I felt stupidly embarrassed as he lifted one knee, then the other, exposing me again. But the warm cloth felt like heaven, and he was gentle as he took care of me, pressing a sweet kiss to the inside of my knee when he finished.
“Do you feel okay? Are you sore?” He was still perched on the edge of the bed, with an anxious expression I’d never seen before as he looked me over.
“A little, but in a good way. Kind of achy, like sore muscles, but like I want to do it all over again.” I grinned. I couldn’t hold it in.
Relief visibly washed over him, and he chuckled as he kissed my knee again. “Maybe in the morning, if you’re a good girl. Tonight, you need to rest.”
I shuddered as he walked back to the bathroom. Why was that so hot? I’d never thought anything of the whole good girl obsession, but when Lucien said it? Instant desire.
When he walked back out, I took a moment to finally appreciate every square inch of his masculine beauty. Before, when I first met him, he struck me as a Hollywood type. Always sharply dressed, blond hair perfectly slicked back. He reminded me of Leo DiCaprio, but wolfier.
Now? The scar gave him this rugged edge, and it somehow made him even better. Granted, I’d never tell him that, as I knew he was sensitive about it. But more than that, the physique he’d been hiding under those suits… His hair was rumpled from my fingertips, his abs flexing with every step he took, drawing my eyes down to the V at his hips that made my mouth go dry. And I’d never before spent the time to pick out my favorite body part on a man, but Lucien’s thighs were just so powerful, they were top contenders. Every single inch of him was perfect.
I was a lucky lady.
He held out a hand for me, pulling me up as if I were weightless and devouring my lips in a soul-stealing kiss. Then he pulled back the covers, urging me under, and slid in next to me.
I wanted desperately to stay awake, to talk it all out, to make sure he’d enjoyed himself half as much as I had. But a jaw-cracking yawn broke free as soon as I was settled with his arm over my hips.
We were nearly nose to nose on the pillows, and I could see his lids drooping with exhaustion. But there was one thing I had to say before the morning.
“You got your mate marks.” I trailed my fingertips over his pec, the red lines starting there and slashing down his side.
He blinked slowly at me before glancing down, surprised, as if he genuinely hadn’t noticed them yet. “Yes, I did.”
A flutter of anxiety danced across my skin. “They match mine.” I let my fingertips wander to my own side, a few inches above where his forearm rested. I knew just where they were; I’d been staring at them every single day since they appeared in the bathroom mirror.
“Yours are better,” he murmured, a half smirk forming on his lips. “Softer.” His hand came up, cupping my hip with a little squeeze that sent the anxiety flying away as quickly as it had landed.
“So, you’re okay with it?” I hated myself for asking, hated the insecurity I could hear in the question, but damn it, he’d been so hot and cold with me. Granted, tonight we were running hot, but I couldn’t lie and say I wouldn’t be scared to wake up and find him cold again.
He’d had plenty of sex; just because he’d blown my mind didn’t mean this wasn’t business as usual for him.
Oh Goddess. What if we woke up tomorrow and everything went right back to normal, where everything was distant and polite, or just plain avoidant?
It would crush me. Apparently, my heart had a direct link to my vagina, because I was fully involved now, nothing held back.
Shit, that was not the plan.
Granted, the plan had mostly been to lose my virginity and get closer to my sexy alpha mate, but falling head over heels was not smart. Eventually, yes, of course; but not now. It was way too soon, and I was going to get myself hurt.
His brow furrowed, and between one heartbeat and the next, he rolled on top of me, warm skin and solid muscle pressing me into the mattress before I even realized what he was about to do. “What’s wrong? You were blissed out not five seconds ago. What changed?”
Heat flooded my cheeks. Shoot. What was more embarrassing? Evading the question with something stupid or admitting I’d been worried I had more feelings than he did?
“I just… Umm.”
“Hellcat…” The warning tone had words tumbling from my lips against my will. Not because he used an alpha bark, but because I wanted to please him.
Damn it.
“You weren’t happy we were fated. What if you’re not happy you got your marks? If this was just sex for you, then… I just need to be prepared. For tomorrow.”
He nodded solemnly. “I see. Well, let me make it crystal clear for you.”
I tensed, bracing myself for whatever he had to say next.
“In the morning, we’re going to shower, and I’ll feed you your breakfast. If you’re not too sore and there aren’t any interruptions, I might just push you up against the shower wall for round two.” He dropped a kiss to my forehead that made me melt. “But whatever comes up after that, we’ll figure it out. Together,” he added hastily, as if he was worried I hadn’t caught that part. “Okay?”
“Okay.” I was a lower rank, a nu, officially. But even so, I’d never been a girl who wanted to be dominated or to have to deal with alpha male toxicity. When Lucien was dominant, though? Whole different ball game. My wolf practically purred with happiness to be under him, the object of his full attention.
“Good. Now get some sleep, or else you’ll be too tired for round two.” He rolled over, but instead of lying beside me, he pulled me onto his chest, my cheek pressed against his chest, his hands on my back playing with the ends of my hair, our legs intertwined.
Within minutes, the steady sound of his heartbeat and the soft strokes on my hair lulled me into dreamless sleep.
Shower sex with Lucien? Twelve out of ten. He’d lathered me up and then proceeded to get me dirty all over again, paying particular attention to my mate marks this time around, which he seemed shockingly possessive of. Nudity wasn’t a big thing for wolves, but he’d adjusted my shirt as we walked out, making sure every single inch of them were covered. I definitely wasn’t complaining as we walked out of our room midmorning, even though my stomach was rumbling.
No chef had shown up with a tray this time, but someone had left a note that the rest of the pack had gone in for breakfast with the centaurs. Apparently, they wanted more face time with us now that we’d passed their test.
It didn’t take us long to find the breakfast buffet, partly because the scent of fresh bacon was a beacon, but also because of the racket. There was a huge crowd, and centaurs of all shapes and coat colors were milling around, practically queueing up to speak to our pack mates. They’d actually all spread out in groups of two or three, so after Lucien and I went through the line for our plates mounded with breakfast meat, eggs, and fresh chunks of feta, we found an empty spot and took it.
We weren’t alone for long. It was a roulette wheel of centaurs, walking up to chat with us until they were shuffled out of the way by the next enthusiastic centaur. They wanted to know all sorts of things. How we’d met, where we were from, what was happening anywhere in the world but their island.
By the time our plates were nearly empty, it was very clear to me that they were starved for outside interaction. The days were gone where a creature as different as a centaur could roam freely without being exposed by human media.
My head spun by the time Gael slid into the seat on Lucien’s other side. “It’s time to meet with the herd leader and councilman. I’m taking the other women back to their rooms so they have time to pack, since we’re leaving right after. Olivia, do you want to come along?”
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