Given there was nothing he could do but stay with her, he dropped his head close to hers and yanked the duvet off his legs to cover her up and keep her warm.
She cried forever.
He would have held her even longer than that.
It was odd… providing her with a grounding place grounded himself, giving him a purpose and focus that was just as strong as the sexual ones had been only moments before. And in retrospect, he should have known this was coming. What had just happened was probably the first and only sexual experience she’d ever consented to. Female of worth from a high-blooded family? No way she would have been permitted to even hold hands with a male.
That
Goddamn him, he wanted to kill that bastard again.
“I don’t… know why… I cry,” she said eventually, the words dodging past her harsh exhales.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “For as long as it takes, I got you.”
But the emotions were passing, her breathing easing, the sniffling not quite as prevalent.
It was all over after one last shuddering inhale. Then she was still and so was he.
“Talk to me.” He continued stroking her back. “Tell me where you’re at.”
She opened her mouth as if she meant to answer, but then just shook her head.
“Well, I think you’re very brave.”
“Brave?” She laughed. “How well you do not know me.”
“Very brave. This couldn’t have been easy for you—and I’m honored that you let me… do what I did to you.”
Her face assumed a picture of confusion. “Why ever for?”
“It takes great trust, No’One—especially for someone with what happened to you in their background.”
With a frown, she seemed to retreat into herself.
“Hey,” he said, putting his forefinger under her chin. “Look at me.” When she did, he traced her face lightly. “I wish I had something philosophical or poignant or… anything… to help you put shit in perspective. I don’t, and I’m sorry for that. I know this, though. It takes true courage to break through the past, and you did that tonight.”
“I suppose we both have courage then.”
His eyes shifted away. “Yeah.”
There was a period of quiet, as if the past had sucked all of the energy out of both of them.
Abruptly, she asked, “Why is the aftermath so awkward? I feel so… apart from you.”
He nodded, thinking, Yeah, sex could be weird like that, even if there weren’t complications of the kind they were rocking: Even if you didn’t go all the way, the shattering closeness that was shared seemed to make the return to normal feel like distance in spite of the fact that you were lying side by side.
“I should go back to my room now,” she said.
He pictured her down the hall, and thought that it seemed too far away. “Don’t. Stay here.”
In the dim light, he could see she was frowning again. “Are you certain?”
He reached up and tucked away a blond escapee from her braid. “Yeah. I am.”
They stared at each other for the longest time, and somehow—maybe it was the vulnerable look in her eyes, maybe the line of her mouth; maybe he was reading her mind—he knew exactly what she was wondering.
“I knew it was you,” he said softly. “The entire time… I knew it was you.”
“And that was… okay, to use your expression?”
He thought back to his mate. “You’re nothing like Wellsie was.”
When he heard her clear her throat, he realized he’d spoken out loud. “No, what I mean is—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Her sad smile was so full of compassion. “You truly don’t.”
“No’One—”
She held up her hand. “There’s no need to explain—by the way, the flowers in here are gorgeous. I’ve never smelled such a bouquet.”
“They’re out in the hall, actually. Fritz changes them every two days. Listen, can I do something for you?”
“Have you not done enough,” she countered.
“I’d like to bring you some food.”
Her graceful brows peaked. “I wouldn’t wish for you to trouble yourself—”
“But you are hungry, right?”
“Well… yes…”
“So I’ll be back in a minute.”
He shifted off the mattress quick, and unconsciously braced himself for the world to tilt wildly. But there was no light-headedness, no need to reclaim his balance, no loopy shit. His body was raring to go as he walked around the foot of the bed—
No’One’s eyes fell upon him, and the expression on her face stopped him dead in his tracks.
That speculation was back in her eyes. Hunger, too.
He hadn’t considered whether there was ever going to be a repeat when it had been happening. But given the way she stared at him… the answer would appear to be a big “yes,” at least from her point of view.
“Do you like what you see,” he asked in a too-deep voice.
“Yes…”
Well, didn’t that get him hard: Below his waist, his cock shot right back to attention—and damned if her eyes didn’t lock on and watch the show.
“I have other things I want to do to you,” he growled. “That could be just the beginning. If you want.”
Her lips parted, her eyelids sinking low. “Do you want that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then I would say… yes, please.”
He nodded once at her, as if they had struck some kind of deal. Then he had to force himself away from the bed.
Going over to the closet, he pulled on a pair of jeans and went for the door.
“Anything in particular?” he asked before he left.
No’One slowly shook her head, her lids still low, her mouth still parted, her cheeks still flushed. Man… she had no idea how enticing she looked in that big, rumpled bed, her robe draping off the side of the mattress, her neat-as-a-pin hairdo feathered with blond wisps, her scent as strong and seductive as ever.
Maybe food could wait. Especially as he noticed that her bare legs were showing in the midst of the tangled duvet.
Yeah, he had plans for them. Over-the-shoulder kinds of plans—
Abruptly, she yanked the covers over her crippled one, hiding it from him.
Tohr marched right back over to her, and resolutely pulled the duvet back where it had been. Tracing the badly healed wounds with his fingertips, he met her squarely in the eye.
“You’re beautiful. Every inch of you. Don’t think for a moment there’s anything wrong with you. We clear?”
“But—”
“Nope. I’m not hearing that.” Bending down, he pressed his lips to her shin, her calf, her ankle, tracing the scars, caressing them. “Beautiful. All of you.”
“How can you say that,” she whispered, blinking back tears.
“Because it’s the truth.” Straightening, he gave her a final squeeze. “No hiding from me, okay. And after I feed you, I think I’m going to have to show you just how serious I am.”
That made her smile… and then laugh a little.
“That’s my girl,” he murmured. Except… shit, she wasn’t his. What the hell had come out of his mouth?
Forcing himself back to the door, he stepped out into the corridor, shut her in and—
“What the fuck?” Lifting his lower leg, he inspected the bottom of his bare foot. There was silver paint on it.
Glancing at the runner, he found a trail of… silver paint heading down the hallway toward the second-story balcony.
With a curse, he wondered which of the
