Chapter 7
Though standing in Sailor’s embrace made her body come to life in a way it never had before, Lily was still pissed about being ignored for the last two days and needed answers.
Rearing back, she scowled up at him. “What the fuck do you mean, you’re sorry? For what, exactly? Ignoring me? Treating me like a prisoner? Being an assface meanie-head?”
She yelped when a large, hard hand smacked her ass three times. It was so big it covered nearly the whole cheek.
“No swearing. And watch your tone,” he said as his hand then began to massage her abused cheek, rubbing the heat and pain into the tissues.
She struggled to pull out of his embrace, needing to put some distance between them. The only problem was he would not let her go. It wasn’t until she stilled that he moved his hand from her ass up her body to stroke a warm path up and down her spine.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant the past two days,” he said, his voice a deep but gentle rumble. “I’ve been trying to protect myself and you, but I have a feeling you can take care of yourself just fine.”
With her head resting against his chest, Lily nodded. “I can, but is there someone here I need to protect myself from? I thought this was a safe place for women.”
Sailor’s chest rose under her cheek as he took a deep breath and slowly blew it out again.
“It is a safe place, but sometimes the trainees are mean to one another. Which is one reason I’m not sure I want you to go through the program.
I don’t want a quiet, refined, retrained lady who is worried about what fork to use or what is considered polite conversation. ”
Lily considered his words before asking, “What kind of woman do you want?”
“My mate needs to be strong and fairly independent when I’m working but also be a Little who is willing to turn all decisions, challenges, and worries over to me when I’m not on shift.
I know you are my mate, but I’ve been holding off finalizing the mating so you could have a chance to come to the same conclusions.
Unfortunately not taking you as my mate has made me a bit, um, grumpy. ”
Lily was stunned by his explanation and reasons behind his distance the last two days.
No human male had ever put her first before.
Usually they took what they wanted, and when she refused to give in to their demands, they left, moving on to a woman who would.
But this man, who was more than just a man, had given her time to become accustomed to the news that she was his mate.
In that moment, Lily felt the wall she’d built around her heart to keep it safe crumble into dust. Despite the assignment that brought her to Bratburg, she knew there was nowhere else she would rather be.
Lifting her head from his chest, she dropped it back and looked up into those dark chocolate eyes. Sailor met her gaze with a warmth in his expression that wrapped around her and pulled her under his spell.
“We don’t know anything about one another, but I really think I do want to be your mate,” she whispered.
For the first time since she’d met him on the road to Bratburg, Sailor smiled at her. The shift in expression turned his rugged face into one that was heartstoppingly gorgeous.
Lily’s breathing stopped for a second and her entire body heated up, needing to connect with him. In the next three heartbeats the reason she’d come to Bratburg evaporated from her brain, and all she could think about was how she wanted this man.
Sliding a hand behind his neck, she pulled his head down so she could kiss him, which was another first for her.
Usually she was the passive one, not making advances but following the man’s lead, up to a point.
But now, with Sailor, she wanted, no needed, to feel his lips on hers.
And not just her lips, but her tits, her clit, her entire body.
The fact she’d never felt this before scared her, until he brushed his lips over hers. Then all she could think about was the need that blossomed in her pelvis and spread throughout her body like a wildfire.
Sailor’s lips were unusually gentle as they brushed back and forth over hers before settling in for a stay. When his tongue traced across the seam of her lips, she parted them in welcome. His tongue sweeping in carried her away, and she lost herself to the man, the kiss, and the moment.
“Kiss me back,” he muttered against her lips, encouraging her to do a little exploring of her own.
By the time he finally lifted his head, breaking the kiss, they were both panting, and Lily was leaning heavily into his body, depending on him to keep her standing. She gasped and clutched at his shoulders as he swept her off her feet and carried her bridal-style into the bedroom.
A single glance at his face told her that whatever control he had been fighting to maintain was gone, and if she didn’t want to become Sailor’s mate, she’d better speak up fast.
But the thought of joining her life with his, even after the weirdness of the past two days, did not fill her with fear. Instead it settled something in her, making her feel like she was coming home.
Sailor fought his shifter’s instincts that wanted to toss his mate on the bed and throw himself on top of her to keep her from moving. He set her down carefully so she sat on the side of the bed. Stepping back, he found himself lacing his fingers together to keep from ripping her clothes off.
Though things had changed between them in the past few minutes, he still needed to take his time, be gentle, and not scare her with his animal side.
Taking a breath, he tried to remember the words he needed to ask. But they weren’t coming to him.
“Shit,” he muttered, taking a step back from the bed. “Stay right there. Don’t move.”
Before she could respond, he backed out of the room then turned to sweep his gaze around the main room. His phone was sitting on the table, right where he’d left it. Quickly moving across the room, he grabbed the phone and texted Lonergan.
Sailor: What are the mating ceremony words?
It took a moment before he saw the three dots flash across the screen. His cock was throbbing; his head was foggy with need, and he could feel Lily’s curiosity reaching out to him from the other room.
It took too long, but finally his phone beeped with Lonergan’s response.
Lonergan: Say her full name and then “do you take me as your mate to be bonded body, soul, heart, and mind to me from now until the end of our lives on this plane of existence?” Then do what feels right.
Sailor: Thanks, Boss.
After reading the words until he’d memorized them, he silenced his phone but carried it with him back to the bedroom. While he didn’t want to appear stupid in front of his mate, he also didn’t want to fuck up their mating by forgetting the words.
“You okay?”
Instead of answering, Sailor toed off the sneakers he’d put on to go to breakfast that morning at the same time he pulled his t-shirt over his head. Pushing his sweatpants down his legs, he stepped out of them and approached the bed wearing only a pair of close-fitting black boxer shorts.
Stopping just in front of her, he leaned down and kissed her again, the need to feel her lips on his nearly as overwhelming as the need to lay over her and drive his cock into her pussy.
But the scent of her nervousness now filled the room, and he needed to calm her, arouse her, and prepare her for their mating.
He only hoped that when he asked the question she said yes.