Page 39

Chapter

Twenty-Five

ARLON

For the first time in my life, I wake up with my mate in my arms and vow to myself that I’ll do everything in my power to repeat this for the rest of my life.

Tessa’s still asleep, her breaths warming my skin, so I take a moment to watch her face, relaxed and peaceful.

The maids are moving about downstairs. I’m not sure what woke me. The chirping of sparrows on the other side of the straw roof, perhaps, or the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones outside. Some traveler getting an early start to the day, no doubt, waking the poor grooms before dawn.

I need to use the washroom, so I gently pull my arm from under Tessa’s head and tuck her pillow in its place. In the dark, I tug on my riding pants and grab a fresh shirt. It’s my last one, so I’ll be glad to collect our laundry from Mistress Maeve after breakfast.

Cracking the door open, I slip into the hallway and only pull on my boots after shutting the door behind me to avoid waking Tessa.

The washroom is occupied, so I lean against the wall opposite it, running through the events of last night.

I hadn’t planned any of it. I wasn’t going to push Tessa any more than I already had, especially after what she told me.

But when she ordered me to take off my shirt, I couldn’t refuse.

To finally hold her, kiss her, was my deepest wish, and I wasn’t strong enough to deny her.

Would that come back to bite me in the ass? Would Tessa decide the intimacy was too much for her?

The door in front of me opens, and a man steps into the hallway. I recognize him as the lone traveler from last night, the stranger who’d been sitting by the bar, hunched over his dinner plate.

He nods at me amiably and ambles down the hallway toward the taproom.

Huh . Last night, there’d been a moment during my dance with Tessa when I thought he might be watching us, but maybe he wasn’t. He certainly doesn’t seem hostile now.

My business finished, I climb the stairs and return to the upper floor. I ease the door open and slip inside, tiptoeing into the warm room and latching the door behind me.

“I’m awake,” Tessa mumbles from the bed. “Can you light the lantern, please? I still can’t see anything.”

The air is stuffy in here, though not as stifling as I’d expect for a room with no windows.

“Give me a moment.”

I strike the flint, and the yellow glow of the lantern spreads through the room. I turn around to find Tessa staring at me, her cheeks flushed a soft pink, her auburn curls wild around her face. As good as my night vision is, I missed this—seeing her in full color.

“Good morning.”

She brushes her hair back and pulls the sheet higher with a tug. “Morning. How long have you been up?”

I sit next to her on the bed, take her hand, and press a kiss to her knuckles. “Not long. I slept like the dead. You?”

I want to pull her into my lap and kiss her senseless, but I don’t know what she’s thinking. Not until she leans in, puts one hand on my shoulder, and presses a kiss to my lips. I react before I can think better of it, grabbing her by the waist and hauling her closer.

Tessa lets out a small gasp, parting her lips for me, and I stroke my tongue against hers, relief pouring through me.

When I finally pull myself back, her lips are swollen, her eyes hooded from pleasure.

“Well, that was unexpected.” I run my fingers through my hair and exhale slowly to get myself back under control. “Lovely, but unexpected.”

She lifts one naked shoulder in a shrug. “You seemed unsure of whether you should touch me or not, so I showed you.”

That she read me like a book should come as no surprise—we’re mates, after all. But she’s human, so I didn’t expect that level of understanding from her. Does she also realize I want to topple her back on the bed and bury my face between her legs?

“We shouldn’t tarry,” she says, shuffling in my lap. “We need to ask around and find out which way the caravan traveled from here.”

I hold back a sigh. It would be unfair to expect that she should have the same cravings as me.

“What is it?” she asks, frowning up at me.

I think of making up an excuse, but I promised Tessa the truth, didn’t I?

“I was hoping we’d spend more time, ah, getting to know each other,” I hedge. “It’s barely dawn, after all.”

She stares at me for a long moment, then whispers, “Right now? In the morning?”

“Why not?” I frown at her, confused. “Is there a schedule I don’t know about?”

Tessa scrubs a hand over her face. “No, but I…” She peers up at me through her lashes. “I’ve only ever fucked at night.”

I can picture it, Tessa and some stranger, fumbling under the covers at night. The image has my blood racing faster, unaccountable jealousy piercing through me. Does she feel the same when she thinks of me and my past lovers? It’s not a pleasant thought, and I push it away, focusing back on her.

“Do you want me to blow out the lantern?” I ask, voice gravelly from the lingering tension. “The room’s isolated enough…”

But she’s already shaking her head. “No, I-I want to see you.”

My cock kicks in my pants at her words. She wants to see me? I’ll show her everything , erase the memories of those assholes who never took the time to worship her in daylight.I tug my shirt off and toss it on the saddlebags, then shove off my pants and underwear.

“Oh, gods.” Tessa’s eyes go round in surprise. Her gaze flicks down to my dick, then she forces herself to look at my face again. “You really don’t have any issue being naked, do you?”

I grin and tuck my arms behind my head, even though I want to reach for her and drag her on top of me. “None. Not in front of you.”

Tessa’s hands tremble as she clutches the bedsheet.

Her face is pink, her hair disheveled, and she’s never been prettier than right now, when she’s contemplating whether to give in to her instincts or not.

I shouldn’t pressure her, not with this, but my cock is heavy against my stomach, the tip leaking precum just from her attention.

I need her to make this decision on her own, in the full light of day, so to speak.

What we did last night was a hurried, desperate thing, meant to take the edge off and help us sleep.

And it did. After two days of hard riding and camping on the road, I slept like a log with my mate in my arms.

She sucks in a deep breath, then lets go of the sheet. It pools around her hips, exposing her perfect, heavy tits. Her nipples are already tight, and I know she’s growing wet for me—her scent betrays her, even as her expression remains guarded.

“What-what can we do that won’t involve…?” she begins, keeping her gaze somewhere above my head.

I force myself to stay very still. “You could ride my cock without putting it inside you, like we did last night. Or I could lick your pussy until you’re screaming with pleasure.”

Her gaze snaps to me, her eyelashes fluttering. The scent of her arousal perfumes the air, and I bite back a groan. If she knew how desperate I was for her, she’d have the upper hand. She’d have all the power.

I still, my muscles locking at the realization. Maybe that’s exactly what she needs.

“I’d do anything to taste you, love,” I admit, forcing the words out even as the warrior in me chafes at this loss of control. “I would sell my soul to be inside you too, but we’ll have to wait for that. You can choose anything, and I’ll do it, as long as I get to touch you.”

Tessa’s lips part in surprise, and for a moment, I think she might refuse me, might run from me, from my declaration.

Then she scoots closer on her hands and knees, the sheet falling away from her. “Is there anything we can do where we’ll both enjoy it at the same time?”

“If you think I won’t enjoy eating you out?—”

She waves my words away. “I want a fair exchange.”

A fair exchange? Nothing is fair about this situation where I would walk over hot coals for her, and she’s one wrong move away from fleeing this room. But that’s not Tessa’s fault. It’s the Fates who paired us together.

But I have an idea that would honor Tessa’s request.

“Come here.”

I reach out and grab her waist. She comes willingly, her palms bracing on my chest as she molds her body to mine.

She feels incredible, her tits pressing against me.

I kiss her deeply and pick up right where we left off just minutes ago.

Tessa melts for me and kisses me back. She slips her fingers into my hair and tugs, angling my head to the side, and I cup her ass with both hands, grinding her slowly over my hard cock.

“I could come just like this,” I murmur against her lips. “But I want a taste.”

She stares down at me, her eyes half-lidded. “Show me.”

Fuck , the trust she’s placing in me is headier than spirits, than battle, than anything I’ve ever experienced. I kiss her once more, then take her waist and lift her off me. She squeaks as I turn her around until she’s straddling my chest, facing my legs.

“Arlon?” She braces her hands on my hips. “Are you sure?”

I stare at her lush ass, then tilt her hips up. “Oh, aye, I’m sure.”

She’s wet for me, her pussy lips glistening with the proof of her arousal. And her scent…a man could go mad from it. I decide then and there that I’ll be the last man to taste her, because I’m never letting her go.

Tessa tries to scoot forward, no doubt to reach my cock, but I clamp my hands on her hips and keep her in place. It’s best that she doesn’t get her mouth around me, because I won’t last long with her pussy dripping all over my face.

“I said I wanted a fair exchange,” she complains when I pull her back another inch or two. “You’re just keeping me where you want me.”

“True,” I admit, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh. “Perhaps this is payback for breaking into my room, little thief.”