Page 70 of Blood and Hexes

He slid the full plate in front of her. “Thank you.”

Truthfully, food hadn’t been the first thing on her mind when she’d joined him, but now that the plate was in front of her, she attacked it with gusto. Half of her stack gone, she swallowed to ask, “You aren’t eating?”

He laughed. “I haven’t stopped eating since I woke up about two hours ago. You crashed for longer. No wonder. I didn’t have to deal with Death last night, at least.”

It had been one hell of a night, for sure.

The food stuck in her throat as she remembered all of it. “How is…” She didn’t even know where to start. “How’s everyone?”

“Bewildered. Sad. Fucking aggravated. Ruby didn’t deserve to go like that. No one does. And Luke…” The words weren’t coming for him either. “They were friends,” he finally said.

Diana forced herself to get back to her food. It was so delicious that after a while, she managed to enjoy it.

“We’ll be burning Ruby in a few hours. I would have woken you up soon, if you hadn’t emerged.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t know Ruby all that well—not compared to him—but she wanted to pay her respect all the same. For a few weeks, she’d been a friend. Quirky, honest, and strong, Ruby had been a pearl—unique and beautiful.

“I need to tell you something. It’s going to sound strange, and you may not believe me at first—”

Diana cut off his prelude. “I’m your mate. I know.”

She’d figured it out in the middle of the battle. Her own safety had been second to his as far as her instincts were concerned, and that was all the proof she needed.

“How do you feel about that?” Mikar asked.

Leaning on the countertop, he was the picture of casual, but his eyes betrayed him.

“Like an idiot,” Diana admitted. He lifted a brow, and she explained, “I should have figured it out sooner. You…”

Gosh, she wasn’t great at this. Spelling out her thoughts, her feelings. She’d never had a chance to practice it with friends or crushes as a young girl, hence why she generally hid behind a wall of sarcasm and abrasiveness.

Not with him, though. With Mikar, she could be vulnerable. She could be herself.

“From the first moment, I felt something toward you. Something that scared me. And I was drawn to you like I’ve never been drawn to anyone. I was frustrated with myself, because, well, I can tell you’re not the kind of guy I can control. I’m used to being in control. And how do you feel?” she echoed challengingly.

“Honestly? Like a lucky bastard.” He smirked down at her. “I’ve never done relationships because I lost everyone who was close to me once, and I couldn’t deal with risking that again. So, girls came and went. But fate found the strongest woman in the world, and gift-wrapped her for me in a gorgeous package.” He leaned forward, thumb reaching her mouth and rubbing against her lower lip. “You’re everything I never knew I needed.”

Oh.

“Well then.” Diana shoved her plate aside, and leaped off the bar stool, clearing the breakfast bar to jump into his arms. Laughing, he caught her in midflight. She locked her legs around his waist and lowered her mouth to his. “I suppose that makes you mine.”

Mikar growled his assent into her mouth, pushing her back to the breakfast bar and caging her in with his arms. “And you’re mine.”

She’d thought their first and only kiss had been the best in her life, but this one took the cake. He devoured her hungrily, his rapture evident in every touch of his skilled fingers along her arms, her back, her hips. She greedily tightened her legs around him, needing to feel more. His hard length rubbed against the apex of her thighs through layers of fabric. The pants needed to go. His and hers. She fumbled with the metallic buttons of his jeans, opening two before he clasped her hands and lifted them in one hand.

She started to protest. “But…”

“Not yet.”

Diana pouted. Ignoring it, Mikar lifted her to the breakfast bar and worked her skinny jeans down her hips and legs, then parted her thighs.

“Oh. All right then.”

She wasn’t wearing any panties—Chloe hadn’t lent her any. Not that Diana would have worn borrowed underwear. Her glistening folds were staring right back at Mikar, who stuffed his nose between her thighs and smelled her, inhaling deeply. Then he lifted his chin and his mouth closed in on her clit. She bucked under him. Steadying her with one hand on her stomach, he lapped at her, licking her out. His tongue explored each fold leisurely, as though he had all the time in the world. Diana’s breath caught when it returned to her clit and circled it softly. Then the tongue lashed at it, with one hard hit that had her screaming. Her insides were turning into an inferno.

“Please!”

He laughed against her. “Oh, I’m not even close to done.”

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