Ryon frowned. “The dining room? Oh. You mean when that spirit attacked me. What about it?”
“I caused it,” Kalen confessed, looking ashamed. “It was me.”
“What?” Ryon glanced between Mac and Kalen. “How?”
“With my magic. I’m so sorry.”
His jaw dropped. “Are you shitting me? Why would you do something like that?”
“I gave in to Malik’s influence. He wanted me to practice honing my darkness. I’m so sorry.”
“Christ, that’s jacked up.” Ryon ran a hand down his face.
“I know. Please, forgive me. I’m trying so hard to beat this thing, but it’s not easy. For what it’s worth, I’m trying and I really am sick about what I did to you.”
Ryon fell silent for a minute, visibly struggling with accepting the apology. But then he sighed, relaxing some. “Accepted. I appreciate you telling me. But if it happens again, to me or anyone else, and I find out it was you, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Fair enough.”
After shaking Kalen’s hand, Ryon went on his way, strolling as though he didn’t have a care. Mac stared after him for a moment, thinking he was a good guy. He deserved a fabulous woman. But then, all of the guys did.
She turned back to Kalen. “I know that wasn’t easy. I’m proud of you.”
“It wasn’t, but it needed to be done.”
They continued in companionable silence to her quarters, Kalen sans his shredded T-shirt, his leather duster slung over one arm. When she let them in to her comfy apartment, he laid the coat over a chair.
“Is there a story behind that thing?” she asked curiously. “You never go anywhere without it.”
“Everything has a story,” he replied with a small grin. “I won it in a poker game on my twenty-first birthday. Took it right off a rich dude’s back after I laid down a royal flush. Only time in my life I ever wished I’d bet more.”
“What would he have gotten if you had lost?”
“Me in his bed for the night.” His smile turned sad. “I didn’t have anything else to wager.”
She wanted to cry for the lost young man he’d been. “But you’re a Sorcerer. Why didn’t you just use your magic to win? To get whatever you wanted or needed out of life?”
“Because I’m many things, plenty of them not good, but I’m not a cheater, baby. My grandma raised me better. Besides, if I had given in to that temptation every time I was in a tough spot, I’d be just as selfish and evil as Malik by now.”
“I’m sorry,” she said contritely.
“Don’t be. It’s a perfectly understandable question anyone would ask.” Closing the distance between them, he pulled her flush against his hard body. “What matters is that I survived. I’m here now, and this ass belongs to you.”
A delicious little thrill zinged through her, arousing her past the point of no return. She had zero willpower where her mate was concerned. “Is that so? You won’t mind if I take advantage of an injured man?”
He took her lips in a passionate kiss that left her breathless. “If you don’t take advantage of me and fast, the disappointment might set back my recovery.”
“Well, we can’t have that!”
Taking her mate’s hand, she led him into her bedroom. Right where she wanted him. They stood looking at each other for several heartbeats. The desire building, the flames banking. His gaze was hot, full of need, making her feel like the most beautiful and desired woman in the world.
“I’m so sorry about how our last time together ended. I stormed out without trying to understand your side, letting you explain—”
“Shh. It’s over, sweetheart. My
“I can’t think of anything I’d love more.” She paused, took a breath. “I want you to claim me again. This time because we both want it.”
“Oh, God, Mackenzie,” he whispered. “Yes.”
His hands shook a little as he reached out, began to unfasten her blouse. He unwrapped her as though she were a precious treasure, let the material drop to the floor, and removed her bra next. For several seconds he simply stared at her, such raw emotion etched on his face.
“Never have I had anyone of my own. Nobody who was just mine and mine alone to cherish . . . and to love.”
“Kalen,” she began, eyes stinging with tears of joy.
“Let me love you. And not just with my body—I mean let me
“You have me,” she said, her voice breaking.
Scooping her up, he placed her on the bed and shed his jeans and underwear. The emotion between them was so intense, she could tell this time would be much different than the last. Before, the sex was hot, raw, carnal. She’d almost combusted.
This time her mate was going to make love to her, lavish on her all the love he’d been longing to give his entire life. And she would love him back, as he deserved.
Crawling over her body, he lowered himself onto her, careful not to squash her, and kissed her so gently, the tears finally spilled over. He licked them from the corners of her eyes, shushing her softly, whispering sweet words she didn’t quite catch but grasped the meaning of anyway.
Then he moved lower, paying homage to every inch of her skin. He nibbled the sensitive spot behind her ear, her neck, and her collarbone. Next, he suckled her nipples, tightening them to rigid peaks. Played with them until she moaned, needing much more attention in other places, too.
He was happy to oblige, trailing his tongue down her abdomen, tickling her belly button and making her laugh. Laughter during sex, who’d have thought? But what was happening between them tonight transcended sex —this was a sharing of bodies, connecting souls. Why shouldn’t it be an occasion of joy?
Then he crouched between her legs, spread her thighs wider, baring her sex to him. She’d never been ashamed of her body, but this openness, the ease she felt with him, was unlike any relationship before him. This man was hers.
Cupping his hands under her bottom, he raised her some and began to feast on her pussy. Every cell in her body came alive, singing at his attentions. This was her mate, pleasuring his woman as no one else had the right to do, ever again. His possession nearly tipped her too far over the edge. As though he sensed how near she was to release, he grinned and lowered her to the bed.
“Not so fast, baby. Gonna make you come on my cock.”
“Yes, please!”
Moving over her again, he placed the head of his hard cock at her entrance and began to ease inside. He impaled her slowly, and it felt so damned good. He was the perfect fit, stretching and filling her so she was nearly incoherent with pleasure. Then he began to slide in and out, stroking her inner walls, and she clung to him. Let him sweep her away in glorious waves of delight that drove her higher.
“I love you, Mackenzie,” he said softly, holding her close. Thrusting his cock slow and deep. “God, how I love you.”
“I love you, too. Have since the minute I saw you.”
“Baby . . .”
His thrusts increased in speed bit by bit. His breathing came harsher as he picked up the tempo. Then he gathered her in his arms, and not breaking their connection, pulled them into a sitting position with Mac on his lap.
“Ride me just like this, sweetheart,” he breathed. “Fuck me like this.”
“Yes!”
She took the lead, clinging to his shoulders as she bounced on his lap. Fucked him with enthusiasm, spiraling them toward the inevitable climax.
“Gonna claim you, my mate. Never let you go.”
“Please, Kalen!”
Needing no further encouragement, he struck. The instant his fangs sank into the curve of her neck and shoulder, the force of her release detonated her world. Mac was vaguely aware of screaming out her wild ecstasy
