Stepping over the threshold into his cleansing room, he asks casually, “Having fun, my sweet?”
“Yes. Exploring your gorgeous body is getting to be my favorite hobby.”
Setting me on my feet he replies, “You’re a funny little brooder.”
I can’t quite tell if his comment is intended to be a compliment or a mere statement of fact. “Let me guess, your father’s brooder is always serious and proper.”
“Of course, Alana is always serious. Being bonded to my sire must afford her very little opportunity for levity.”
“Lucky me. You always give me cause to laugh.”
Reaching over to turn on the shower, he mumbles, “That’s me, the warrior whose female laughs at him.”
I see he’s doing something different to the shower. Clear sides are coming up to form a large square tub. The molded seating on each side now makes sense. Wrapping my arms around him from behind, I peel his uniform back off his shoulders, detaching the thin panels that formed to go around his wings. “Don’t be grumpy. I was joking about that.”
Turning back to face me, I see his lips twitching up into a mischievous smile. “If I act like a brooding youngling who just came into his hormones some more, will you swear your undying love for me, like younglings are wont to do?”
When he begins pulling at my uniform, I wiggle my body to help him divest me the form fitting garment. “I can do one better than that.” Stepping into the warm water, I side into one of the molded seats and watch him take off the rest of his clothing. He’s a damn handsome sight, all bulging muscles and long dark hair. Once he sits, I come to him. “You should know that I adore you.”
“Is that true?” His eyes are bright as his claws caress my body, pulling me closer.
Nodding, I admit the thing I’ve been holding back. “I like you better than any person I’ve ever met. Now that I understand you a little better, I know we’re perfect for each other. You have a lot of outstanding qualities hidden underneath all the grumpiness.”
“Tell me more about how wonderful I am.” His voice is light and playful, but I know he loves hearing positive things about himself. It makes me wonder if being raised without a mother deprived him of enough nurturing as a small child.
Cupping his face in my hands, I look him in the eye. “You’re strong, determined. You know what you want in life and aren’t afraid to go after it. That’s very appealing, especially when we’re intimate.”
“You like being touched by me.”
“I don’t want to be touched by anyone except you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Staring down at me for a long hard moment, he seems to be thinking of something monumental. “You regret running from me, do you not?”
Smiling, I shake my head. “I regret that you were so worried and angry, but I don’t regret running from you.”
His eyes narrow and I can’t help but laugh. “I appreciate you taking the time out of your life to track me down. Of course I didn’t at the time. Getting caught in your tractor beam was nothing short of infuriating.” He smiles slightly at getting the better of me. “But now I can see it was for the best. You and I are meant to be.”
His expression shifts into the blank mask he wears when he doesn’t want anyone to guess his feelings. “You agree that you were meant to be mine?”
“We were meant to be each other’s.”
“I forgot about you explaining that earlier.”
I can tell he didn’t. It feels like he thinks that if he repeats it enough, I’ll just magically become his somehow. I’m beginning to see that he’s thinking of me as his mate while I’ve been worried that he’s thinking of me as his property. No one’s cared about me in so long, I’m not about to object to him being a little possessive because I now realize it’s coming from a good place in his heart.
“I can tell when you’re fibbing about forgetting about our earlier conversation.”
Shrugging, he presses several buttons on the side of the unit. “You can guess. That is much different from truly knowing.”
He’s wrong though. I do know. It feels weird and I don’t know how it can be, but we’re so in sync that his tone and miniscule changes in his expression are taking on new meaning. My shoulder prickles where he sunk his teeth into me.
The overhead lights dim and tiny globes the size of my thumb light up around the room, casting a soft romantic glow.
My head jerks up to look at Tarion. “I honestly didn’t think you had a romantic bone in your entire body.”
“Then you underestimated me once again.” The smug, self-satisfied expression on his face melts my heart a little. He likes being unpredictable and mysterious.
“I can see that you’re a complex man. It’ll take me some time to learn all your secrets.”
“Which secrets do you wish to learn tonight my fierce brooder?”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I think it over. Running a finger down his chest until it lands on very his erect penis, I glance up into his eyes. “I wish to put my mouth here.”
His expression darkens with lust. “I do not believe warriors taste as good as brooders.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I thought you would approve of my idea.”
“I do approve, but I would be remiss if I failed to point out that brooders do not service their males in such a way.”
“It’s because brooders are to be pampered and pleasured, right?”
Nodding, there is a hint of disappointment in his eyes. The water is almost to the point where pleasuring him might get a little dangerous. “Turn off the water. I wish to pleasure my warrior.”
Reaching over, he turns off the water. “I am not yours. You are mine,” he mumbles,
