King Tomb (Forever Evermore, #3)(54)
This kiss was a bit different than our last one, more tentative, hesitant, and I knew he felt it too with the cautious trust we had formed. Honestly, I could tell we were both letting our guard down, showing a bit of our vulnerability to each other.
I ran my fingers over his face, lightly touching his temple and cheeks, memorizing the shape of his features and warmth as he ran the tip of his tongue around the curved edges of my mouth, also memorizing me, if I wasn’t mistaken. Sighing softly at the whispering glide of his warm tongue, I opened my eyes to stare at the man over me, who was being careful not to put any weight on me except for a leg he’d thrown over mine as if he couldn’t help but want to keep me under him. This Vampire stranger, my husband, was beautiful, flawless.
His thick, black lashes slowly lifted from where they had cast their shadow against his cheeks to reveal sparkling green eyes, half-hidden even if aimed at my eyes, and he whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?” Softly, he nibbled at my bottom lip as I nodded slightly, running my hands through his spiked hair and making his eyes dip more. “When you stripped on my bed that first night, I thought that I had never seen anyone so perfect before.”
My lips curled at the truth of his words. “But you didn’t let yourself get distracted.”
He chuckled quietly. “No, unfortunately, I didn’t.” Our lips stroked softly. “I couldn’t.”
I nodded, brushing our lips and noses against each other. “I understand.”
“I know you do. That’s why I’ve never had to lie and apologize,” he murmured quietly, tilting his head, and our lips caressed softly, both of us sighing into each other’s mouths.
“All right, confession time, I guess.” I lifted a finger as he stopped kissing me to listen, and I ran my digit lightly over one of his arched eyebrows, our mouths still connected. “The night we met, I thought you were the most beautiful Mys I had ever seen.” I blinked. “And that was even before you took your shirt off.”
His lips curled against mine, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “So you like what you see?”
Simple words to what appeared to be an honest question behind his cockiness. “Yes, very much so.”
His lips curled even more on mine, and his teeth nipped at my bottom lip softly. “The feeling’s mutual,” he paused, then he whispered, “sweetheart.”
My heart stalled for a moment at the endearment. Because that’s what it was, an actual tender word. And I felt the protective, cold shell covering my broken heart — yes, it had been broken, shattered, really, from the mind rape — melt some and begin to heal. And that hurt and scared me. “Don’t…” I sucked in a harsh breath. “Don’t mess with my heart…please.”
His thumb brushed back and forth over my jaw, again dragging his wedding ring along my flesh. Not backing away, he spoke bluntly. “I’m just as scared and confused as you, thrown into this situation our previous selves decided for us. But I did marry you. I chose you even if I’m only just beginning to see why from a stranger’s eyes.” Said green eyes flittered over my face. “I give you my word…I won’t hurt your heart.” His lips stroked mine slowly as my breath caught.
And I wasn’t quite sure how it happened, between my heart seizing at his brutally honest words and our mouths melding together, but somehow he ended up under the covers with me, lying directly on top of me and lifting his arms as I pulled his silk shirt over his head and tossed it away. His hard, warm chest connected with mine and I groaned, pressing my soft curves up against him and instantly grabbing onto his back, digging into the muscles flexing there. His pulled his mouth away from mine, breathlessly muttering a curse as he lifted his hand away from my face to dig into his pant pocket.
“Just a second,” he rumbled, his eyes holding an apology as he pulled his cell phone out and hit a number on it, listening with it at his ear, but it didn’t stop his mouth from reconnecting with mine. Even as I kissed him back just as generously and hungrily as he was me, I heard a masculine voice answer, and Ezra lifted his lips from mine, muttering into the receiver, “Guard my tent. I don’t want anyone entering, not even you.” The voice over the line said something, apparently assenting because Ezra snapped the phone shut, dropping it beside us to grip both sides of my face…and his warm and slick tongue dove inside my mouth, sliding against my tongue before I could warn him.
Spiced heat exploded on my senses, and I groaned deeply at the potent, intoxicating taste, which was uniquely my husband’s own. My wolf woke instantly, growling quietly, and Ezra froze for a moment before blurring his head back to stare me in the eyes. I didn’t move, wondering what my wolf was planning for him as I rubbed my tongue on the roof of my mouth, savoring his taste. Ezra stared as I continued growling softly, and he stated slowly, “Just like I knew before seeing those videos that hybrids could do an Awakening,” a slow blink, “I somehow just know that Shifter sex the first time around is rough…and I think I just woke your wolf.”
I nodded once and blinked, realizing my eyes were glowing dimly, their blue glow slightly on his face. “Yes, it is, until the partner proves himself.” My wolf was riding my voice hard, but my eyebrows puckered as I felt my wolf staring out at him. “But I think my wolf already considers you mine, and me yours, since we’re married.” Another blink…yes, I was feeling my wolf’s satisfaction and basic hunger for this man. “Otherwise, this would be going a whole lot differently right now.”