Inez’s gaze shifted to Thomas, looking him over with new concern as she recalled his being stabbed and her removing the knife from his back. He didn’t look pale anymore, and obviously he must have recovered enough to get up and walk in here because there was no way she could have carried him. Still, she wanted to see the wound to be sure.
Easing away out from under the arm he had wrapped around her at some point in the night, Inez pressed the sheet and blankets to her chest and rose up slightly to bend over him and try to peer at his lower back where the knife had protruded. Thomas’s T-shirt covered the spot. Biting her lip, she glanced to his behind and legs, noting the large blood stain darkening them, then reached out and gently tried to lift and move the bottom of his shirt. Unfortunately, it was stiff with blood and stuck to his skin and she glanced toward his face nervously as she lifted it away, afraid she’d wake him.
When Inez saw that his eyes were still closed, she finished shifting the material out of the way and peered at the spot where he’d been wounded the night before, her eyes widening as she saw that there was absolutely no sign of the injury anymore. Not even a tiny scar. The skin was completely unmarred, as smooth and unblemished as a newborn baby’s behind.
“It’s healed.”
Inez jerked her head to the side to see that Thomas’s eyes were now open, they were alert and it made her wonder if he’d been playing possum and been awake the whole time. Letting the T-shirt drop back into place, she eased away and then hesitated. Her first instinct was to get out of the bed, but she was naked and rather trapped there unless she wanted to flash Thomas. Inez was pretty sure she didn’t want to do that. They may be lifemates and all that, but that didn’t mean he’d see her through rose-colored glasses that would show him a long, leggy figure rather than her own imperfect one. At least, she didn’t think it would.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice having a slightly gravelly quality first thing in the morning.
“Me?” Inez asked with surprise. “I’m fine.”
“Are you?” Thomas asked solemnly, his hand sliding soothingly up and down her upper arm.
Inez swallowed as she noted the sudden increase of silver in his eyes. Her body responded to it like a flower opening to the sun. She could feel her nipples hardening and a slow, warm liquid pooling in her lower body. Her eyes also reacted, taking on a sudden laziness that left them at a sleepy half-mast. Inez knew she wasn’t the only one to notice the changes taking place when a slow satisfied, male smile curved his lips.
“I love the way you respond to me,” Thomas said quietly. “I love your scent as you do.”
Inez fought off the sudden urge to sniff her underarms and simply stared at him, unsure how to respond, and then his fingers slid from the outside of her upper arm to the inside, gliding perilously close to her breast. Her skin tingled as his fingers brushed lightly over it, and despite his not touching it, her breast did as well in a sort of anticipation.
“Your heart is racing,” he whispered, his fingers gliding over the inside of her elbow and Inez knew he was right, it had sped up along with her breathing which was now shallow and rapid. “You want me.”
Her eyes dilated at the simple words and embarrassment almost made her deny it, but instead she managed one short, slight nod. Thomas’s smile widened with approval at her honesty as his fingers slid up her arm, but this time when they slid down, one finger shifted to tug at the top of the sheet and blankets she held to her chest. Unprepared for the move, she lost her hold on the material and it slipped out from under her fingers, pooling around her waist. Her breasts were suddenly bare and then his hand was there in place of the cloth, closing warm and firm around one.
Inez bit her lip and closed her eyes as Thomas caressed her and then opened her eyes in surprise when he suddenly sat up and replaced his hand with his mouth, his tongue hot and wet as it swirled around the nipple. He laved and teased her, alternating between sucking, licking, and nipping and sending little arcs of electricity shooting through her until she moaned aloud, and then let it slip from his mouth and raised his head to kiss her instead.
Inez kissed him back, her mouth opening to welcome him, her body leaning instinctively forward to press against his chest and then he was easing her back onto the bed, his mouth becoming more demanding before pulling away to slide to her cheek, and then her neck. Thomas followed her vein down to her collarbone, nipping teasingly as he went, and then lifted his head.
Inez blinked her eyes open to find him simply looking at her, his eyes blazing silver fire as they traveled over flesh suddenly covered with goose bumps. She stiffened and bit her lip to keep back a protest as he used one hand to sweep the sheet and blankets lower until they rested below her belly button so that he could see more of her. Her head was filling with all the flaws he must be seeing and how imperfect she was when he said, “Beautiful.”