Page 62 of Warrior's Captive
Another ripple in their . . . bond. A feeling of iron clamps wrapping around the growing heat. Was that him, suppressing his sexuality?
“Are you okay?” she asked, feeling foolish as soon as she spoke.
Tai’ri opened his eyes again and her breath caught. His blue irisesburned.She wasn’t frightened, he would never hurt her—but as soon as she gave a single word of encouragement, the smallest physical tell, he would sweep her down a path from which there was no return. And if she wasn’t one thousand percent certain, she couldn’t allow them to take that road.
But . . . her lips ached. Just a touch, a caress. Surely she could taste the fruit without being dragged to the underworld?
“Vivian, if you don’t want me to touch you, you’d better stop looking at me like that.”
The growled words didn’t deter her growing certainty. “Like what?”
“Like blue is your new favorite color.”
Vivian laughed softly. How corny. But it was deliberately corny, he was trying to lighten the sudden surge of heat between them. Tai’ri began to ease away.
“No,” she said without thinking, reaching for his fingers as they slipped away from her wrist.
He froze.
“I’m not ready foreverythingyet, but I want—” was she being unfair to him? Selfish?
Tai’ri tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with his free hand. It struck her, that this man, this warrior, allowed her to imprison him when he could so easily break free from her hold. Her fingers around his wrist were welcome manacles.
“You have to say it, Viv. Tell me what you want, no matter how much or how little.”
“But what about you?”
He arched an eyebrow. “What about me?”
“It isn’t fair.”
He narrowed his eyes. “If you were any other person saying that vakshit, I’d be upset. That’s not how this works. What’s fair is that we take this relationship at your pace.” His expression gentled. “I keep telling you I can do slow, Viv. Trust in me.”
“I do.” Speaking the words out loud, the truth of them rang in the air. Internally, a sense of rightness tightened between them, and again shefelthis satisfaction. His yearning and hunger.
Leaning forward, she rested her hands on his shoulders and brushed her lips against his, uncertainty vanquished by his permission to explore as much as she wanted—and then back away when she had gone as far as she could.
He exhaled, his breath warm on her skin, and his hands rose to settle on her waist. Such as it was.
“This will kill me,” he muttered. “But it’s the best way to die.”
Tai’ri took her mouth in a kiss, straightening from his crouch. He drew her up with him, slowly, until they were standing. She shifted to accommodate their child and wound up with her back to his chest, partially cradled in his hold.
Her cells fired, her already tender breasts protesting. Her body tensed inadvertently, a fine tremble running through her limbs. There was a faint taste of mint on his tongue, and his hands ran up and down her arms, restless but soothing.
“Bedroom,” he murmured.
She nodded. It would be more comfortable, though she wasn’t sure what they coulddowith her unwieldy body. Though it wasn’t like pregnant women didn’t have sex or make out, so she supposed they’d figure it out.
“You’re thinking really loudly,” he said as they walked down the hallway.
“I do that,” she whispered, struck again by nerves as they entered her bedroom. His choice surprised her, she’d have thought he’d take her to his room. But then it made sense—he would want her to feel in control, comfortable.
Tai’ri gently urged her towards the bed, pausing to kick off his boots. She almost grimaced, because outdoor clothes on her clean sheets, but she’d discuss bed etiquette some other time.
“Take your shirt off,” he said. “Lie down on your side.” He began to prowl the room restlessly.
Vivian stilled, heart rate jackknifing. After a moment she slipped out of her blouse, revealing her rounded belly with the faint lines of stretch marks, and her swollen breasts cupped in a plain white bra.
