Page 31 of Gentle Giant

Was it the beginning of a heart-bond?

I didn’t know what else it might be.

Was she experiencing the same pang in her chest?

I prayed to the Great Spirit that she was, though I didn’t have the nerve to ask her. Not yet. Not until we became lifemates.

Once she offered herself to me, perhaps then I would ask her if she felt the heart-bond.

I gathered her close and cradled her in my arms as I pressed kisses to her face, showering her with all the affection that brimmed in my heart.

Chapter 21

HAILEY

I awokein the early morning as the sun peeked through the trees. Brutus had an arm draped around me. We’d made a nest of sorts on the living room floor so we could sleep beside one another. All the beds upstairs were twin or queen size, which meant he wouldn’t have fit sleeping next to me. But once we returned home to the cavern it wouldn’t be a problem since our mattress there was a California King.

Home. My breath hitched as I realized that I’d just thought of the Starblessed settlement as home.

Since our arrival at the cabin, I’d done a lot of thinking, and more and more I couldn’t imagine returning to human civilization alone. Without Brutus by my side.

Maybe I didn’t need to know him for weeks or months to discern his character and figure out if we might be compatible. On the outside looking in, it seemed reckless to consider mating with a male I’d known for a short period of time. But Brutuswasn’t your average male. He was nothing like the human men I’d dated.

He was nothing like Nick.

I turned away from the sunrise and focused on the handsome Sasquatch, watching him sleep, taking comfort in the steady rise and fall of his chest. Normally, I couldn’t sleep without a blanket. Even when it was hot, I had to have a sheet covering me. But when I slept next to Brutus, all I needed was him. His arm draped over me, his body snug against mine. Sometimes he covered my legs with one of his, making me feel extra cozy.

He'd said we would depart the cabin at sunrise today, though I suspected he was exhausted from our porch shenanigans. I flushed as recalled every erotic detail. The dry humping. The kisses. The curious touching. The five incredible climaxes he’d given me, as well as the five I’d given him in playful retaliation.

It still stunned me that he hadn’t needed thirty minutes to an hour to recover from one release before he could have another. The amount of semen he’d spurted into my mouth was also shocking, as was the taste of it.

Minty. His essence was minty. I wondered if it had something to do with all the mint leaves he chewed, the same reason his breath was always fresh as a toothpaste commercial.

I’d never swallowed before. Had never wanted to. Honestly, the idea had always skeeved me out. But with Brutus, I’d wanted part of him inside me, and I’d wanted to feel the warmth of his seed coating my throat.

I sucked in a quick breath as achiness built between my thighs. Brutus was still sleeping, but his nostrils flared suddenly, as though he could detect my growing arousal. Though his eyes remained closed, his breaths steady and deep, a growl rumbled from him. And I felt something hard against my thigh.

“Hailey,” he said in a faraway voice.

He was talking in his sleep and dreaming about me apparently. Sure, it was probably a dirty dream, but I found it endearing. I nestled myself closer to his chest and breathed deep of his scent. He tightened his arm around me and said my name about ten more times during the next hour.

Well. If I wanted to make sure he slept in (and in turn, allowed me to sleep in) it would seem all I must do is exhaust him the night before. Bring him to release over and over and allow him to do the same for me.

Finally, he opened his eyes. Glowing. They were glowing. They usually beamed with white light when he was aroused or talking sweet to me or giving me an affectionate look.

He was quickly becoming the light in my darkness, my anchor in a reckless sea. God, how I loved waking up to him.

His eyes twinkled and a smile tugged at his lips, though he still wore the remnants of fatigue. He wasn’t waking up as rapidly as he usually did.

“Good morning, sleepy head.” I kissed his forehead and swore I felt him melting. “What happened to us leaving at first light?”

I watched with humor as his gaze went to the window behind me and his eyes widened. His muscles tensed, as though he were about to jump up, but a second later he relaxed and hugged me closer.

“It’s your fault I slept so late, naughty human.” He shot me a faux stern look that made my insides flutter. “Our activities were exhausting. I slept better than the time I ran from the southern border to the northern border in one day.”

“Naughty human?” I repeated with a chuckle. “I thought I was your sweet human?”

He nuzzled his nose against mine, and even though I liked when he kissed me, I also enjoyed the Sasquatch-version of akiss. He was sharing a part of himself with me. “You can be both,” he said, a playful gleam in his eyes.

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