His arms cross over his chest.
“Yeah, I thought so.” I gesture at the cave mouth. “So now I’m going to go out and catch us breakfast. You can sit in here and like, beat your chest like a caveman or something.” I move to pick up my bow, and he catches it before I can sling it over my shoulder. I glare furiously at him.
When he speaks, Raahosh’s voice is low and serious. “Before you arrived here in this world, I had nothing to live for. I hunted. I existed. I did not look forward to anything. But now you are here, and you might be carrying my child even now.” His jaw flexes. “I know you are more than capable. The problem is not with you. It is with me. This world is dangerous, and I think of you, alone, out in the wild, and it is more than I can bear.” He stares at me for so long and so hard that I think his jaw is going to snap from grinding his teeth. “If I lose you,” he finally says gruffly, “I have nothing.”
And because I’m a total marshmallow, I soften. I reach up to pat his cheek, but he leans in to my touch and it turns into a caress. “Raahosh, seriously. I know how to take care of myself.”
“So do I. I was still downed by a band of metlaks.”
He’s got a good point. “So come with me. We can hunt together.” I nod at him. “If you’re feeling up to it.”
“I have a better idea,” he murmurs, and pulls the bow out of my hands. “We eat the smoked meat. You come back to bed and let me fill your soft cunt with my hard cock.” His arms go around my waist and he drags me against him. The moment we touch, our cooties start to resonate. “And then we will go hunting tomorrow. Together.”
It’s hard to stay mad at a guy when he strokes your skin and makes you prickle all over with desire. I consider for a moment. “My traps?”
He glances out at the entrance to the cave. “It is snowing. Whatever is in them will stay frozen another day.”
“Mmm.” I pretend to consider. There’s really no considering to be done. My cootie’s going a mile a minute, and I can tell I’m already wet between my legs with need. I look up at him. “If we’re going to be mates—“
“There is no if. We are,” he insists.
“Then we need to be equal partners,” I tell him. I brush my hand over his gorgeous, naked chest and then move up to his neck, caressing the back of it. “There’s no ownership. You are mine as much as I’m yours. Understand?”
“I am yours,” he agrees. “Completely and fully.”
“Then I can be yours, too.”
He leans down and kisses me gently on the lips. “My mate. My Liz. You are my everything.”
Yep, definitely hard to stay mad at that.
• • •
We end up lazing about in bed for a few more hours, making love a few more times and napping. To his credit, he promises to be more understanding about the hunting. All the while, he caresses my abdomen when he thinks I’m not paying attention.
I’ve never particularly thought about being someone’s mom. But it’s clear that to Raahosh? Me and this baby are everything. And it makes me wonder what his life is like back at the caves. Vektal made it sound like everyone was all happy go lucky in igloos or some shit, but maybe it’s lonelier than I think for someone like Raahosh, who has scars and sucks with people skills. The fact that he was a big ol’ virgin tells me that with the few ladies in the tribe, they weren’t exactly banging down his door for his dick.
No matter how magnificent his equipment is.
And it’s weird, but I’m kind of glad he’s all mine. There’s no chick waiting for him back home. No ex-girlfriends I might have to confront. He’s just…mine. It’s like he’s always been waiting for me.
So…I guess I won’t go hunting alone if it really gets his panties in a wad.
But by the time we’re hungry for dinner, I balk at the thought of more of the dry, tasteless smoked meat. “You can come with me,” I cajole Raahosh. “We can check the traps and have something fresh and tasty to eat. Wouldn’t that be nice?” I tap my stomach. “And fresh food is better if I’m truly pregnant.”
He grunts a response and puts on his loin-cloth, so I suppose that means we’re going out. It’s odd, but I’m excited to get out in the fresh air and tromp through the snow. I like seeing what’s wandered into my traps. And I’m really craving fresh, raw meat. Weird, I know.
We bank the fire, straighten up the cave, and then head out, dressed and armed for a trek. The weather’s overcast and it looks like it could snow again. Big surprise there. It snows every damn day.