Deliciously Mated(21)
He knew she was clean. She smelled too good. She might be a mountain woman, but she didn’t have mud on her face or black teeth. Well, there was that one time. But he had a feeling that had all been part of her ruse.
“You’re clean enough. But a warm shower and something softer than jeans and flannel will help you sleep better.”
She crossed her arms looking defensive. “Why do you care if I sleep? You going to eat me or something. Do cat-men eat people?”
Eagan stepped closer, invading her space. “Do you really think I’d hurt you, Clara?”
She blinked at his nearness.
“I couldn’t. Even if I wanted to. If I was the boogey man you believe me to be, I still wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
Slowly, carefully, he reached a hand to her cheek. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away. And when his thumb brushed the skin there, she relaxed. His jaguar was so deeply satisfied at her response, he nearly let a purr slip out.
“What I told Magic about you being my mate?”
She nodded, her mouth open on a pant.
“That wasn’t a lie.”
Her eyes went wide, but she still didn’t pull away from his touch. “I don’t know what that means,” she whispered.
“I know. And we won’t talk about it tonight. But just know that I’ll always want to protect you. Never hurt you. You’re safe with me.”
“Safe.”
Eagan nodded.
“I’ve never been safe.”
He frowned at her admission, but then she blinked, turning her face away and breaking whatever spell he’d had on her.
“Fine. I’ll shower and wear your clothes if it’ll make you happy.”
Her lower lip pushed out in a pout as she started to kick off her boots, and he pressed his own lips together so he wouldn’t smile.
“Good. And I’ll wash those so you can have fresh clothes in the morning.”
She tossed him a look that implied washing clothes after one wear was an extravagance she had no tolerance for.
“No need. I have others at my…” She lowered her eyes. “…place. And I can wash these when I go back.”
Eagan ignored the ‘go back’ part. “I’m washing them.”
She raised an eyebrow as she began unbuttoning her shirt. “Fine. You want to waste water, that’s your business.”
But her words were like vapor. They disappeared before they reached his ears, because all his senses were zeroed in on her slender fingers working the buttons from collar to hem.
“What…” Eagan cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”
She frowned. “Giving you my clothes.”
“Right. Carry on then.”
Carelessly, she parted the flaps of her shirt and began shrugging out of it.
“Shit,” Eagan cursed, turning his head. She was completely naked under than shirt. No bra. And the most perfect tits, if he could judge by his half second view of them.
“What?”
He forced his gaze back to her… face. Her face. Not tits. Face. It was scrunched in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re… you…” He gestured to her topless state, but his eyes roamed and the result was him, speechless.
She was a goddess. Graceful shoulders framed full breasts with dark, perky tips.
Frowning deeper, she tipped her head to the side, her wild hair dancing at her jean clad hip. “Are you the modest type?”
“Uh…” Eagan blew out a breath and rubbed his palm through his hair. “Not exactly.”
“These?” she asked, skeptical, grabbing her twin peaks with both hands and holding them like they were just any old part of her body. “At base, they’re more functional than sexual. They’re basically just feeding bags for when I have a baby.”
Eagan’s eyebrows shot up and he coughed to cover his surprise. “At base.”
She nodded. “Yeah. At their most basic. When you think about the natural way of things, everything becomes really simple. Like early humans. Everything they were made up of had a purpose: to ensure survival. Their strengths, their intelligence. Their bodies and what they did with them. If they killed, they used the whole animal. Nothing was wasted. The same with intangible things like time and love. They lived every minute to the fullest and loved with the most basic of urges. It really makes so much sense if you think about it.”
Functional, not sexual. Yeah, tell his raging hard-on that.
“You… you really think your body isn’t sexual?”
She shrugged one shoulder, hands still cradling her full breasts. “Sure, it’s sexual I guess, somewhat. It can be a little of both if you’re talking about perpetuating the race. But then, still, it’s really just functional isn’t it?”