Page 65 of An Alien for Her Heart

She studies me for a moment before giving me a soft nod. I pull her into me again, reveling in the feel of her against me and the fact that despite the circumstances, this is our first time together as mates.

Catherine has accepted me. And I will turn the world over to ensure her faith in me is not misplaced.

20

CATHERINE

Imust drift off to sleep at some point because when Varek stirs beneath me, I open my eyes with a weariness that suggests I’d been resting. In a well. My body draped across his as I straddle him.

I’m supposed to be cold and worried. Instead, I feel warm and…safe.

My eyes flutter to meet his and he grimaces.

“Apologies, sura. I did not mean to wake you.”

Stifling a yawn, I run a hand through my hair, wincing as I disrupt the skin at my temple where I must have hit my head in the fall.

Varek notices immediately, his arm a blur as he reaches forward, his claw tightening around my wrist. “You’re in pain.”

I can’t help the soft smile that graces my lips. “Not really. I hit my head—”

“Where?” He tugs me closer, his scent enveloping me as he leans in, his face so close to mine that I can feel the warmth of his breath fanning across my cheek as he examines the wound hidden just behind my hairline. His brow furrows, a rumbling growl building in his chest.

“You’re hurt,” he growls, but somehow I know his anger isn’t directed at me. “I should have protected you better.” And I’m right. It’s directed at himself.

Before I can reassure him, he leans in closer, his tongue darting out to gently lap at the cut. I gasp at the sensation, my fingers instinctively curling into his shoulders. His saliva is warm and slightly tingling, soothing away the sting.

“Varek, what…?”

He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. “To help you heal.” He says it as if it’s just another usual thing, but the way he’s looking at me sends a tingle to the base of my spine. There’s a rumble in his chest that makes his scales feel like they shift against me.

“What is it?” My whisper is barely there, as if I’m almost afraid of what he’ll respond with.

“I can taste your lifeblood.” Without hesitation, he leans forward, swiping his tongue over the wound again. Another rumble starts in his chest. One that should concern me. All it does is send that tingle from my spine to my center. “Sweet,” he growls.

A nervous little giggle rises from my throat. “Should I be concerned that you like it so much?”

For the first time since I’ve known him, I see the corners of his eyes crinkle.

“Maybe, sura. Maybe you should worry that after a taste of your lifeblood, I will want to consume you now.” Those yellow pits warm as they regard me and I finally realize that I can see much more of him than I could before. The sun is rising. We made it through the night.

I breathe a laugh through my nose. “Consume me, huh?” I tease, trying to lighten the suddenly charged atmosphere between us. “I thought you were supposed to be my protector, not my predator.”

Varek’s eyes flash with a heat that makes my breath catch. “Can’t I be both?” he rumbles, his voice a low, seductive purr. “I would consume you in the most pleasurable of ways. Devour every inch of your sweetness until you’re trembling and crying out for more.”

My core clenches, my thighs tightening on either side where I’m straddling him and his eyes darken at the same time. I’ve never seen this side of him before, this raw, sensual creature who looks at me like he wants to feast on my body for hours.

Varek’s claws slide down my back, the sharp tips lightly grazing my spine through the thin fabric of my shirt. I shiver at the sensation, heat pooling low in my gut.

“I want to take my time with you,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Worship every inch of your body until you’re drunk on pleasure. Until the only word you remember is my name.”

It’s only then that I realize the hard thing between my thighs isn’t his leg. It’shim. That the entire time I’d been sleeping on him, he’d been nursing the most massive hard-on I’ve ever encountered. It feels even bigger now than the last time. As if he’s so engorged his shaft has swollen to the size of my arm.

A whimper escapes me as he rocks his hips up, pressing the hard length of him against my center. Even through our clothes, I can feel how much he wants me, how much he’s straining to keep control.

“Goodness, you’re big.”

The rumble of approval makes me release a laugh through my nose.