Page 27 of To Hell and Back
“Their time will come,” he said ominously. “We can talk about how you want to handle them later.”
She nodded. “Thank you for drying my clothes earlier.”
“It was my pleasure, mate.”
“Did you give me a magical glow-up while you were at it?”
“What does that mean?”
“It means my hair and skin look better than it did a few hours ago.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her until she was facing him. “I used magic on you earlier, but I didn’t do anything to alter your appearance. Perhaps you are sensitive to my magic because we are mates.” He traced a finger down her cheek. “But you are right. You were beautiful before, but now, you look luminous.”
When their eyes met and held, she lost the ability to speak. Her pulse began to race as the air between them seemed to thicken with their lust. She let out a loud gasp when he surprised her by lifting her so she was sitting on the edge of the counter between two of the sinks.
“Killian…”
“I love hearing my name on your lips,” he murmured. “Are you afraid of me, Seneca?”
“No, but I probably should be,” she blurted out. “You make me nervous, though. And I say stupid things when I’m nervous.”
“Nothing you say is stupid,” he countered.
Stepping between her parted thighs, he spread her legs wider to accommodate his large body. His movements were slow as if he were testing her reactions to him. She had been honest about being nervous. Even though he was her mate, he was an intimidating male who was still essentially a stranger to her.
But that didn’t stop her from wanting him.
It was as if every cell in her body was calling out to him, needing him closer. Excitement and longing were drowning out her nerves, making her body hum with anticipation. He slowly leaned closer until they were mere inches apart, and she shivered as she felt the warmth of his breath across her lips. She heard a strange creaking sound but couldn’t pull her gaze away from his to figure out where the noise had come from.
Time seemed to stand still as they continued to simply stare at one another. He was as still as a statue, but she could sense the tension radiating from his frozen frame. She appreciated his restraint almost as much as she cursed it. She instinctively understood he was waiting for her to make the next move, but it would have been a whole lot easier to let him take the lead.
The choice was hers to make.
It felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to dive into the unknown. But she was ready for it. Not just ready, she was eager to take that dive with him.
She wanted to be his mate.
Leaning closer, she brushed her lips against his in a soft, tentative kiss. When she started to pull back, he pressed his lips firmly against hers. Taking her hand in his, he gently intertwined his fingers with hers so their palms were pressed together. That gesture might have seemed innocent, but the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact formed a connection between them that was electric.
His other arm wrapped around her waist, and he jerked her against him as he took the kiss deeper. She gasped when she felt his hard shaft, hidden beneath the layers of clothing between them, rub against her core. Taking advantage, his tongue swept into her mouth to twine with hers. The taste of him was even more potent than the champagne she’d had earlier, and her head swirled as if she was already drunk on him.
The kiss was a clash of passion and tenderness, an endless fusion of raw desire and growing affection. Their tongues moved in harmony, his coaxing hers into a dance of passionate exploration. She gasped again, this time in pain from a burning sensation on her palm. She tried to pull her hand away from his, but his fingers tightened around hers, holding her in place in silent refusal.
The burn on her palm intensified until she could barely stand it, then the pain vanished leaving behind a tolerable warmth. The pain wasn’t gone, though. It was being blocked by Killian. She wasn’t sure how she knew that until she realized exactly what was happening. He was marking her with his magic, creating a bond between them that would never be broken.
As she felt his magic surging into her, she tried to figure out how to do the same to him. She knew they both had to share their magic to complete the bond, but she’d never learned exactly how it was done. Even as she considered it, he let out a low growl of pleasure as her own magic began flowing into him.
Apparently, all it took to complete the mating bond was the desire to do so.
That realization clarified the situation, but it didn’t mean the process was simple. Her head began to spin as she was suddenly bombarded by a complex jumble of emotions. What she felt wasn’t just coming from her. She was also feeling Killian’s emotions. Their minds, souls, and magic were merging together until even their hearts began to beat in unison.
She wrapped her arm around his neck and clung to him like an anchor against the onslaught of emotions. Killian’s need for her was overwhelming. It felt truly incredible to be wanted like that. To have such a powerful male desire her that way was both humbling and exhilarating.
She sensed Killian’s satisfaction and pleasure from claiming her, but he was also angry with himself for doing it without discussing it with her first. She couldn’t blame him, though. It had been an intuitive action. An instinctive response from them being so close. It was as if fate was making sure they would never again be separated.
Powerful supernaturals had a much more difficult time resisting the mating bond than beings with less magic. Even with that added pressure, he had still attempted to give her a choice. She appreciated that even if it wasn’t necessary. Since their bond had started to form the moment she had kissed him, if anyone was at fault, it would be her.
“No, mate,”he growled through their bond.“There is no fault between us.”
