Page 209 of Primal Bonds

“What?”

“Don’t apologize.”

She opened her mouth again and he raised a hand, palm out. “I mean it. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

She sank deeper in the pool. “I wasn’t always like this,” she muttered. “So weak.”

“You’re not weak.”

“How the fuck could you know?” she snapped, and then felt ashamed at how bitchy she was being. She was pushing him away, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“I just do.” Sitting on the ledge, he curled an arm around her shoulders. When she didn’t resist, he eased her onto his lap, cuddling her against his chest. “You’re a badass to the core, and I’m happy just to hold you.”

She sat there stiffly as strong fingers massaged her nape, stroked down her vertebrae. His erection was there against her hip, but he didn’t draw attention to it, just kept petting her.

Her shoulders relaxed. How did he always seem to know exactly what she needed? She set a tentative hand over where his heart thumped slow and even beneath her cheek.

He kissed the top of her head. “Nothing’s going to happen unless you want it to. You know that, don’t you?”

“But I do want this. I do.”

“Then we’ll take it slow, okay?”

She nodded against his chest. “Thanks,” she whispered. “For being patient.”

He gave an odd little chuckle. “For you, Jani, I have all the patience in the world.”

He nudged her chin with the back of his hand, bringing her mouth up so he could kiss her. She caressed his face, letting herself float on his kiss, a warm, weightless feeling. They explored each other’s mouths, tasting all the hot, dark corners, sucking on each other’s tongues.

By the time he rose to his feet with her in his arms, she thought she just might be able to do this after all. She wrapped an arm around his neck and let him set her on a nest made of their two sweaters.

Even then, he was in no hurry. He knelt beside her, his fingers whispering over her body: her breasts, her thighs, the sensitive skin behind her knees… A slow, easy seduction.

“You’re so beautiful.” A murmur in the dim light cast by the flickering fire. His wet hair fell around them, the diamond stud glinting in his left earlobe like a star.

Heat slid through her. Her breasts felt full, sensitized. Then his hot mouth closed over her nipple and she heard herself moan.

He gave a hard suck to that nipple, and then moved to the other, flicking the tip with his tongue, and then drawing it into the wet cave of his mouth. Stoking her arousal with teasing touches and sexy murmurs.

Wonder filled her.

That she wasn’t afraid.

That she only wanted more.

Because this, what Fane was doing, was nothing like what those men had done to her. That had been an assault. They’d done their best to break her, and damn near succeeded.

But this, this was beautiful. How a woman and a man were meant to come together, in mutual pleasure.

Fane cupped her face and nuzzled her neck. His hairy thighs were between hers, his erection rubbing against her center.

And it felt good. Right.

She drew a breath, and then to her dismay, tears stung her eyes. She never cried.

Fane lifted his head. “What’s wrong, love? Do you want me to—”

“No!” She dashed the tears away. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just so good…”

---