“I swear to you nothing will happen tomorrow,” he vowed, his lips brushing the nape of her neck. “But I hate, absolutely hate the possibility that something could happen. I don’t trust this.”
Sienna’s pulse quickened with images and a fear she would never admit aloud to Warrick. The idea of possibly ending up in the hands of the people who’d killed Leo scared the hell out of her. But there was no choice.
She shoved the uncertainties and dread of tomorrow to the back of her mind and focused on the man holding her. It wasn’t too hard, already her body had softened with awareness, molding into his warm, protective embrace.
His lips brushed the curve of her neck and shoulder and a tremble rocked her body. Her lips parted and a breathy sigh fled her lips.
“Make love to me, Warrick,” she whispered. “Please. I need you right now.”
Warrick made a low groan, the sound reverberating in his chest and against her spine. Then he spun her around and lifted her, carrying her toward the bed before gently laying her down on the mattress.
He followed her body, lying down next to her and lowering his head to take her lips in a slow, deep kiss. Sienna responded with everything inside her, stroking her tongue against his in a slow, poignant dance that said so much that neither of them seemed able to say aloud.
Need slid through her blood, scorching every nerve ending and awakening every one of her senses. When Warrick teased a hand lightly down her body, her bottom clenched and her toes curled. A soft moan of pleasure built in her throat.
He broke the kiss, lifting his head slowly to stare down at her. There was hot, potent desire in his gaze, but it was the tenderness in his eyes that had her breath catching and tears pricking behind her eyes.
How long had she been in love with him? As a teenager, she’d always assumed it was a crush. But maybe it had always been more. There was no denying it now—whether he knew it or not—Warrick held her heart firmly in his hands. It was exhilarating, it was soul gripping, and it was so frighteningly dangerous. Because she knew it would be all too easy—and likely—that he would crush her heart.
All the thoughts in her head must’ve been reflected in her eyes like a mirror, because Warrick’s nostrils flared and his gaze heated with possessiveness. His gaze slid lower, to the marks on her neck and his mouth curved softly.
“Mine,” he murmured and lowered his head, brushing his lips against the marks on her neck. “You’re mine, Sienna.”
Of course she was. And probably always had been. Her stomach twisted and she closed her eyes on a ragged breath. But would he always regret marking her? Claiming her as his mate? Regret everything he was going to inevitably have to give up?
“Do you regret it?” she asked, before she could stop herself.
Warrick froze, before slowly lifting his head. “Why would you ask that, Sienna? I made the choice to make you my mate.”
“I know you did. But that wasn’t what I asked. I asked if you regretted it.”
His gaze darkened and he shook his head “It’s a foolish question.”
Then why won’t you answer it?
“We belong together, Sienna. You know this as much as I do.”
His kiss moved downward, to the neckline of her dress, and her thoughts scattered quickly, like startled crows in a park. Only her growing need for him and the consuming fire in her blood remained.
Warrick’s lips traced her body through the thin cotton dress, and then he found a nipple and sucked through the fabric. Her body arched off the mattress and she cried out, delving her fingers into his hair and drowning in a whirlpool of sensation.
He tugged the thin strap off her shoulder, pulling the dress down just enough to bare her breasts. She’d forgone the bra and was thankful for it now as his mouth covered bare skin. If it had been pleasure before, now it was nirvana.
Cries of pleasure spilled from her lips and she writhed on the mattress, her hips lifting off the bed as the ache between her legs grew. Maybe it was because she knew they were mated now, but her senses seemed even more heightened than usual. Her breasts more sensitive.
Every breath she drew in filled her nostrils with the smell of the soap on his skin and the natural, musky male scent of his body.
The stubble on his chin scraped against her breast as he suckled her nipple, wreaking havoc on her body and raising her to a higher state of arousal.
Warrick lifted his head and stared down at her. “You’re so beautiful, Sienna. So responsive to my touch.”
As if to demonstrate, he eased his hand down her body, gathering the fabric of her dress in his hand and bunching it up above her waist. He moved his fingers beneath the silky panties, and caressed the cleft of her sex.