Rylee reached out and ran her hand down his cheek. Such a simple gesture, but it seemed to echo right through him. It was more than lust, it was intimacy, and it was there in her gentle hand as well as her beautiful soft eyes. Gage felt his cock harden immediately, and her muscles tightened around him in response. He leaned forward and kissed her very softly.
“More?” he whispered, very close to her lips.
“More,” she whispered back, nodding eagerly. Gage smiled. His mind, body, and soul were more than willing to obey.
FIVE
GAGE
For a moment, Gage did not know where he was. It was dark, and the ground beneath him was hard. He worried for a moment that his bear had gone out on a rampage and dropped him somewhere in the forest.
As he clawed his way back to consciousness, he realized the smell was all wrong. There was no deep, rich soil or tangy pine leaves. Instead, the only scents that filtered into his sleep were plastic, paper, ink cartridges … and Rylee.
His eyes snapped open. He was lying on his back on the floor, looking right at his office ceiling. Rylee was curled up beside him, one arm across his chest and her head nestled against him.
He looked down at her peaceful, sleeping face, feeling a sense of awe inside him. He couldn’t believe she was here in his arms. He was having trouble accepting that he had found her at all.
My mate.
It was not something he could deny. He knew it with his entire being. He swept his eyes down her body, admiring every gorgeous inch of her. This was the kind of woman he’d always dreamed of meeting but feared he could never deserve.
Why had the fates brought her here, thrusting her into his arms, so he had no choice but to submit? He was utterly defenseless against the power of the mate bond, and he knew he couldn’t fight it even if he wanted to.
He stroked her hair gently, listening to her murmur softly in her dreams. Watching her sleep made a fierce protective urge rise inside him. There had always been an excessive rage in his soul, a desire to unleash his inner violence for a just cause. Now he knew what that cause was.
Protect her.
Keep her safe, every single moment of her life. Never let her know fear or pain. That was his mission and how very clear it seemed right now, waking up with her wrapped around him. Both of them were lulled by their satisfaction and their sated lust.
But relationships were not this perfect moment, where everything between them made sense as it was woven through their entangled bodies. Relationships were constant strife, day in and day out. It was compromise and disagreements and never-ending arguments.
I am a broken thing, barely even a man. Rylee deserves so much better than me.
It was the only clear thought in his mind. It pierced through his fuzzy afterglow and the last vestiges of sleep that hung over his slowly waking brain. He cared for her too much already. He couldn’t let her stay with him.
He stretched out a little on the hard floor. He couldn’t remember exactly how they had ended up here. Gage had vague memories of fucking on the couch, the office chair, the desk … anywhere that didn’t upset her sore ankle, really.
Her ankle!
Gage lifted his head, looking down at her legs. Her ankle was just a little swollen, barely even noticeable. She’d probably be able to walk on it without too much trouble.
He laid back, resting his head on the floor while he looked at the ceiling. Conflict raged in him. His inner bear demanded that he hold Rylee close and never lets her go. He had to serve her, protect her, and claim her.
Gage felt the best way to protect her would be to get as far away from her as possible. He couldn’t do the relationship thing … he knew that, and there was no point in trying to deny it.
At the very thought of claiming her, his bear growled within. It started at his solar plexus, rising into his chest. His animal would accept nothing less.
Neither will the clan.
Gage felt a bubble of anxiety rise within him. If his clan found out that he had met his mate, they would demand that he claim her. If he didn’t, it would mean trouble for him. Gage’s body hardened all over at the thought of the fights to come.
No matter which way it goes, I’ll be fighting for her.
He lifted his arm and threw it over his eyes, welcoming the darkness. He just wanted to go back to sleep, back to those moments before he had fully woken when everything was perfect.
Why can’t life be simple?
As he moved, Rylee stirred beside him. He rolled over quickly and put both arms around her. She moaned softly and turned toward him like a flower tilting its petals to the sun.