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He couldn't resist stroking her cheek. "You should never be hurting or in discomfort ever again, baby. I'm going to heal you as many times as it takes."
She smiled and he returned the gesture. "There's that term again. I appreciate the healing, but I want an answer this time."
He grinned, loving when Nora was a little more confident and determined. "It means I like you, Nora, and I want to take care of you." He saw a flash of panic and quickly added, "But this is all on your terms. I know you need the claiming to keep from going crazy, and I'm determined to help you get there slowly."
She searched his gaze. "Why?"
He let out a breath. "Fuck if I know. There's something about you I can't pinpoint, which is strange as hell to a fae witch since we don't have fated ones."
Her gaze dropped to his chest again, and River hated it.
But he wasn't going to force her to look up. "Tell me what's wrong, Nora."
Her voice was barely audible when she replied, "What happened to the other term?"
He traced her jaw and loved how she leaned into his touch. "If you want me to call you baby, I will. Just nod."
She did so, her cheeks flushing at the same time.
Nora was extremely innocent on the one hand and yet had long ago learned about the fucking harshest realities of life.
That contrast was just something else that intrigued him. "Tell me what's wrong, baby."
She smiled a bit and finally met his gaze once more. "Will you kiss me, River?"
He blinked. "What?"
As her cheeks burned, she looked away. "I can understand not wanting to. I mean, I've never had a real one before and I'm probably awful at it."
Cupping her cheek, he decided to be a little blunt. "Look at me." Once she did, he added, "I keep having dreams of kissing you until we can both barely breathe, so I definitely want it." Nora's eyes widened a fraction, but not in fear. Encouraged, he added, "However, I don't want you to think you have to prove something to me." He moved his thumb to caress her bottom lip and loved how she let out a soft gasp at his caress. "You've been through so much, and I don't want to scare you."
Fire flashed in her eyes. "And that's why I want to try kissing you, River. Those, those males…"
He jumped in, "Fuckers."
"…bastards have taken over so much of my life, made me afraid to face the world, and even stole one of my childhood loves—the piano." She traced his jaw and heat rushed through River at her soft touch, straight to his dick. "But I've never claimed my first kiss—not one I wanted—and it's something I can still ask for. And I feel if I can do that, then maybe I can slowly regain what they took from me. I'll probably never claim to be whole and perfect, but I have to do something. Because after living for more than fifty years in fear, I'm tired, River. So bloody tired."
He moved a hand to the side of her throat and gently stroked the underside of her jaw. "If you want to take, then take. Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting for you, baby."
* * *
Nora couldn't believeshe'd had enough nerve to ask River for a kiss.
She also had no bloody idea where all the words about wanting to reclaim herself had come from.
But she meant them. Talking to River about what had been stolen had made her cry at first. However, now anger churned in her belly at what had been taken from her.
Such as any sort of tenderness or laughter with a male who fancied her. Or the ability to go outside and walk among the streets of London without a care. And even something as silly as being able to ride a horse or play the piano with joy like she'd once done.
All because some older vampires had craved to buy her womb and treat her as an object they owned until she was with child.
River, on the other hand, was so different from those males she could barely comprehend it. Just the simple act of healing her puffy eyes without thinking had touched her in ways she didn't dare hope for.
He didn't want to hurt her. No, he wanted to care for her.
Since he said to take a kiss whenever she was ready, using the endearment of baby she liked hearing from his lips, Nora gently put a hand behind his head. The short strands somehow felt wrong, and she hoped he'd grow it out again.
River's pupils dilated and she could hear his pulse kick up. Even though her fangs ached and wanted to taste his blood, Nora wasn't quite there yet.
