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She cupped his face with both hands, smoothing her thumbs across his stubble. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
His brow arched. “Where else would I be? Here, in this bed, with your sexy body plastered to mine…this is my definition of heaven.”
They’d made love all night. He’d taken her to places of bliss that she hadn’t known existed outside of romance novels. When they’d crashed for the night, bodies tangled tightly together, she’d never been happier. How long had it been since she’d felt so safe and so cherished? She couldn’t even recall.
As she stared up at her mate, she knew she didn’t want to stay in Wilde Creek a second longer. She wanted to go to his home so he could follow the traditions of his people.
“I’d like to leave.”
His brows furrowed. “What?”
She chuckled. “I want to go to your home so we can go to the mating cave.”
His eyes darkened and a low growl rumbled in his chest. “Do you, little wolf?”
She loved when he called her that.
“There’s no reason to stay here. We have a two-day journey ahead of us; plus I’d love to meet your mom. Promise to keep me warm in the cave?” she teased.
His hand slid down her side to grip her thigh, lifting it up so he could move between her legs. “Definitely.”
She arched up under him as he slid into her heat, and they made love twice more before they made it out of the bedroom.
* * *
While Row made a late breakfast for them, Kammie stood in front of her closet and looked at her clothes. She only wore long things—long skirts, pants, long-sleeved tops and sweaters. Hardly any of her clothes bared her skin. It was still winter, so it made sense for her to have these things, but being with Row made her want to make him proud. He’d told her over and over that in his sleuth, her scars wouldn’t be a liability, and she believed him. He’d been nothing but good to her since they’d met, and she wanted to honor him the way that he honored her.
Digging into the back of her closet, she found a short-sleeved top that she’d bought on a whim a year earlier. It was deep purple, with a v-neck and a scalloped edge along the hem. It was feminine and lovely, and she’d never worn it.
Discarding her towel, she changed into her prettiest lingerie, a white lace set that seemed to highlight her curves and showed off the scars. After the way Row had worshiped her body, she realized that her scars didn’t have to hold her back anymore. She didn’t have to be ashamed of them; they were badges of honor, proof that she could survive anything that life threw at her.
She dressed and then went into the bathroom to look at herself. She lifted her hair and inspected the mating marks that he’d given her. They’d already scarred over and healed while she’d slept, leaving behind the evidence that Row was her mate. It had been so sweet she’d wanted to cry, but she’d done her best to just enjoy how wonderful it felt to have family who cared about her.
Using small clips, she twisted her hair up to show off the marks, and smiled at her reflection. The urge was there to cover up her arms, especially the right one which had a long line extending over her elbow, but it was a small urge and she ignored it. She would honor Row by baring her skin in this little way. She wouldn’t be ashamed anymore.
Joining him in the kitchen, she said, “It smells good in here.”
Row turned from the stove and smiled. “It’s because you just came in.”
She chuckled. “And there’s the bacon.”
“It’s one of my four food groups, along with pasta, hamburgers, and chocolate cake.”
Immediately she started thinking about how to make a casserole with everything he loved—except the chocolate cake. He kissed her and shooed her to the table. She sat down and watched as he set everything on the table and then fixed her coffee just the way she liked it. Over-easy eggs glistened on her plate along with seasoned potatoes and a pile of bacon. He poured orange juice for both of them and sat across from her with an identical plate.
“I’d like to get going after we eat, sweetheart.”
“I’m almost done packing. Is there anything special I need to bring?”
He swallowed a bite of food. “Something nice so I can take you out on a real date.”
“Aren’t we past the dating stage?” she asked, quirking her brow at him.
“Not hardly. I want you to have every experience I can give you, and that includes me taking you on a date.”
“Did you use to date a lot?”
“Not really. I did a little when I was younger, but once I was old enough to take part in the battles my life became about making myself a better fighter. Even though they were brutal, the battles helped to focus my attention where it mattered.”
