He buried his face in Harley’s silken, platinum curls and allowed the remorse to settle in his heart. Tomorrow, he would go to Arawn and have his tie to Harley severed. Until then, he would worship his mate.
Carefully, Calan set Harley on her feet and sliced away the shirt and bra stuck to her skin. No mark showed on her stomach, but he kissed her where he suspected the shot had injured her. Flicks of his tongue flooded his senses with her sweet and tangy blood. A moan escaped him. He licked the rest away, stood, and captured her lips.
He loved her, more than he thought possible. So strong, so beautiful, so noble.
His flower in the midst of death.
He poured his devotion into the melding of their mouths. Rougher, quicker, he twined their tongues. He skimmed his hands over her back and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him everything. He felt her love in every touch and stroke. It warmed him from the inside out, but there was one thing he had to ensure before he could savor it. He broke their kiss and held her face in his hands.
“I feel your love for me, but you cannot give me the words. You cannot complete our bond.”
She tensed. “Why?”
“You must trust me, my beautiful flower. Give me this night without questioning why.” He closed his eyes. The guilt pierced his heart. “I will tell you the reason before I leave you tomorrow. Until then, I want to feel your love. I need it.”
Featherlight strokes skimmed over his cheek. She traced his jaw, chin, and lips. “Look at me.”
He opened his eyes, and her warm blue ones ensnared him. He allowed the spell they wove to work through him.
“I want to be the mate you need. If my silence is what you require, you will have it.” Harley stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “Now make love to me. Show me how you feel.”
He lifted Harley, a hand on her bottom, and held her close while he devoured her. She returned his passion, kissing him deeply. Her flavor and scent wrapped around him. She made good on her promise. Her love seeped into him, surrounded, and uplifted him. He drank it all in. Every touch and sound was imprinted on his mind. The brush of her fingers along his neck and the squirming of her bottom over his trapped cock ramped up his desire.
He carried her to the bathroom, never breaking their kiss until he reached the closed door. She shifted her attention to his neck as he turned the knob. He wanted all the reminders of tonight washed away. Nothing would taint his memory of their loving. It would have to last him an eternity.
He sat her on the wide double-basin sink and tugged off her shirt, then his. The boots he kicked into the corner by the toilet, socks flying somewhere behind him. His jeans came off next. They too got tossed to the side. He stood there in the large master bath, completely naked and more exposed than he’d ever been with a female.
Harley gripped the edge of the marble sink. Her unbound breasts rose and fell with her rapid breaths. The wild mass of her platinum curls cascaded over her shoulders. Unable to stop himself, he captured one of the long waves. They were natural, he knew that, but never in his life had he seen a female with hair like Harley’s. He tugged, straightening the winding strands, and studied the mix of colors in her nearly white hair. Silver, blonde, gray, and gold weaved into the tresses he held. He released the lock. It curled and bounced before settling against her chest.
“You’re as beautiful as an angel, my Harley.”
A smile spread over her face. “And you, Calan, are my earthen warrior, protector of the innocent.”
While he’d never been referred to in such a way, it fit. He returned her grin and stepped into the space between her spread thighs. Grass and dirt stains covered her jeans. He popped the button and pulled the zipper. Black satin peeked in the gap. He slid her bottom forward and tugged the cotton down. The denim pooled around her ankles. He knelt, yanked off each shoe, tossing them to join his discarded clothes. Her pants followed, leaving her only in the tiny swatch of material hiding her sex.
The scent of her arousal drifted to him. He inhaled the rich fragrance, and a hungry growl rumbled his chest. Like an animal, he pressed his nose to her damp thong and dragged in a deep lungful. It wasn’t enough to appease his craving. He needed the taste of her on his tongue.
He caught the fabric between his teeth and tugged. The sound of tearing cloth added to his groan. He plunged his tongue into her center.
“Calan.”
With her fingers in his hair, she pulled him closer. He took the hint and kissed her lower lips as deeply as he’d taken her mouth moments ago. Swirls and thrusts of his tongue brought more of her rich taste to him. He moaned his approval, growling and groaning as her arousal flowed and spilled down his throat. He drank of her passion and pushed her for more.
She draped trembling legs over his shoulders and leaned back, opening herself completely for his exploration. He cupped her ass cheeks in his palms and held her squirming bottom immobile for his kiss.
“Like that, more.” She dug her heels into his back, tried to break his grip, and cried out in frustration. “Please, more.”
He gave her more, thrusting his flattened tongue over and over, until the muscles of her core tightened. She inhaled a rough breath, her body tensing. He dragged his tongue free, covered her opening with his lips and sucked.
His name echoed around them in the small space. With his mind open to hers, he experienced her orgasm, the intense waves
