She licked over his pulse, closing the twin holes she had placed there, and rested her head for a moment on his shoulder, savoring him. All of him. She kissed his throat, his neck, trailed kisses to his ear. Placing her lips close so he could feel the whisper right there, she told him what was in her heart. What was there in her soul and had been almost from the start. What was in her mind and body.
“I love you, Aleksei. With everything in me. I love you. I belong to you. All of me, belongs to you.”
His head jerked back. His green eyes met hers, a fierce, possessive burn that seemed to go right through her. His body took hers, hard and fast.
She cried out and then dropped her face to his shoulder, biting down to keep from screaming. I have to let go.
No. You wait for me.
It was impossible. She was flying too high. The coiled knot was wound so tightly, every nerve ending burning for release. Aleksei. She sobbed his name.
You wait. He was implacable.
He pounded into her, driving deep, driving her up higher than she ever thought she could go, but she hung on—for him—she would do anything for him, her arms tight, her fists in his hair, reaching with him.
“Now, kessake, my little cat. Give that to me. Come with me.”
She had waited, holding the tidal wave back when she thought she couldn’t, when she thought it was impossible, just because he wanted it. Colors burst behind her eyes and radiated through her mind. Her body flew apart, finding another dimension, subspace where she floated, while her body rippled and quaked, milking his, her tight muscles strangling until she felt his bliss as well, until he groaned and his fingers dug so deep she knew she would have his marks on her and she loved that, too. Everything.
When she could breathe, she lifted her head. “Aleksei?”
“In a minute, kessake, give me a minute to let your admission sink in. To know it is real and I did not make it up. You gave yourself to me?”
She rubbed her face in his neck, feeling the silken slide of his hair. There wasn’t the slightest feminine thing about the way it felt. More like a warrior of old holding her captive. A willing captive, but she knew she couldn’t escape whether she wanted to or not and that was thrilling to her.
“I did give myself to you,” she admitted, knowing he was waiting for her answer. Holding himself still. Her heart beat fast. Thudded.
“All of you?” he confirmed.
“That was what you asked for, honey, and that’s what I’ve given to you.”
“You know there is no taking it back once you give that gift.” That was a warning, pure and simple.
She pressed a kiss over his pulse. Rock steady. Hers. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Give me your mouth, right now.”
She smiled against his neck. “You’re going to be unbearably bossy, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. Now give me your mouth. I have to go hunting and I want the taste of you with me while I’m gone.”
She did what he asked, kissing him with everything she had. Hot. Wild. With absolute confidence. She opened her mind completely to him, giving him what he wanted. Letting him see how much she loved his body, his kisses and his cock and what they could do to her. Letting him see much, much more than that. How he made her feel truly safe, in a world she didn’t fully understand, for the first time she could ever remember. How much she needed him and believed he would always stand up for her. How his steady pulse soothed her and gave her the confidence to live her life—any kind of life—with him.
“You just gave me the world,” he said softly.
“You are my world,” she told him. Meaning it.
Reluctantly, Aleksei’s body slipped from hers. “I have to go, Gabrielle. Stick with Trixie and Teagan unless the sun really begins to rise. Go to my room and use that ground. The mists and the gates will protect you. Fane has woven strong safeguards so do not try to leave this place for any reason. Andre and I will be adding to the safeguards, so you will be fine while we are gone.”
She shook her head as he lowered her feet gently to the ground and swept his hand over her, clothing her. He did the same for himself.
“We have gone over how to open and close the earth. You can do it if need be, kislány. I expect you to do as I say. I will not be pleased if you disobey me. This is for your own safety.”
“But you’ll come back. Before we have to go to ground. You’ll come back.” She clutched at his shirt, suddenly afraid. She didn’t like even thinking about him not coming back. She found she was suddenly very anxious, those knots of dread beginning to form in her stomach. Not just beginning, she realized. She’d been tense since they first faced the ancients.