Her breathing was ragged and she seemed a bit unsteady after my kisses, but she grinned and tugged at her own pants. We were both bare faster than I’d thought possible, our clothing two forgotten heaps on the floor. I opened the door to our quarters and gently smacked Abby’s ass when she streaked past me, headed for the bathing room.

“Cormac!”

“Yes?”

“Behave.”

“Why would I do that?”

She smiled and turned on the spray of warm water, beckoning to me to join her. I did so and she told me to get down on my knees.

“Why?”

“So I can wash your hair.”

I sank to my knees and allowed my mate to have her way with me. She ran warm water through my hair, added cleanser and massaged my scalp in circular motions. She used a soft cleansing cloth on my face, paying attention to detail, trailing kisses over my forehead, cheeks and jaw as she wiped away all traces of my activities that day. She took special care with my hands, lifting my palms to kiss them once they were spotless. She took her time, touching me everywhere, caring for me. No one had ever shown me such tenderness. I protected my brother and my legion. I took care of myself. Had since I was a child little older than the girl, Amora.

I thought perhaps I should pull her close and ravish her, make her come with my tongue in her pussy, make her scream as she orgasmed around my cock. I wanted that. Badly.

But I needed this more.

Something inside me broke wide open as she touched me, soothed me. Pain exploded from the wound I’d buried inside my soul like flames shooting from a star. The hurt was indescribable, and yet I could not move away. My body locked in place. I was hers to touch, to tend to, to love.

This agony burning my soul to ash was love.

She traced the lines of her name on my skin and I stared up into her eyes. Everything I was feeling I saw reflected there. “I am yours. Your mate. Your protector. You are my heart, Abby.”

This time it was her hands on the sides of my face, her leaning down to steal a kiss. “I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not letting you go.”

My body ached for her. My cock was a rigid torment by the time she leaned over to turn off the warm water. Unable to deny either of us another moment, I cupped her pussy from behind. I groaned when wet welcome instantly coated my palm. She froze, completely at my mercy. I took the opportunity to slide two fingers into her from behind.

“This is not how the game is supposed to go,” she panted. “We’re supposed to get dried off and then do this in bed.”

“Played before, have you?”

“No.”