Page 22

“How can we fix that?” I ask, knowing that the only way to fix it is to be either more noticeable in my groping or by stripping Simone.

Either one is fine with me, but she will be the one to ask it of me.

Watching her grow with need and fury at being denied what she wants because she’s refusing to ask only has my cock twitching against her.

“Did you know how perfect you would feel in my hands every time you rejected my wooing?” I murmur, ignoring the scoff she gives me as my touches remain soft and imperceptible underneath her tunic

“Rallan,” Simone whimpers as my knuckles graze over the underside of her breasts again. The sound of my name on her lips has me tightening my hold on her neck just a fraction on impulse. Her eyes flare with desire, but I soften the hold.

“You’re not scared of me, are you?” I ask, needing to know for certain that my mate trusts me. I may want to do things that some might say are questionable, but so long as we both enjoy what I want to do, I care very little for others’ thoughts about me.

“You’re not exactly scary,” Simone laughs as she says it, causing my chest to swell.

“Good, remember that,” I warn her before kneeling behind her in the water so I’m just as tall as her.

My hand on her neck keeps her pressed tight to me, and my other hand continues to brush soft touches against her chest. I let my voice drop, a dark hiss emphasizing my words.

“I’m going to strip you, I’m going to touch you wherever I want, and you’re going to let me.

” I press my hand on her chest flat against her to hold her in place as she tries to wiggle in my hold at my words.

“What are you doing?” Simone asks, the confusion in his voice worrying me for a moment.

“I am a male who has been denied his mate for a long time.” I let my tongue lash against her neck as I speak.

I want to soothe her worries, but I will not lie to her.

“I want you more than I want anything else. I have dreamt of pinning you down, running my tongue along your entire body, and then finding a home between your legs. Now that you are accepting, now that you want to be mine, I plan on taking you in every way I have imagined. It requires your trust, though. I need you to trust I will only ever do something to bring you pleasure when we are making love. I need you to trust that I will always care for you and protect you. What we are doing now, all this teasing to get Vex mad, you must trust me in it. So, do you trust me, little mate?”

Simone’s throat works as she takes a deep swallow.

Her dark eyes seem even darker as the black circles in the center grow wider.

She licks her lips before nodding. A look of apprehension covers her face for just a moment before I see her give in to trusting me to take care of her.

It has my chest swelling in pride and, of course, my mind swimming with all the things I wish to do with her, if not for trying to take this slow to make sure Vex does not kill me.

“I could make love to you right now,” I murmur against her neck as I move my hand from her chest out from her shirt. “I could lift your tiny body up and impale you on my cock, and there’s nothing you could do about it.”

Simone whimpers, but it’s not a scared sound. No, it’s one of want. One of desire that has all of my thoughts begging me to make good on what I am saying. Instead, I move my hands to the neckline of her tunic.

“How long has it been since your mate has seen your tits?” I ask before ripping the tunic down the middle.

Simone lets out a shriek as the material splits, baring her to the open air. She doesn’t try to cover herself, but she does give me an accusing glare.

“This is okay?” I ask, moving my hands to circle her wrists so I can pull them behind her, keeping her open and on display for both Vex on the shore and me right behind her.

“It’s fine,” Simone says with a bite in her voice like she is finding some more of her fight. The renewed fire has my cock swelling even more. She wiggles in my grip, drawing both my eyes and Vex’s eyes to the way her breasts bounce just above the surface of the water.

“What are you doing?” she snaps at me when she realizes my focus has been taken completely.

“Watching your tits bounce,” I reply. I shift my eyes back to the bank, and she catches it as well. “Vex seems to be enjoying the show as well.”

Simone opens her mouth to say something that I’m sure is meant to hurt me, but I move my free hand up to cup one of he breasts, and her arousal stops her.

Vex is standing on the edge of the water, no longer pacing, but his hand is still working through his light hair over and over again.

I can’t see his teeth grinding, but it’s too light out to see if his eyes are glowing.

Still, I can tell from his body language that he is more than upset with me.

That is why we are far away from him in the water.

Even if he wants to come to get Simone from me, there’s plenty of time for her to get away from me so he doesn’t kill me. I hope.

“I think I want you completely naked,” I say.

Simone makes a sound of surprise, so I wait for her to calm down and give me a lusty look.

I’m quick with my claws and have her shorts shredded before she can yell at me about them being one of her only pairs.

We both know she now has plenty, thanks to Vex.

She can spare this pair for the greater good of me getting what I want to test Vex’s will.

“You asshole!” Simone jerks in my hold as I move to grab her wrists again. I smile down at her. How could I not when I’m getting what I want? Vex is standing with his hands on his hips now, but he doesn’t know just how naked I have his mate.

“He doesn’t know you are bare for me,” I tease as I run my fingers over the apex of her thighs.

She moans as I skate them over the coarse hair between her legs, but I don’t spread her for better access.

No, I will do that, but not until Vex knows just how much of our mate I have access to. “We should let him know.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Simone snarls at me, seeming to realize just how much of her I wish to have on display.

It is too late for her to voice an objection. I am already standing up behind her, maneuvering her wrists so I can hold her arms above her head. Her body stretches to accommodate my hold on her, and her breasts jut out as she’s pulled taut. I hiss low in my chest, loving the way she looks.

I will want to do this to her again in our home sometime.

Maybe I can tie her to the bed so her body is stretched out and at my mercy.

My cock twitches at the idea. I force the thought down and tell myself it is something I can do another time.

Right now, I need to get her out of the water enough to tempt Vex.

“I need more hands, so I can hold up your legs as well. Think of how mad he would be if I were to spread you out like a feast just for me.” I lick at my lips at the thought.

What I really want now is to taste between her legs.

I am sure she is slick after finding her pleasure by grinding against Vex. It will be plenty for me to suckle on.

“He’s going to murder you,” Simone snaps at me, reminding me of what we’re doing. She isn’t wrong. The closer I get to the shore, the more anger I can see tensing in Vex’s body. Tendrils of white energy are skating across the shoreline and licking at the water.

“How long since he’s seen your cunt?” I ask.

I don’t give her enough time to answer or prepare for what I have planned next. I heft Simone out of the water and work to grab her thighs between my palms and hold her so she is folded chest to thighs with her back against my chest.

I spread her legs wide, laughing when she tries to cover herself with her now-freed hands. It’s too late to try to hide, especially when Vex is nothing but thousands of tendrils of energy that are all coming straight for me.

“Trust me,” I say, hoping Vex is a fast male.

I turn around and toss Simone into a deeper part of the river.

The tendrils of glowing energy scurry past me much faster than I can keep up with.

Before Simone has a chance to hit the water, Vex reforms into his body and catches her.

This is good. If she were to get her hair wet now, she would be the one to murder me.

“I think we will need to work on your anger!” I call out.

Vex stomps through the river with Simone cradled in his arms. He shoots me an angry glare, but deep down, I know that we have made much progress today. I am more excited to see how much we can make tomorrow.