Page 127 of The Mech Who Loved Me
Another three dayspassed.
Ava grew restless, pacing the small room when Kincaid slept, and tucking up beside his broad body when she needed rest. Every time he opened his eyes, she poured blood into him, and sedated him afterwards as soon as shecould.
Sometimes she cried, though of course, no tears formed. And it was silly to cry, because he'd lived, but she'd been so certain in those blackest moments she was losing him. Perhaps that was what brought on the sobs—her mind's struggle to realize he'dactuallysurvived.
It was during one such moment Kincaid woke. The first Ava knew of it, his hand was stroking through her hair as she knelt beside the bed and stifled the sobs in themattress.
"Come here, kitten," hewhispered.
So Ava slid into his warm blankets and the wide-open arms that greeted her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean towakeyou."
"Just don't sedate me yet," he murmured, dragging her against his chest. "Why are youcrying,Ava?"
"I thought you were dead. It was so close. You stopped breathing, and I didn't know what to do, and I know this isn't what youwanted—"
"Isn't it?" He pressed a kiss to her hair. "Ava, there was a reason I never got the craving virusvaccination."
She looked up into his scruff-jawedface.
Kincaid released a heavy breath. "You're right. A part of me didn't want this to happen, even as a part of me knew it might be my only hope. But I don't think I would have taken that step, not until I met you and realized we could have forever together.""Forever?" shebreathed.
"Forever," he insisted, and then rolled onto his side so they were sharing the pillow and staring into each other's eyes. Kincaid stroked her thick hair off her face. "I'm an idiot, Ava. But I don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You and I have been given a miracle. And... I have a new propositionforyou."
"What sort ofproposition?"
Kincaid captured her face and turned it up to his. "The kind I think you'll like. Marry me, Ava. Marry me and spend all our years at my side. Let me love youeveryday."
Happiness spilled within her. "I didn't think you were themarryingtype."
"Nor do I mess with virgins, women who have their hearts in their eyes, or blue bloods," he said solemnly, and then smiled. "You've ruined all my rules, made me throw them straight out the window. I'm head over heels for you, kitten. And I don't like the way the Major Winthrops of the world look at you. You're mine, and I want everyone to know it." He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. "Especially you. I wantyouto know you're mine, Ava, because you have this terrible habit of doubting yourself, and I won't have that. Be my wife. Let me love you. We can sort out alltherest."
Ava threw her arms around him, capturing his mouth in ablisteringkiss.
"Was that a yes?" Kincaid drawled, rolling her onto her back and settling between herthighs.
"Yes!" she cried, so deliriously happy she wished she could capture this moment and freeze it somehow, so she could look back on it and smile every day. There were still many things to work out, but she felt like they could compromise. She'd always wanted children, but there was no reason they couldn't adopt, if he wished not to havehisown.
"Excellent," he purred, and kissed her again, this time setting her ablaze. "Because I'm having a hard time concentrating right now. Is it alwayslikethis?"
"Likewhat?"
"An overwhelming, relentless urge to fuck, to mark your skin a little, as if I can put my own brandthere."
"No." She captured his face and kissed him. "Not until I met you,anyway."
Kincaid groaned, his hand restless down her side, and his hips insistent. He drove her down into the sheets, his hard body pressing over her, rubbing against her clitoris in little halfthrusts.
The others had warned her about this. Blood wasn't the only hunger that would have awoken within him. Yes, he'd always been virile, but this was an almost mating intensity. Blue bloods were territorial with those they considered their own, and all his lusts—for blood or for flesh—would be stirred to an almost virulent feverpitch.
"Ava," he breathed as he shoved her nightgown upbetweenthem.
She pulled him down to her, letting her thighs cradle his hips.Yes.She wanted this man, wanted to claim him herself. Heat rose within her, primal urges demanding she let himtakeher.
Then his mouth was on hers, and his erection was pressing inside her, filling her in one hard thrust. She wasn't quite ready, and gasped, catching hold of hisnightshirt.
"Gentle," she whispered, feeling him stillinsideher.
Kincaid groaned, and buried his face in the pillow beside her throat. His hips rocked a little, his hand capturing hers, fingers webbing together as he pinned her left hand to the bed. She could feel him trying to be ever so careful with her, fighting the urge to claim her. And she didn't wanttowait.
