Letting go of his lip, I sank my teeth into his neck and licked his flesh as he began to pound into me. I felt for his mind, and in a few seconds, as our meshing formed, I began to feel his emotions, his sensations, as strongly as I felt my own. My next orgasm exploded through me, and I felt his own orgasm burst over him in the same second. Together, we shuddered against each other until the after-glow overcame us.
We remained that way until he slipped out of me, leaving me with a feeling of emptiness.
I met Rafe’s gaze and smiled. He returned my smile, and I leaned forward to lick his lips.
“That was great,” I said.
“Yes, it was great. Are you feeling better now?”
“Better? I feel satisfied and sated, but better? I don’t know. I was feeling pretty good before we started.”
Rafe lowered me until my feet bore my weight again. I realized the shower had gone cold at some point, but the cool water didn’t bother me. I picked up the little bottle of shampoo that I’d already opened and held it out. “Would you like me to wash your hair?”
Rafe grinned and took the bottle from me. “I think I can handle my hair, but you could do my back if you don’t mind.”
“Whatever my mentor needs,” I said with a grin. “Now, where’s that washcloth?”
Rafe bent down and yanked the little square of white cloth away from the drain. For the first time, I noticed that the water had risen almost to our ankles.
“There it is,” I said, taking it from him.
We switched positions and while he lathered his hair, I soaped the cloth and gently washed his back. By the time Rafe was rinsing his hair, I had the soapy cloth between his legs and was washing his equipment with the same diligence he’d used on me.
He grabbed the washcloth from me and turned off the water. When he turned, the look on his face was all I needed to see. I pushed open the shower door and reached for a towel.
“You can dry off later,” Rafe said as he swept me into his arms and carried me out of the bathroom.
He triggered his wind tat as we reached the bed and the bedspread and top sheet flew back.
I put my hands on the back of his head and pulled his lips down to mine as he lowered us to the bed.
Chapter 7
Raphael
We spent the next couple of days much like our first day in Raton. The first night had completed the restoration of Tess’s missing limbs and we no longer needed to sleep in the same bed. However, the extended training we did every day left both of us in a state of constant arousal so we kept the king-sized bed and spent a good deal of the nights recovering from our training sessions in a most vigorous manner. I had given up on my lofty goal of having a platonic relationship with my apprentice. The intense training and required meshing had more than just an amorous impact on us. Tess was learning much faster than I had when Walt had trained me.
On our third day in Raton, I decided Tess was ready to try burning her first tattoo.
“Really? You think I’m ready?” Tess asked. Her voice was full of excitement, and for once, it wasn’t just because of our meshing.
I nodded. “Yes, I think so. You’re progressing marvelously. If you can stand the pain, I think you have the ability to burn the shield tattoo.”
It was more than ability. She could probably have burned a tattoo several days earlier, but she had to be able to burn it without a mistake. Erasing a tattoo that’s been burned beneath your skin is infinitely more difficult than burning it in the first place. The last twenty times she’d created the shield pattern, she’d accomplished it flawlessly.
“I can handle the pain. If you’d known how much pain I was in after the explosion…” her voice trailed off.
I couldn’t really imagine how painful it had been to lose her hand and leg in the explosion that killed so many of her squad mates, but I had enough experience with my own injuries to know that some were painful beyond description.
We were already inside a circle and sitting knee to knee on the bare ground. Beast was providing overwatch, gliding on thermals above us and watching for anyone who might interrupt Tess’s training.
I leaned forward and gave Tess’s knee a light squeeze through her leathers. “I believe you can, too.”
My grimoire was on the ground between our knees. Addressing the book, I said, “Show me what I seek.”
Pages flipped by rapidly until the book fell open on a page that I’d written more than forty years ago. It was the shield spell that Walt had first taught me, and I had then taught to Tess.
“There you go,” I said. “Have you decided where to put it?”
Tess nodded. “I was thinking of putting it in the same place you have yours.”
I nodded. “Good choice. It’s a large tat compared to some of the offensive ones, and unless you can shrink it down, it’s better to use a large area.”
“How should I begin?” Tess asked.
“Well, you can’t see your lower back with your own eyes, but you can use my eyes while we’re meshed. Not that you’d have to be able to see it as long as you can picture the placement
