Page 20 of Crimson Mate

Her quarters are drenched in her scent, only further plucking my instincts that demand I reclaim every inch of my mate. The female the fateschosefor me, but the one who stole my heart all on her own.

“I need to make something clear,” I say, turning to shut the door behind me.

“Don't you always?” Her tone is as sharp as her daggers, but there’s a playfulness over her features, and the combination only makes me want her that much more.

I flash her a warning look, my eyes falling to her luscious lips. “Such a sharp tongue you have for me now,” I say, stalking toward her, loving the way her scent turns heady at the move despite her turning and backing away.

“Please,” she says, shaking her head as I back her against the closed door. “My mouth has always been smart, ever to my noble parents’ chagrin. If memory serves me, my mouth is one of the reasons why you pursued me in the first place.”

I brace an arm against the door, bringing our bodies closer but not touching. I use my free hand to reach toward her face, gauging her reaction as I lightly trace my thumb over her bottom lip.

She allows the move, her eyes never leaving mine.

“This may have intrigued me when I first met you,” I say, tracing the lines of her mouth. “Butthisis what made me fall for you.” I drop my hand from her lips, lightly grazing the center of her bare chest, just above the silk that dips in a V between her beautiful breasts. She arches under the touch, and the blood thrums in my veins so hard it almost hurts.

“Is that what you needed to make clear?” she asks, her voice low and soft and open.

“No,” I say, relishing the closeness, the way she's letting me so near her, her words no longer sharp. “I felt you in that kiss.”

She visibly swallows, then shrugs. “Just because my body responds to you doesn't mean you own any part of me.”

“But you own all of me,” I say, my head dipping, unable to resist seeking out another taste. I let my mouth hover a breath above hers, knowing I will never take anything she won't freely give.

My heart pounds against my chest, everything inside of me tightening as her eyes hold mine, a combination of fire and need and battle raging there.

Another heartbeat and her lips crash against mine, her hands reaching up and wrapping around my neck to draw me closer to her level.

There's a hint of punishment in the kiss, and I groan at the taste of her, my arms falling and snaking around her lower back to draw her flush against me.

I draw back, sucking in a sharp breath as I catch her gaze again. “If kissing you is the only way I can help you remember what we used to be, then that's what I'll do.” I capture her lips again, sucking her plump bottom lip into my mouth and relishing the way she whimpers at the move.

She clings to me, arching against where our bodies touch, the thin fabric separating us damn near searing.

She kisses me harder, slipping her tongue between my lips to meet mine, and I damn near fall to my knees.

Goddamn, she was made for me.

She feels likemine.

Instincts blaze, begging me to hoist her up and fuck her right here against this door, claim her as my mate and finally seal that bond between us forever.

But I know she's not on the same page.

I know I merely feel good to her, and I'm prepared to be that for her as long as she keeps me close.

I pull back, both of our chests rising and falling rapidly. I cup her cheeks, ensuring she sees the sincerity in my eyes. “I went into statis knowing I’d lose the best thing to ever happen to me,” I admit. “And then when I woke up…I spent the last two years thinking you were dead,” I say, my voice cracking slightly. “But you’re alive, and fate is giving us a second chance. Whatever I have to do to make amends for my mistakes, I will. And I'll use every advantage I have, and if your body is my only ally, then so be it. Just tell me you want this,” I say, dragging my hand down the side of her ribs, slipping it carefully beneath her silk top, watching for any sign that she might say no.

When only a needy little gasp escapes her lips, her eyes hooded as she looks up at me, I continue the path until I reach her bare breast beneath the fabric.

I shudder at the touch, at the feel of her breast in my hand as I massage and tease her nipple until it's pert and pebbled for me before doing it to the other. She arches against me, her head back against the door as she trembles beneath my touch.

“Talia,” I growl her name as her hands explore my chest, the muscles in my abdomen, and then lower as she brazenly teases my cock just over the fabric of my pants. The touch is explorative and languid, like we might have touched each other had we been given the chance to complete our vows all those years ago.

I follow her lead, dropping my hand lower and between her thighs, teasing her over the silk. Fuck me, I can feel her heat through the fabric, can feel it dampen as I slide my fingers up and down her slit.

She rocks into the touch, one hand gripping my hip, the other stroking my hard cock over the fabric with a little more vigor. My fangs snap out, and hers do too. It's the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

She moves against my hand, chasing her pleasure without hesitance, the sight of which is winding me up so tight I feel like I have mere decades of life rather than centuries.

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