Page 13 of Elias
She shook her head. “I don’t know about any other sentence, but you were thinking we might be able to breathe better if we stepped outside. Our combined scent in this bathroom and even the house is making it difficult to think rational thoughts.”
His grin grew. “Exactly. Follow me, Little firecracker.” He turned and left the bathroom.
She smiled as she followed him. The nickname he’d given her was pretty accurate, so she decided to embrace it. She also decided not to glance across the hallway into the weird nursery he’d made for her.
He had just admitted he’d done none of the work. He also hadn’t selected any of the items in the room. What did that mean? Was it true that every Alpha Protector had a nursery for his mate?
Leah couldn’t wrap her head around that concept yet, so she decided to put it out of her mind. There were a million other things to discuss, and she was grateful her giant mate wasn’t pouncing on her.
He could have torn off her clothes and forced himself into her body by now. But he hadn’t, and for that, she was relieved. How long would he keep his hands to himself?
More importantly, how long would she be able to keepherhands offhim? The desire to touch him was overwhelming. Hopefully the fresh air would help cool her urges. She wasn’t ready for what would happen if she let him put his hands on her.
Chapter Nine
Elias felt a certain amount of relief as they stepped outside. It was good to know his mate wasn’t furious with him for not preparing for her arrival himself as though he had believed her to be the most important thing in the world. Leah hadn’t believed it either. They were on the same page. Now what?
Elias took a seat on one of the Adirondack chairs and leaned back. He inhaled deeply several times, hoping to clear his lungs or something. Every time he’d breathed his mate’s essence, he’d fallen deeper under her spell.
He’d needed to sit, and he could tell himself the fresh air would clear his mind, but it was a lie. It wasn’t working.
His Little firecracker stood at the railing in front of him, facing the view. It was funny that just a few weeks ago, his brother and father had stood in that same spot, blocking his view. Leah was not blocking his view. Shewashis view.
He didn’t care about the mountains, trees, valleys, or rivers. He cared about the stunning woman standing in front of him. Her glorious red hair was long and wavy and blowing gently in the breeze.
He couldn’t wait to tangle his fingers in the length of it. He had the urge to wrap it around his hands, pull her head back, and kiss the column of her neck up to her mouth.
Elias lowered his gaze to her slender body. The dress was pretty, but he hated that it was covering so much of her. Clothing was one of the biggest differences between the folks living in the valley and those living among the Alpha Protectors in the mountains.
Women in the valley were taught modesty. All females dressed in a way that hid nearly everything and gave away no secrets. Elias’s family and friends encouraged their women to toss that modesty to the wind.
Soon, he would unveil his pretty mate, and he would never cover her in so much material again. He’d heard of the layers of shifts she would be wearing under her dress. It was customary, but she wouldn’t wear shifts again. She would not wear dresses that extended to her ankles, wrists, and high on her neck.
Leah shook him out of his thoughts when she turned around. She was smiling.
He returned the smile, forcing himself to remain seated where he was instead of reaching for her like he wanted to.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she murmured as she crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps.
“Are you cold, Little one?”
She shrugged. “Why do you call me Little one?”
“It’s a common endearment among my people. Youarelittle,” he pointed out.
She nodded slowly. “Compared to you, I certainly am, but that’s not what you mean when you call me that. You would call me Little one even if I were huge.”
He chuckled. “Touché.” He leaned back, watching her closely. He didn’t want to upset her. She needed to come to her own realizations to a certain extent. He knew his way of life—the way of life of all Alpha Protectors—was unusual to new mates. It was expected that she would be confused and probably disconcerted.
She glanced toward the house, still hugging herself. “Explain the nursery.”
He drew in a breath. “We treat our mates as though they are more precious than life itself because they are. As much as I tried to deny it for most of my life, I see now what my parents and friends have been trying to tell me. My instinct is to dote on you and ensure that nothing ever happens to you.”
“You could buy me a necklace or a bracelet,” she teased, though her voice was strained. “How does babying me show your affection?”
He rubbed his hands together, wishing they could get through this part and move on. He spoke carefully. “I’m a dominant man, Leah, far more dominant than anyone you’ve ever met in the valley. It’s in my nature. I crave your submission. It’s a silent symbol of your trust and faith in me. The deeper your submission is, the closer our bond will be. It will come on its own. You can fight it, and I expect you will, but eventually you will submit deeply to me. Nature will push you in that direction.”
“I was raised to submit to you, Elias.” She shuddered as if she abhorred the idea. “My mother taught me to cook and clean and take care of your…physical needs. I understand that part.” She glanced toward the house again and licked her lips.