“I love you,” she said again. Though her voice was muffled against his skin, the soft groan he let out in response made it clear he’d heard her. “And I’m never going to leave. You’re mine as much as I am yours. Please don’t let your fear shut me out. I need you, Kain, more than I ever thought I could need anyone or anything.”

Slowly he closed his strong arms around her, as if he was hesitant, yet powerless to accept her comfort. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent with a shaky gasp.

They sat in silence for a long while, the only sounds Kain’s soft panting against her hair along with the gentle brush of her lips against his skin as she placed kisses along his shoulder and neck.

When he finally seemed to calm, she lifted her head from the crook of his neck, though her arms remained locked around his powerful body.

“You know, this is where you’re meant to say something back,” she noted.

Kain let out a shaky laugh and finally lifted his head to look at her. “You sure are a bossy little thing.”

“I was thinking something slightly more romantic, maybe.” It was impossible not to return the wry smile playing across his decadent mouth, and warm tingles danced across her skin and up her spine at the unwavering affection in his dark gaze.

Kain lifted a hand from her waist and gently cradled her cheek, letting the thumb ghost across her lips. “There are no words I could say to you that would ever…”

He bit his lip and looked away for a moment. When he looked back up, the unadulterated love and worship in his eyes took her breath away.

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, my love. My mate.”

She gasped into his mouth when he pressed his lips to hers, only to melt against him when he gently coaxed her lips apart. As his tongue slowly delved into the cavern of her mouth to stroke alongside hers, she groaned in defeat and clutched at his body to avoid collapsing from the overwhelming burst of sensation.

Kissing Kain was quickly becoming her second-favorite thing to do, eclipsed only by the raw pleasure of sex with him.

He pulled back some time later, separating with gentle pecks to her now swollen lips, and smiled at her undoubtedly drugged expression as she sagged in his strong embrace.

“You okay?”

“Mmhm,” she sighed, then wiggled a bit to get more comfortable on his lap. The intimidating length between his legs had grown decidedly hard during their kiss. “More than okay. You?”

“Always, my love.”

That particular pet name would be pretty easy to get used to.