King Tomb (Forever Evermore) (21 page)

Ezra grunted softly, grinding out his cigarette, his eyes still steadfast on me. “That’s putting it mildly.” He moved fluidly, slowly, across the expanse of the room, his movements again reminding me of a cat. He sat next to me on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning my face and other, lower parts of me, watching as I tightened my grip on his blanket to keep it steady when his weight on the bed tugged it. “You really are shy, aren’t you?”

My lips pinched, but I eventually nodded once in affirmation.

His head cocked, and his own lips pinched. He started to say something. Stopped. His eyes ran over my face, and he chuckled quietly. “Do you really want the beginnings of trust?”

I felt my eyebrows furrow at his actions and words. “Yes.”

He leaned so that he was resting on his elbow, his feet still on the floor, but the action brought his face closer, down to my level. And his words held me frozen. “Then I’ll tell you the biggest weakness I know about you. You know perfectly well that letting the opposing force know what you know is unsafe, so this is me, opening up to you. Trusting you.” With green eyes so vivid he held me captive, he stated softly, “You’re a hybrid. Half Shifter, half Vampire.”

The world stopped. It did. I knew it must have. That, or I did a mini-faint as I stared, unable to breathe.

“Hush,” he whispered softly as he placed his warm palm on the side of face, again touching me carefully, as if I were made of glass. “I don’t care about it other than the fact it puts you more at risk, right along with how tiny your wolf is. I don’t want our daughter growing up without a mother any more than you do. She deserves to know you. She deserves your love.” He brushed his thumb back and forth over my temple, and I felt the cool surface of his wedding ring as it glided across my skin. “I won’t tell anyone. You have my word.”

Truth to all.

Sucking in a harsh breath as my mind swam, I sputtered, “How?”

His lips curled a bit. “When you told me about bleeding on my favorite t-shirt, I wondered because when I woke up after my mind rape I had blood on the pajama pants I was wearing that wasn’t mine and tasted of wild spice, not Shifter, not Vampire.” His half-smile lifted a bit more. “Then, when we were kissing, and you jumped away when Elder Farrar caught us…” He chuckled quietly, a cocky sound. “Well, before you pulled away from me I bit you and got a drop of your blood.”

I blinked, staring wide-eyed at him. “I didn’t feel it.”

One eyebrow rose, and he didn’t say anything, telling me wordlessly he was that good.

I licked my lips, asking, “You really aren’t…?”

He shook his head slowly. “Not a soul.” He brought his head forward, staring me in the eyes. “I am not a man to mess with, but where Isa’s happiness is concerned, I’m not a cold-blooded bastard.”

“I’ve had my tubes tied,” I stated instantly, feeling I needed to clarify this. “I had actually had them tied before I got pregnant so no one could ever use me to create a Beast, but I think somewhere in the voids of what I can’t remember something happened between us to alter that, and I got pregnant with Isa. But after I delivered her, Bindi tied my tubes.” I paused, brows furrowing. “And you know from the videos that I can do Awakenings, so you know the Elders are wrong about their reasons for killing hybrids.”

He hummed quietly, his head slanting as he watched me, his thumb still gliding over my temple. “You don’t need to prove to me you’re not like the hybrid who started this war. Every individual is not created alike. Anyone who simply knows your name,” both arched eyebrows quirked, “the badass wolf bitch, Queen Ruckler, would be a fool to think you a traitor.”

I ate up his gaze, my eyes flittering back and forth between his, hope dawning. “Trust.”

He nodded once. “Trust.” Gradually, he lowered his hand to the bed. “What’s next on your agenda tonight, since you have a free evening?”

My eyebrows lifted in thought. “I have no clue. I haven’t had an evening to myself for three months.”

His own brows lifted and he bent forward, his face coming closer. “You could stay here for a little while and we could,” closer, he was inching closer, his lips hovering over mine, “become better acquainted.”

I lifted a quick finger, setting it against his lush lips, stopping them from landing at their destination. “That wasn’t why I came in here.” Ezra’s eyes narrowed slightly from his blocked attempt, but I ignored them, glancing around his room. “Maybe we could watch a movie or something, if you bring in the TV from your front room. I haven’t done that with an adult in a very long time.”

He spoke against my finger. “I’m beginning to get a complex,
wife
. The first night I offered, you only wanted to sleep, and now, at my second offer, all you want to do is watch TV, when you’re already,” his voice turned growly, “naked in my bed.”

My lips twitched as my eyes came back to his. “Well, we wouldn’t want you getting a complex would we,
husband
?” The slightest shake of his head, his lips brushing against my finger. I lowered said finger slowly, watching avidly as it dragged over his bottom lip. “Fine, one kiss, then if you’d like we can watch something. I’ll even let you pick the movie.”

“How very kind of you,” Ezra whispered softly, his breath spanning my own lips now.

I chuckled softly, my eyes on his mouth as they moved damn slowly toward mine. “Kindness isn’t a trait I’m used to anymore, so you should feel fortunate I’m bestowing it on you.”

“Oh, I’m feeling something all right,” Ezra whispered.

His lips landed on mine. And we both groaned at the contact, our lips again molding together perfectly, soft flesh aligning seamlessly with soft flesh. Lifting a hand, I set it just as gently on his bristly jaw, his shadowy beard rough against my palm as he kissed me. The warm touch was heady on my palm and lips, and I pressed for more, a soft moan of need slipping past my lips onto his. His Vampire growled, soft and slow, sounding content as he gave me what I needed, his lips pressing more firmly against mine as he tilted his head, threading his fingers into my hair at the back of my head and lowering us so I was resting on his pillows.

This kiss was a bit different than our last one, more tentative, hesitant, and I knew he felt it too with the cautious trust we had formed. Honestly, I could tell we were both letting our guard down, showing a bit of our vulnerability to each other.

I ran my fingers over his face, lightly touching his temple and cheeks, memorizing the shape of his features and warmth as he ran the tip of his tongue around the curved edges of my mouth, also memorizing me, if I wasn’t mistaken. Sighing softly at the whispering glide of his warm tongue, I opened my eyes to stare at the man over me, who was being careful not to put any weight on me except for a leg he’d thrown over mine as if he couldn’t help but want to keep me under him. This Vampire stranger, my husband, was beautiful, flawless.

His thick, black lashes slowly lifted from where they had cast their shadow against his cheeks to reveal sparkling green eyes, half-hidden even if aimed at my eyes, and he whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?” Softly, he nibbled at my bottom lip as I nodded slightly, running my hands through his spiked hair and making his eyes dip more. “When you stripped on my bed that first night, I thought that I had never seen anyone so perfect before.”

My lips curled at the
truth
of his words. “But you didn’t let yourself get distracted.”

He chuckled quietly. “No, unfortunately, I didn’t.” Our lips stroked softly. “I couldn’t.”

I nodded, brushing our lips and noses against each other. “I understand.”

“I know you do. That’s why I’ve never had to lie and apologize,” he murmured quietly, tilting his head, and our lips caressed softly, both of us sighing into each other’s mouths.

“All right, confession time, I guess.” I lifted a finger as he stopped kissing me to listen, and I ran my digit lightly over one of his arched eyebrows, our mouths still connected. “The night we met, I thought you were the most beautiful Mys I had ever seen.” I blinked. “And that was even before you took your shirt off.”

His lips curled against mine, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “So you like what you see?”

Simple words to what appeared to be an honest question behind his cockiness. “Yes, very much so.”

His lips curled even more on mine, and his teeth nipped at my bottom lip softly. “The feeling’s mutual,” he paused, then he whispered, “sweetheart.”

My heart stalled for a moment at the endearment. Because that’s what it was, an actual tender word. And I felt the protective, cold shell covering my broken heart — yes, it had been broken, shattered, really, from the mind rape — melt some and begin to heal. And that hurt and scared me. “Don’t…” I sucked in a harsh breath. “Don’t mess with my heart…please.”

His thumb brushed back and forth over my jaw, again dragging his wedding ring along my flesh. Not backing away, he spoke bluntly. “I’m just as scared and confused as you, thrown into this situation our previous selves decided for us. But I did marry you. I chose you even if I’m only just beginning to see why from a stranger’s eyes.” Said green eyes flittered over my face. “I give you my word…I won’t hurt your heart.” His lips stroked mine slowly as my breath caught.

And I wasn’t quite sure how it happened, between my heart seizing at his brutally honest words and our mouths melding together, but somehow he ended up under the covers with me, lying directly on top of me and lifting his arms as I pulled his silk shirt over his head and tossed it away. His hard, warm chest connected with mine and I groaned, pressing my soft curves up against him and instantly grabbing onto his back, digging into the muscles flexing there. His pulled his mouth away from mine, breathlessly muttering a curse as he lifted his hand away from my face to dig into his pant pocket.

“Just a second,” he rumbled, his eyes holding an apology as he pulled his cell phone out and hit a number on it, listening with it at his ear, but it didn’t stop his mouth from reconnecting with mine. Even as I kissed him back just as generously and hungrily as he was me, I heard a masculine voice answer, and Ezra lifted his lips from mine, muttering into the receiver, “Guard my tent. I don’t want anyone entering, not even you.” The voice over the line said something, apparently assenting because Ezra snapped the phone shut, dropping it beside us to grip both sides of my face…and his warm and slick tongue dove inside my mouth, sliding against my tongue before I could warn him.

Spiced heat exploded on my senses, and I groaned deeply at the potent, intoxicating taste, which was uniquely my husband’s own. My wolf woke instantly, growling quietly, and Ezra froze for a moment before blurring his head back to stare me in the eyes. I didn’t move, wondering what my wolf was planning for him as I rubbed my tongue on the roof of my mouth, savoring his taste. Ezra stared as I continued growling softly, and he stated slowly, “Just like I knew before seeing those videos that hybrids could do an Awakening,” a slow blink, “I somehow just know that Shifter sex the first time around is rough…and I think I just woke your wolf.”

I nodded once and blinked, realizing my eyes were glowing dimly, their blue glow slightly on his face. “Yes, it is, until the partner proves himself.” My wolf was riding my voice hard, but my eyebrows puckered as I felt my wolf staring out at him. “But I think my wolf already considers you mine, and me yours, since we’re married.” Another blink…yes, I was feeling my wolf’s satisfaction and basic hunger for this man. “Otherwise, this would be going a whole lot differently right now.”

He stared as a soft chuckle escaped, a bit of real amusement gracing his features. “Since that wasn’t general knowledge I had before the mind sweep…”

My grin was real. “It would be nice to remember what our first time together was like.”

His eyes were at my lips. “I’m sure I didn’t run, since I don’t run well.” His tongue peeked out, and I almost groaned at the sight as he slowly licked his bottom lip, his predator growling just as quietly as mine was. “It’s safe to kiss you now?”

I nodded, and I did what I wanted — hell, what even my wolf wanted — and pulled his head down to press my lips to his, instantly sliding my tongue back inside his mouth to run it across his, wanting to taste him again. I groaned at the sensual glide, our tongues sliding against each other, and heard his Vampire growl more loudly as the warmth in my gut started to burn brighter, filling me with fleshly heat. His hands fisted my hair, turning from gentle to dominant as he tilted my head the other way, his tongue diving in more forcefully, owning my mouth as he tasted every part and only just pulling back enough so I could do the same.

Drowning in what our mouths were doing, I hardly noticed when he lifted some of his body weight off me, altering his position as his knees slid over, then between mine, spreading my legs so his thick cock nestled directly against the wet heat of my core. His deep moan vibrated against my chest as he ground against me. I lifted against him, but I shook my head because I wanted to taste him, all of him.

“Get undressed,” I mumbled breathlessly, pushing back against the pillow to separate our mouths. “I want to taste you.” His Vampire growled loudly, and he started to dive back down to my mouth, but I pushed at his muscled shoulders. “Please.”

He stilled, Vampire still growling but quietly now, and he inhaled heavily before blurring off the bed, the blanket flying off with him. Instantly, I rolled toward him and lifted onto my knees at the edge of the bed. I was barely able to track him as he blurred, undressing in a hurry so close I could still feel his heat. When he stopped moving directly in front of me, I stared at his eyes that were tracking over every inch of me, dipping down and flaring in desire, the green damn near disappearing as his pupils dilated. The sight made me want to purr inside, my own desire notching higher with the blatant certainty that he wanted what he saw.

Quietly, he growled, “
Mine.
”

His hands started to lift, but I brushed them away gently and leaned forward, because I wanted to nibble on the mocha skin I could see in my peripheral. My lips landed on his heated pec, and I sighed against the warmth, slowly kissing and nibbling my way across his chest, savoring and learning his flesh until I got to a small brown nipple. “
Mine
.” I bit gently, then I sucked it into my mouth and heard him moan softly, his fingers instantly threading through my hair.