Page 19 of Unbelievable Faith
Chapter 9
Jesus,Michael tried to steady his breathing but it was useless. His heart was racing and his hands shook. He was like a teenager with his first girl, losing his mind the more of her beautiful dark skin heuncovered.
His wolf was clawing at his insides again. Now that Luna was awake and they knew she was going to be okay, his wolf wanted his mate. He wanted what he already consideredhis.
Michael closed his eyes and forced his wolf to back down. She wasn’t ready and he wasn’t an animal. He had no idea just what Maddox Clary had done to her and he wasn’t about to force the issue of the mating when she was still recovering from thatnightmare.
It was easier to keep his urges at bay when he focused on the damage that bastard had inflicted onher.
She was bruised. She was cut. She was sliced open. And for what? He had no idea. That bastard’s sick amusement? He’d wanted to claim her as his own but he hadn’t treated her like a mate. He’d treated her like a prisoner. He’d hurt her when any true Alpha would have cherishedher.
“You’re beautiful.” He whispered as she raised her arms to help him remove hershirt.
She ducked her chin a bit, “You don’t have to say that. I’m amess.”
Michael frowned and tipped her chin back up with a finger, making her meet his eyes when he said it again, “You’re beautiful,Luna.”
She licked her lips, “Thankyou.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s the truth. You’re so damn beautiful and you’re mine, all mine.” Michael tried to keep the growl out of his voice as he unsnapped her bra and dropped it to the floor with the shirt he intended to incinerate. “Mymate.”
Her breasts were fucking perfect but he didn’t tell her that. Not yet. He wasn’t sure she was ready to hear how much he wanted to lick and suck on those pretty pinknipples.
They beaded under his gaze and his cock hardenedpainfully.
Maybe he didn’t have to tell her how much he wanted that. Maybe she already knew. Her breasts bounced a little as she sucked in an unsteady breath and he forced his eyes back to her face to find her biting her lip. Maybe she wanted ittoo.
“Luna?” His voice was rougher than he intended and her lashesfluttered.
“Yes?”
“You’reperfect.”
Her eyes closed, as if she was soaking in the words and he took that as the only answer he needed. She hadn’t asked him to stop. She wasn’t shrinking away from him. He was going to touch her. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from it. But first, he was going to get her into the shower and wash away as much of the evidence of what’d she’d gone through as hecould.
He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and Luna swayed. She caught herself on the counter. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard but still, she let him undressher.
He took that as a goodsign.
Michael pushed her pants down along with her panties. He’d taken her shoes off while he was cleaning her up on the bed. She stepped out of the clothing one leg at a time, using the countertop behind her to hold herself up and only once she was standing before him, completely naked, did he allow himself to really look at heragain.
His breath caught. She really was perfect. Gorgeous dark skin that he just knew, instinctively, was going to glow a deep caramel brown by the time they finished in the shower. She was tall, only a handful of inches shorter than his own six feet, but where he was broad she waslithe.
There was only a slight curve from her breasts to her hips and he had a feeling even if she was fully healthy she would never be called curvaceous so much as toned and athletic. Delicate bones poked from her shoulders and her wrists and he made a mental note to get them some food after the shower. She was healing but food and rest would help. But first, theshower.
“Ok, come on, I’ll help you in.” Michael started to step back, to give her room to get past him and into the shower but she caught him by thewrist.
He barely contained another groan. The heat was getting stronger. The electricity when they touched was threatening to burn him alive. His wolf all but growled at him to finish it already, to mate her and claim her as theirs. But he pushed down the urge and steadied himself with all of the control he’d worked his whole life tomaster.
“What’s wrong?” He turned back toher.
Luna licked her lips again and then her dark, chocolate brown eyes, fell down his body in a way that felt like a caress unto itself, “Yourturn.”
Michael swallowed hard, “To…undress?”
Shenodded.
He closed his eyes and sucked in air through his nose before opening them again and telling her the God’s honest truth, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, babe. I want you more with every breath I take and I swore I wouldn’t pressure you but the heat… I think it would be best if I remaindressed.”
