Payne licked her throat and the gentle way he eased his fangs into her flesh surprised her. She had expected him to bite her hard, to strike deep as he had before. The softness of this bite had her soaring higher, light and warm inside, filled with awareness of his feelings and the depth of her own. He loved her.
He pulled on her blood and the rush of it through her veins coupled with the way his long cock eased into her, striking her deep, tipped her over the edge. She cried out his name and clutched him to her throat, the back of her head pressing into the tiles. Fire swept through her, sending her limbs trembling, cascading over her quivering thighs.
Payne buried himself to the hilt inside her and groaned against her throat, pulling on her blood as he spilled himself within her, his hard length throbbing with his release. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him, clutching her close as he slowly drank from her, drawing out the hazy warm feeling that flowed through her, adding to her bliss.
She wasn’t sure how long they remained there, their bodies intimately entwined, adrift on a warm sea of ecstasy. It was only when Payne released her neck and licked the puncture wounds, his actions gentle, that she came back to the world. He drew back and she smiled into his eyes, not surprised that they were red now, his pupils transformed into their vampire cat-like state.
Elissa ran her thumb across his lower lip, wiping the blood away, and his eyes slowly returned to grey. Not cool grey but warm grey, full of affection and satisfaction. She leaned in and kissed him, keeping things at a slow tempo between them, enjoying the calm and the connection. She could feel him, feel his contentment and happiness via their combined blood, and it felt good.
He had needed to prove to her that they could be together without fear and he had done just that, and she knew things would be good between them again now, and forever. He would never fear that he would lose control and hurt her. He would know now that she was what she had come to realise he longed for her to be—the good that would balance out the bad in his life.
She would always love him and would never hurt him, and she would never let him go. He was her mate.
He withdrew from her, set her down and took hold of her hands. He stepped back, luring her under the warm jet of water. Elissa found the shower gel and set about cleaning him, fussing over his cuts and bruises. He smiled the whole time, his markings never changing from gold, blue and deep pink.
He had fought to protect her. Not just against his grandfather, but against those who had come after them and even against his friends. She had realised the moment they had appeared on the stage of the theatre and he had lost control that he loved her. He had kept his promise to look after her and keep her safe, and he deserved a reward for that.
She looked deep into his eyes, wondering what sort of reward he would like.
He had enjoyed it when kisses had been his reward. Would he still like that now that he had kissed her more times than she could count?
Payne shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a robe and held it out to her. She moved out of the cubicle and took it from him, and paused to watch him as he dried himself off, his body a shifting symphony of masculine power.
Mother earth, she wanted to lick every inch of him.
It was hard to resist the urge, especially when he looked up at her, the gold and blue in his eyes already bright with desire and a lopsided smile telling her he had picked up the wicked images leaping through her head.
Elissa wrapped the robe around her, opened the door and walked out into the main room of Payne’s quarters before she pounced on him. She had to check on Luca. She walked to the bed, her gaze settling on Luca where he slept soundly, tucked under the deep silver-grey covers. She would do her best to be a good mother to him, and she felt in her heart that Payne would do all he could to help her and the boy.
Payne’s footfalls were quiet on the wooden floor but she could feel his eyes on her, burning her as they always did, igniting a need to turn and step into his arms. He came around her, wearing only a white towel slung low around his hips, and settled his arm across her shoulders, curling his hand around to clutch her upper arm. Elissa leaned into his side, loving the feel of his hard body against hers, warmed all over by thoughts of what lay ahead for them both.
She looked up at Payne and he lowered his eyes to meet hers, stealing her breath with the tender look in them. So much love. How could anyone have ever not loved all of this man? It was both sides of him that made him who he was—protective, loyal, affectionate and beautiful.
A man who deserved everything he desired in life, and she was determined to give him just that.
Payne held Elissa close to him, the deep affection and tenderness in his grey eyes telling her that he would never let either her or Luca go now. He would keep his promise and he would protect them, and love them, forever.