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My shorts are low on my hips now, barely staying up. The only reason I have not dropped them yet is that I am waiting for Simone to agree to get in the water with me. I know as soon as she has decided to join me because she moves to tie her hair up messily on top of her head so she doesn’t get it wet.

“You’re good with this?” Simone casts her eyes toward Vex.

He is very purposefully not leaving the blanket. He stands on the edge of it, his entire body tense like he might make a go for her at any moment. He is a determined male, though, and he loves Simone as much as I do. That means he is going to open himself to new experiences.

If we are lucky, he will find that he enjoys watching me touch our mate. I know I very much enjoyed watching him with Simone. Even if he does struggle with watching me, at least we know now that he is fine with me watching. He told me he feared his reaction to that just as much as he feared his reaction to watching me.

“I want to be,” Vex says. His teeth are clenched together so tight I can see when his jaw ticks back and forth. “I want to share you, Simone, so go to him, and I’ll keep myself from killing him.”

That’s all the encouragement I need. I turn from the two of them, let my shorts fall to my ankles, and step out of them. Simone likes my backside. I mean, she has never told me this, but I have felt her eyes there many times. Today is no different.

Her gaze scalds me with how much need she has. She has forced herself to stuff her needs deep down inside of herself.When she allows her eyes to linger on things she wants, all of those needs burn through in her eyes. This is how I know her eyes are on me as I walk into the warm water.

I can hear Vex mumbling something, but I am too far away to hear what it is. I’m sure it has to do with how our mate likes to watch me. I doubt he is happy about that.

“You’re an idiot,” Simone scolds me as she comes splashing into the water behind me.

I don’t turn to see if she is bare because I already know she is not. That is fine. I will strip her once she is dripping wet and aching for me to touch her bare skin.

“I am your mate,” I say over my shoulder, walking until the water covers my hips before turning to face her.

Simone is wearing one of the beige-colored tunics that most of the others in this tribe wear. Since the tribe was separated from the others for so long, they did not have access to as many dyes as other tribes.

I would feel bad for all of the dyed clothing I have if not for the fact that I have given most of my wardrobe to other brothers here so I could fill my wardrobe with more of the dark colors Simone likes on me. Not that I wear very many shirts because I enjoy how she cannot stop herself from looking at my chest and arms when I am bared to her.

The good part about the undyed fabrics that she is wearing is that the water takes away most of her covering as it wets her clothing. Her shorts are probably nice and transparent now if I were to haul her out of the water and examine her in all the ways I wish to.

Even her tunic is beginning to cling to her dark skin up to her abdomen. I am far enough in the water that it will not reach her breasts, but that can be remedied with a few well-placed splashes in her direction.

I must be as easy for her to read as she is for me because she is wrapping her arms over her chest and giving me a scolding look.

“Don’t you dare,” she snarls at me.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I lie.

I offer her my hand, hoping she will take it so I can drag her deeper into the water with me. If her clothing gets too wet, she will give Vex and me a wonderful show until it dries.

“What are you hoping to accomplish with this?” Simone asks.

She takes my hand and lets out a small squeal when I tug her close to me. Her abdomen is pressed against my hardened cock.

“I am hoping to get you to moan my name a few times, but I will also be happy if we can make sure he does not come to steal you away from me.” I do not give her a moment to register my words before I spin her around so she is facing where Vex is now pacing along the shore.

“He does not like thinking about sharing you with me,” I tell her, using one of my hands to wrap possessively around her neck. I hear the moan as much as I feel it vibrate in her throat. I like the way she feels in my hands, and I want to know how much she trusts me.

“He’s not mad yet,” Simone says.

Her breathing is quicker than normal, and I can feel her pulse beating rapidly beneath my fingertips. I want to know how fast it will beat if I let my claws extend just slightly so she knows they are there. Would it make her moan and lean back against me like I think it would? I hiss low in my chest to keep myself from acting on these impulses just yet. There will be plenty of time for that once we know Vex can handle seeing my hands on her body.

“I’m going to try to make him mad,” I say. I let my free hand drag through the water to where the hem of her shirt is floating. I push my hand between the fabric and her skin. My fingers take in how soft her skin is and how she seems to push into my handlike she cannot get enough of my touches. “If I do anything you do not like, you tell me.”

“That’s going to be hard,” Simone groans as she presses her backside closer to me. My cock is hard against her back, and she wriggles in my hold to tease me. “Everything you do seems to be so good.”

I smile to myself, shaking my head at how very different this version of my mate is from the prickly human she tries to make herself out to be when she is scared of how big her emotions are. “Is the secret to making you so complacent to arouse you?”

I expect her to bristle at my teasing, but she moans again. “I’m so tired of fighting it.”

“No more fighting then,” I whisper low enough that she has to lean closer to me to hear my words. “At least right now. I do enjoy your sharp tongue and biting words. Maybe you bring some of your spikes the next time we do this. I think I would very much enjoy taming you.”