Page 36 of Tavarr's Mate
“Hmm,” I say with a grin that’s soon overtaken by a yawn. “And how exactly do you plan to corrupt me now?”
“Well, as much as I would like to feast on your pussy and fuck you senseless again, we must be getting to dinner. We only have the rest of today and tomorrow to visit with my family, and I don’t want to offend them. But once I get you back in Cempha, I think you know what will happen.”
I gulp. I certainly know what will happen. He’s still planning to pound my ass with his cock upon our return. My bottom tingles and heat rushes my center, where it pulsates and causes me to squirm.
But I don’t want to be rude to Tavarr’s family either, so I hurry to get dressed. Fortunately, his sisters left a selection of dresses in the bedroom. My mate insisted I pack nothing for our trip and claimed his house was well-stocked with all the essentials, including any clothing either of us might need. I give him a mischievous look and turn around so he gets a view of my ass before I don a sheer purple gown.
He growls. “I should spank you for teasing me.”
“Ah, but then we’d be late for dinner.” I bat my eyelashes at him. “What would your family think?”
He finishes tucking his shirt into his pants and grabs me.
“Hey,” I protest, but he sinks down on the bed and turns me over his knee.
“They’ll probably think I had to teach my mate a lesson in manners.” He gives me about a dozen light swats, playful smacks that leave me aching with excitement. But just as quickly as he turns me over his knee, he sits me upright and then leads me out of the room, flustered and disheveled.
Dinner is served inside his parents’ house, with all his family in attendance. Ghessan servants flit in and out of the grand dining room bringing in each new course. I pick up on tidbits about this side of the mountain and my mate’s family, discovering that it’s one of the most sparsely populated areas on Tallia, and also that Tavarr’s family owns a vineyard located in the valley the town overlooks. All his sister’s mates are seasoned Kleaxian Warriors, and they speak of patrolling the perimeter of the town each day and joining in training exercises like the ones Tavarr helps Prince Kenan lead in Cempha.
The children eat quickly and then depart with their mothers for bedtime, and I marvel at how graceful the little ones are in their movements. Even the toddler aged children walk as if they are adults, not toddling or bumping into things. After thirty minutes, Tavarr’s sisters return, and I assume a Ghessan servant must be watching over the sleeping children.
A lump forms in my throat during dinner. My mate sits beside me, stroking my thigh underneath the table and shooting me tender glances, while his accepting family chatters around us. The entire scene stuns me. Not only is it everything I’ve ever wanted—a big happy family that doesn’t look down on me because I’m notenough—but at this table in a private house in Hehna the females are almost as much a part of the conversation as the males.
Hope rises in my chest, and I give Tavarr a secret smile. His eyes light up and he squeezes my thigh in affection, as if he can read my mind and knows exactly why I’m almost crying and grinning at the same time. Thankfully, no one else at the table notices my impending tears and I’m able to blink the moisture back and once again focus on the conversation, my heart full and my spirits high.
The next day, Tavarr takes me on a tour of the vineyard in the morning, and shows me the village in the afternoon. I absorb all the sights and start to warm to the idea of moving here permanently in less than three months.
Before we leave the village, Tavarr leads me down a narrow street that’s on the far side of the market. He tugs my leash, prompting me to follow faster. He’s not being impatient with me though, at least I don’t think.
Excitement is radiating from him, and I suspect he wants to show me something important. I pick up my pace and trail him down another narrow street, until we stop at a small stone building.
A peek in the windows shows it’s empty. Why did he bring me here?
I give him a questioning look. “There’s nothing here.”
“Not yet,” he says, leading me through the entryway.
The building is larger inside than I expected, and it’s not as empty as I thought. Wooden bookcases line three of the walls. On one shelf, rests a few books that must’ve been scavenged from Capital Acres—thriller novels, if I’m remembering the titles correctly.
“Tavarr, is this—”
“—a library? Yes, yes, it is. And it’s all yours. I will help you to acquire as many books as possible, though I think you’ll want to put aside some for the library in Cempha too. I’ve decided that we can turn the rear sitting room into the library like you wanted. I’m keeping the house there, so we can visit from time to time. I’m certain Zandek’s mate, or perhaps the human slave called Joanna, will be able to keep an eye on the library for you.”
“This is unbelievable. Tavarr,thank you. From the bottom of my heart,thank you.” Words don’t seem adequate, and I hope he realizes how deeply touched I am by his gesture. Laughing, I wipe at the tears spilling down my cheeks and launch myself at my mate. He catches me in his arms and plants a quick kiss on my lips.
“So, you are pleased?” There’s a curious note to his tone, as well a bit of hesitation. It takes me a moment to realize he worried whether or not I’d like his gift.
“Pleased? Overjoyed is more like it. I’m in absolute awe that I get to create not just one library, but two.”
He visibly relaxes and draws me in for another kiss.
Chapter Twenty-One
We’re walking on the stone path that twists through the forest, on our return to Tavarr’s family. The flowers on the trees along this particular route whistle in the breeze. My mate says they are calledgeerex omotos, which my language implant quickly translates tovoices of the trees. I smile at the sight of a squirrel-like creature scurrying in front of me with three little babies clinging to her back. With the exotic sounds of the forest, the lush plants, and the interesting animals, this place feels wondrous and welcoming. Yes, I could live here for the rest of my days and be quite content.
With Tavarr at my side.
I peer ahead, admiring his brawny profile from behind. My face heats when I recall being restrained while he fucked me, my hands captured in the cuffs high above my head as he gripped my hips and pumped into me from behind.
