Page 26 of Reaper
Chapter Nine
Reaper
Reaper had woken the moment the sun had risen.Although he should have been exhausted by the previous night, he became obsessed by Ara and every movement she made as she slept by his side.He loved listening to her soft breaths when she fell into a deep sleep, how she curled her body into his before she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Everything about this woman brought forth his primal instincts.He wanted to protect her, claim her, while at the same time, he craved her liked nothing he’d ever experienced.
He had woken Ara twice in the night.Each time he made love to her deepened the connection between them, and although he thought that the craving to claim her would wane, he wasn’t surprised to find that his longing grew.
A sense of peace settled each time he awoke during the night and found her pressed against his chest.His touch would be innocent, at first, but with each stroke of his fingers on the skin of her arm or her waist, his need for her would increase.
Even in her sleep, she sensed his desire for her, and pressed back against him, rubbing her ass against his hard cock.Her moan was his undoing each and every time.
The first time they’d made love, he shook with the sensation of surging deep inside her, loving the feeling when she clamped down on his cock.Her reactions to him were genuine, and as he listened to her pulse surge with every thrust and watched her skin grow slick with exertion, the possessiveness that he’d never thought part of his psyche rose in him.The emotions that swirled in his chest didn’t conform to anything he’d ever experienced before.Instead of taking the time to completely understand them, he pulled Ara closer and pressed his face into her hair to savor her smell.As he breathed, he relaxed his tense muscles and savored her being in his arms.
But as he lay there in the early morning and replayed each moment with Ara, the truth of the night before struck him with a fierce blow.
He’d watched her face as he had told her that she was his.She had wanted to believe him, his words, but something held her back from doing so.He understood that it would take time, but with the dawn also came the realization that he had fucked up.
He sensed her pulse jump at his statement that she belonged to him, but when she tensed as he drew his teeth over her shoulder, he believed she hadn’t been ready.But the longer he thought about her reaction, the more he realized that she wanted his mark on her and left the decision up to him.Instead, he’d pulled away without doing so.Shit.
Ara must’ve sensed the distress his thought presented, and squeezed him.Her lips pressed softly against his chest, and he couldn’t prevent his arms from tightening, bringing her closer.Something settled deep inside him as he held her close.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
She stilled in his arms, and without allowing her to think he regretted their time together, he explained.
“I wanted to claim you last night, but it has to be an informed choice, and I would never take that away from you.”He traced his fingers over her soft neck, before he bent forward and licked the exact spot he wanted to sink his teeth into.“If I mark you, bite you, you’re mine.It’s not temporary, Ara.You will be mine and I will belong to you.”
“Why would you want me?” she whispered.
With quick motions, he had her on her back as he hovered over her.The fury that raged inside must’ve slipped past his mask because as he gazed down upon her, her eyes were wide.He couldn’t sense any fear in her, but he schooled his features and brushed a kiss against her mouth before he cleared his throat and explained.
“Mates are rare in my world.Shifters are more disposed to have mates than vampires, and yet, I’ve never met a shifter who had met theirs, human or not.Kane and found and lost his mate, and it still affects him deeply, but I’ve never seen how an immortal acts with his mate until Kai and Liv.Kai is the first vampire I’ve come across who found his mate, but he almost lost her, and I’m not talking about Dr. Ames.He had been alone so long that when Liv had come into his life, he had no idea how to deal with his feelings for her, so he pushed her away.And kept doing so.I witnessed the pain on her face, and his indecision, but when her life was in danger, Kai knew that he couldn’t deny his feelings any longer.
“When I spotted you in the lab, I froze.Not because of the situation, because something inside my chest warmed at the sight of you.I couldn’t take my eyes off you because I knew you were meant to be mine.It drove me wild when I could sense your fear, and I vowed that no one would ever hurt or scare you again.But you disappeared before I could find my voice.I spent a month searching for you because I knew something that couldn’t be denied.You are mine.Mine to protect, mine to…”
He bit back on the wordlove, seeing her eyes widen at his statement.He would have to stay as close to the truth as possible, without scaring her off.
“The relief I felt when I watched you walk up the street the night I brought you home was indescribable.Holding you in my arms while you slept was perfect.I know you might not be ready for confessions yet, but I want you to know that I care for you, deeply.I watched as Kai fucked up by denying his feelings, and I don’t want you to have any doubts about mine.”
“Really?”
He nodded.“I will always tell you the truth.”
Her hand wrapped around his neck and brought him down for a sizzling kiss.For several moments, he closed his eyes and lost himself in her touch.
He blinked in surprise when he heard her giggle, a lighthearted and happy sound, and sensed that she had moved out of reach.He searched for her, and found her hovering at the end of the bed.The corners of her eyes crinkled as she took in his shocked look, and his heart surged in his chest at her happiness.She looked so carefree with a white sheet wrapped around her nude body, her hair a shiny curtain that touched her shoulders, and her eyes wide and sparkling.
“You’re a goddess.”
Without warning, he rose from the bed and reached for her.Her giggles ceased and when her eyes traced his nude body, his cock immediately responded.Her expressive eyes stayed with his movements as he stalked closer.A shiver passed through him as he listened to her staggered breathing and her pulse accelerate.
“Beautiful,” he growled.
Her pulse jumped before tripping wildly out of control, and he couldn’t keep away from her any longer.His arms wrapped around the back of her thighs as her hands settled on his shoulders.Although he wanted her trust and her love, he knew that he would have to be patient.For now, he settled for her desire.
He opened his hand on her shoulders and brought her toward his mouth.With a quick movement, he flicked his tongue against her nipple.Loving her taste, his tongue laved over her before drawing the bud into his mouth.His teeth nipped at her swollen flesh, giving equal attention to both, as she rewarded him with the sweetness that flooded her pussy.
