her movements were slow and sensual, nothing like the clinical fashion with which she previously performed her healing at the hospital. The way her gaze darkened and that she occasionally locked eyes with me fanned the flame erupting in the pit of my stomach.

Fuck how I loved the feel of her hands on me. They were soft and warm, just the right level of possessive. Every cell in my body was screaming for her to grow even bolder. A part of me suspected that she wanted me to take the initiative and get things a lot spicier. But another shouted that this was only my wishful thinking to fulfill my own selfish desires. In this instant, I would have given anything to be able to read her mind.

There was no question that Zhara wanted me as much as I wanted her. However, as she had so perfectly stated earlier in the orchard, we’d never even been out on a proper date. So despite the deadly circumstances that had brought us closer in record time, we were still technically at the very dawn of our relationship. I’d waited so long for her that I wanted to do things right. Being a disappointment to my soulmate would devastate me.

Still, when she leaned forward to run her hands over my trapezius, the delightful warmth of her healing magic seeping into me, I caught myself holding onto her waist without even realizing it. Her eyes darkened further, and her lips parted. I couldn’t say for certain if she moved towards me or if I drew her on top of me, but the next thing I knew, our lips were locked in a kiss that quickly turned into something deeper.

Our tongues mingled in a slightly clumsy fashion, broadcasting our mutual lack of experience, but we didn’t care. Zhara straddled me as I tightened my embrace around her. With the shortness of her dress, nothing but her underwear and my own separated us. Blood rushed to my groin in a fury, and I felt myself hardening at dizzying speed. I was mortified. The voice of reason shouted for me to push her away, but the greedy voice of lust took control of my hands instead. They settled on the back of her thighs, left exposed by her short outfit. Fuck me, her skin was so soft!

My palms glided upward, under the hem of her dress, to settle on the round curves of her behind. Although she wasn’t wearing a thong or G-string, the small amount of fabric of her V-shaped panties seemed to indicate she was wearing a tanga. Either way, it left a large portion of her butt cheeks exposed to my very pleased wandering hands. As our tongues continued to war, I caressed her behind and caught myself pressing her down against my aching shaft. She gasped against my lips, and a shiver coursed through her.

An inferno raged in my loins as I fought the burning urge to tear off the flimsy fabric shielding her from me, lower my boxer shorts, and ram myself inside her warmth. I ached and throbbed at the thought of how tightly her inner walls would grip my cock as I pounded into her. I felt dizzy with need.

With one hand still keeping her pelvis pressed against mine, I glided the other one up her back. Her soft skin erupted in goosebumps, and an approving growl vibrated in my throat. Her fingers slipped through my hair, fisting it. Reluctantly, abandoning the scrumptious mound of her behind, I caressed the side of her leg. My fingertips grazed the sensitive and highly erogenous marking lining it. Veredians could climax just by having someone properly stimulate those beautiful spots.

Obviously, I’d done it to pleasure Zhara, but I never expected the strong reaction that followed. She threw her head back with a short but sharp cry as a violent shudder coursed through her. Eyes tightly closed, her lips parted in an air of pure bliss, she looked so fucking beautiful, my cock jerked in response. The way she’d arched her back had her breasts thrust forward towards my face, putting on full display the hardening buds of her nipples. They poked through the fabric of her dress, making my mouth water.

Her legs almost painfully tightened around my waist as did her right hand in my hair, while the nails of the other dug into my shoulder. Then Zhara shifted her hips back then forward in a way that had her sex grinding over mine. I couldn’t tell whether the movement had been intentional or just my woman readjusting her position over me, but it felt as if lightning struck the very base of my balls.

A savage sound erupted from me, and for a split second, I feared coming undone and spilling my seed right then and there. Zhara yelped in surprise when I flipped us around and pinned her wrists to the mattress on each side of her head. With one brutal swipe of my right knee, I spread her leg wide so that I could settle more comfortably on top of her. Teeth bared, I leaned menacingly towards her, our eyes locked as I ground my pelvis against hers. The friction from each thrusting motion had electric tendrils firing off in every direction from my core.

It all happened in the span of maybe five seconds, but Zhara’s air of shock knocked me out of the lusty haze that had taken me over. I couldn’t tell if surprise, arousal, or fear prompted that expression. Whatever the case, my protective instinct kicked into high gear even as an intense wave of shame crashed over me for allowing myself to lose control like this, even for a second.

I threw myself off her and off the bed, mortified.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” I stammered.