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F ane lifted his head from Marjani and rolled to one side. Propping his head on his hand, he traced a finger down her nose and over her plush lips, swollen from his kisses. Her delicate features had a faint flush, her cat-shaped eyes heavy with satisfaction.

His heart swelled, because he’d been the one who put that look on her face.

He toyed with one of her small, pretty breasts. He loved her lean, streamlined body. He ached to bury himself in her, but he’d promised he’d move slowly, and he meant to keep that promise.

That this hurting, complicated woman had trusted him with herself as far as she had was an incredible gift.

He’d hated to see those flickers of fear. The gods knew he wasn’t a violent man. A wayfarer didn’t have to be. When things got rough, Fane simply…disappeared. But at the thought of anyone hurting Marjani, something dark and ugly balled in his chest.

She turned on her side and set her hand on his chest. “Now you.” She tiptoed her fingers lower and encircled his erection.

He sucked in a breath, practically jumping out of his skin with pleasure. But he made himself say, “Only if you want.”

“I want.” The seriousness on her face made his lungs constrict.

“Then have at it, love.” He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top.

“Mm,” she purred. She straddled his hips, her eyes sparking blue-green.

He filled his hands with her taut, round ass. “I love it when I see your cougar.”

She leaned forward to rub the tips of her nipples over his chest. “The cat wants to eat you up.” The movement brought her mound against his cock. She gave another sexy purr and wriggled against him.

Heat sizzled up his spine. He flung out his arms. “I’m all yours.”

She straightened up, her gaze on where his erection curved between their bellies. His fingers curled into his palms, but he kept still.

“Your move,” he murmured.

She smiled—and did exactly what he’d hoped, wrapping those slim, competent fingers around him.

“That’s it,” he rasped. “Harder.”

She slid her hand up and down his hard length, stroking and squeezing. The pads of her fingers were calloused, the slight roughness oddly arousing. The slit wept liquid and she smoothed it over the flushed cap.

His breath quickened. Remaining still became an impossibility.

With a low, inarticulate sound, he thrust into her fist. She worked him with one hand while with the other she played with his balls. Then she curved over his abdomen and swiped her hot little tongue over the cap.

His entire body clenched. “Holy fuck.”

And then it got even better, because she lapped at the sensitive underside, licked her way up and down. It was so good, it hurt—and he wanted it to go on forever.

But of course, it couldn’t. His balls drew up tight, and pleasure gathered at the base of his spine.He was close to exploding when she came higher onto her knees and placed his tip at her entrance.

He stilled, recalling they had no protection. Teeth clenched, he gripped her hips and lifted her a little away. “I don’t want to give you a baby.”

Thank the gods she was fada. No STDs, hardly any risk of pregnancy without the mate bond. But even so, he was careful these days. He’d gotten Evie’s mom pregnant, after all.

Her brow furrowed. “But we’re not mates.”

“I wasn’t mated to Evie’s mom, either. I’ll pull out.”

She nodded and eased down on his dick. His mind went blank as wet, silky heat enclosed him.

When he was fully inside her, she stroked her hands down his abdomen with an appreciative hum. “You’re all muscle.”

“One advantage of being a wayfarer.”

“You grow hot muscles?” She trailed a fingertip down the ridges of his abdomen.

He chuckled. “We burn a lot of energy, and we’re natural athletes.” He moved his hips, enjoying how her pupils dilated.

“Ah.” She leaned forward, set her hands on his chest and began to move. The milky quartz banged against his chest, and without breaking her rhythm, she dragged it off and dropped it on the cavern floor.

He caressed the smooth, golden-brown skin of her hips and ass. “That’s it, love.”

He moved his hands to her breasts, playing with her firm little nipples. He gave them a pinch and her breath hissed out.

He smiled. “You like that.”

At her murmur of assent, he pinched them harder. She twistedhis nipples in playful retaliation, and his balls drew tight.

He began to move, meeting her thrusts with his own. She ground her pelvis on his, and contracted around him.

“More,” she husked. “I need it harder.”

Oh, yeah.

Happy to oblige, he rolled over so she lay on her back on the sweaters.

Bracing himself on his forearms, he gave her a deep, leisurely kiss and, when she wrapped her arms and legs around him, began thrusting again.

Slow at first, and then, when she dug her fingernails into his ass and urged him on with broken cries, hard and fast.

Heated inner walls squeezed him. She breathed out his name and came, the pulsing of her sex almost sending him over the edge with her.

He gritted his teeth and slowed down, riding out her orgasm, and then pulled out. A few strokes against her abdomen, and a goddamned fireball exploded through him. He groaned and buried his face in her neck, breathing her in as he rode the searing wave.

In its aftermath, he curled over her body, breath sawing in and out of his lungs, careful not to put his full weight on her. When he could talk again, he pressed a kiss to each of her eyelids. “Thank you.”

Her low chuckle did funny things to his heart. “No thanks necessary.”

He heaved himself off her and then lay down beside her on the hard stone, half-off the sweaters. Somehow she found the energy to rearrange the sweaters so they made a small bed. He scooted over so he was fully on them while she rose to clean herself in the pool.

When she returned, she curled up next to him, head on his shoulder. He tucked her close to his side. He hadn’t figured her for a cuddler, but he liked it. He looked down at where her eyes were closed, her face relaxed. She looked so damn young. Too young to be a clan second.

His heart filled. I love you , he thought, but knew he couldn’t say it. She’d probably laugh in his face. Instead, he brushed his lips over her forehead.

Her eyes opened. “You didn’t have to pull out. If I did get pregnant, the clan would welcome the baby. We have so few cubs.”

“Even so. Since Evie, I’ve been careful.”

She glanced away. “I guess I’m not mom-material anyway. I…I’ll probably never mate.”

He made a low sound of disagreement. “You’d make a great mother.”

“How would you know?”

“Because you love with all your heart—your brother, your friends, your clan. And you’ve seen enough to know that life’s precious. Any kid would be lucky to have you as a mother.”

“Yeah?” She gave him a wistful smile. “Well, thanks.”

She was silent for a time, and then she pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. She smelled of sex and her own earthy spice. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Neither are you.”

“Mm. When I heard how Evie’s dad was never around when she was growing up, I figured you for a selfish ass. But then she told me about how you always seemed to show up when they really needed you, and I wondered why.”

“Don’t kid yourself.” He stared bleakly at the ceiling. “I am a selfish ass.”

“Maybe. But you love Evie, don’t you? I think you stayed away to protect her.”

He moved a shoulder. “I couldn’t be sure the king wouldn’t use her against me. Or worse, someone like Lady B. And as long as I’m under the geas , my life’s not my own.”

“Oh, Fane.” Her voice was sad. “You’re in deep, aren’t you?”

His stomach constricted. He hadn’t allowed himself to want for a long time. Not another person, anyway. But he wanted Marjani, bad.

He could guess what her life had been like up until now. The Baltimore Earth Fada were a small, poor clan. Most of their elders had died in those bloody feuds she called the Darktime. She’d probably had to fight for every last scrap she owned.

He yearned to pamper her. Drape her in pearls and diamonds, buy her flowers and chocolate. Indulge her with expensive clothes and trips to exotic, sunny places.

Evie’s mom had been a mistake, but he’d been good to her in his own way. When she’d found another man—one who loved her back and was willing to take on Evie—Fane had been happy for her. And he was older now, smarter.

But Marjani was her brother’s second, and intensely loyal. She’d never leave Adric and Baltimore.

And even though Fane was allowed his own women, there was no fucking way Sindre would allow him this woman. Besides, he was under a geas . Even if Sindre allowed it, it would just give the king power over them both.

The words spilled out anyway. “You asked if I ever come to Baltimore. I’ve been thinking—this doesn’t have to be a one-night thing.

The king will forgive me.” He hoped. “I’ll wait a couple of months, and then send you a message.

I have a condo on the Mediterranean—in Spain, near Barcelona. We can meet there. No one has to know.”

“Yeah?”

Encouraged, he said, “Say yes, Jani. I’ll buy you anything you want. Clothes. Jewels…”

She stiffened and he trailed off.

“Fane.” That was all she said. But it was all she needed to say.

He took her mouth, pouring everything he knew about seduction into the kiss. “Think about it. That’s all I ask.”

She turned her head away. “If we do meet, it won’t be because you fucking pay me.”

He swore under his breath. “I’m sorry.” He nudged her chin until she was looking at him again. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that I want to buy you pretty things.”

Because I love you, damn it.

“But you don’t have to. I don’t need them.”

“Got that. Loud and clear.”

The hell with talking. He had the sinking feeling that nothing he could say would change her mind. And she’d made it clear this was a one-time thing. He might as well enjoy it while he could.

He inserted his thigh between hers, wrapped his hand around her nape and gave her a deep kiss.

Their lovemaking this time was urgent, frenzied. The bittersweet coming together of two people who knew something was ending almost before it had begun.