Chapter 17 #2
A few strokes later, Banner moved to where he was once again on his arms, and my beast pushed forward a little, wanting me to reclaim our pregnant mate.
I didn’t need that, but my knot had started to tingle, and when it began to expand, I snapped my hips.
I’d not taken Banner like this since his heat, but when he started moaning and making those wonderful sounds, I continued until I couldn’t go anymore.
I gave one last push forward, grunting when my knot finally pushed through his tight hole.
Banner gasped, and I let my beast take over enough to come.
I leaned over my mate, and after I pulled his head to the side, I sank my canines into his mate mark.
When my mouth was flooded with the metallic taste of Banner’s blood, that was all it took for my own orgasm to slam into me.
Banner shouted my name into the room, and I felt his body’s rhythmic pulsing as he came again.
I held us still for a long moment while my body found much-needed release, and when it started to wane a little, I pulled my canines from Banner’s shoulder and licked over the new wound.
It would be healed before I could get us and the bed cleaned up.
I carefully moved us so we were lying on our sides on the bed, and after several minutes, Banner’s body finally relaxed completely.
I smiled against his shoulder before I kissed it.
Banner sighed, and my smile grew. My mate was thoroughly satisfied, and I was the one responsible for that. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I asked quietly as I continued to trail soft kisses along Banner’s shoulder.
“No.” He sighed again. “It was perfect.” Banner went quiet for a minute or two, which made his voice sound so much louder than it actually was when he spoke again.
“I love that you always check with me. Both during and after. But I’ve never suddenly found myself back in that jungle instead of here with you. ”
“Good,” I said when I couldn’t come up with anything else to say in response. “I never want you to relive that place when we’re together. Especially not when we’re sharing something as wonderful as this.”
I kissed Banner’s shoulder one last time before I pulled him tightly to my chest and held him close.
This was one of the best parts of having a mate.
Not the fact that I was knotted inside of him, although that was wonderful.
No, it was the closeness, the intimacy that I never knew I needed.
Just having someone to hold, to laugh with, to share life with.
It was absolutely wonderful, and I didn’t know how I ever went so long without it.
“Would you be upset if I took a nap?” Banner asked before yawning.
I smiled and kissed the back of his head. “Not at all. I know you are incredibly relaxed, and that is exactly what I wanted for you.”
Banner snorted. “I wanted it too.” He sighed. “I love you. You are so amazing and seriously are the perfect mate.”
I wasn’t going to argue with my mate, but I wouldn’t necessarily call myself the perfect mate.
I knew he felt that way about me, and I would always appreciate that.
But I also knew that my mate had, at one time, not been my biggest fan.
Then again, neither had I. I knew I could be a selfish asshole.
But the important thing was that I was trying to be better for my mate. Because he deserved so much better.
Despite everything he’d been through, Banner had been willing to give things a try, and he’d been all in from day one.
He was completely committed, and things truly were wonderful between us.
We talked about things frequently, and I felt for couples who didn’t know how to communicate like Banner and I did.
Granted, I’d learned the majority of it from him, and he’d told me it was something he had been working on with Dr. Braun since he’d first started seeing him.
I had no complaints. It had only helped strengthen us as a couple and had set a good foundation for our future.
I felt my knot release, and after I pulled from Banner’s body, I used magic to clean us up. Nobody wanted to wake up itching and stuck to the blankets, and I was lucky that I had magic to help make life easier.
I lay there and held Banner while he napped, wondering what I had ever done to deserve this life that I had.
I closed my eyes, and although I wasn’t tired, I relaxed with my mate in my arms. I pushed out, wondering if our son would respond to me, and when I felt a tiny pulse of magic in return, Banner moaned in his sleep.
I didn’t know if it was because he felt our son’s response to me or if it had somehow hurt my precious mate.
I quickly shut that thought down because I knew that our child wouldn’t hurt their omega father. Yes, there could be pain during delivery, but it was that way for all deliveries. But that little pulse of magic shouldn’t cause any issues for Banner.
I don’t know how long I lay there relaxing with Banner in my arms, but my mind wandered to the second part of what I’d promised him.
Chinese food. My little mate loved his Chinese food, and when I started to feel he was getting hungry through our bond, my mind went through the menu of his favorite place.
Definitely some orange chicken. And some sweet-and-sour chicken.
A double order of fried rice, and lo mein noodles, and a dozen spring rolls.
Banner moaned in his sleep, and then he moved. I loosened my grip, and when my mate rolled over, he looked up at me, completely rumpled from his nap.
“Why am I suddenly very hungry?”
“Because it’s lunchtime, and not only have we expended a lot of energy today, but you are growing a baby, and that requires even more energy.”
“I want spring rolls all of a sudden.”
I chuckled. “Then you’ll get spring rolls,” I told him. I gently touched his chin to raise his face, and when I leaned down to kiss him, he didn’t pull away. Banner sighed when I ended the kiss, which caused me to smile.
“Did you want to eat here in bed or go down to the table?”
“Mmm…both are tempting. But downstairs requires clothes, and you’re seriously sexy without yours.”
I chuckled. “Does that mean you wish for me to eat naked?”
Banner blinked up at me. “Would you be opposed?”
I winked at my mate. “Not at all. I’ll help you sit up, and we can see how far into our meal we get before I’m on you again.”
Banner whimpered, and I swore that sound went straight to my dick. It started to plump at the thought of being buried deep in my mate and feeding him spring rolls. Now, there was a thought.