Chapter 9
The pain of his first full thrust quickly morphed into a heat and need that carried her to the mountaintop of lust again. Looking into Sailor’s eyes and hearing the question only sent her arousal higher until she was flying. Her body and soul had her say the only word that was echoing in her brain.
“Yes.”
She whispered the word once, and in the next moment, she screamed it as Sailor’s teeth sank into the space where shoulder and neck came together.
At the same instant, as his cock thickened and pulsating heat filled her, she flew into yet another orgasm.
This one was even stronger and longer than the ones that had come before.
Sailor collapsed over her, squishing her into the mattress, but it felt so good she didn’t complain. His arms slid under her back, and he rolled them so he rested on his back, and she lay sprawled across his body.
She snuggled her face into his chest and worked to breathe and stay awake. She didn’t want to miss an instant of whatever was to come next. Because surely something would come next.
A lazy hand stroked up and down her spine as their panted breathing and racing heartbeats slowed to normal.
“And it is done. We are mates,” Sailor whispered, sounding more than a little bit awestruck.
“What does that mean?”
“That means the rest of my life will be spent protecting you, taking care of you, and making sure every one of your dreams comes true,” he stated, sounding so certain that she relaxed and decided to worry about everything he didn’t know about her at an undetermined time in the future.
For right now, though, she was too tired and relaxed to think about anything. Turning her head, she kissed his chest before relaxing fully. She thought about crawling under the covers for a nap but didn’t have the energy to move.
As if he could read her mind, Sailor reached out and flipped the blanket over her before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Sleep, my sweet mate. Everything is going to be fine.”
With a sigh, she patted his chest and allowed herself to drift on the peachy-purply clouds of multiple-orgasm happiness.
Lily woke alone. Immediately panic shot through her that Sailor regretted claiming her and had run away. Sitting up, she looked around, but she could not see anything to disprove that fear. Her clothes were folded neatly and sitting on the dresser, but his were nowhere in sight.
Rolling off the bed, she staggered to the dresser and grabbed her clothes before heading into the bathroom.
After doing her business and cleaning up, she washed her hands and got dressed.
Then, with her heart in her throat, she returned to the bedroom and slowly approached the door to the rest of the apartment.
She stopped in the doorway and looked around. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw that room was empty as well. Her entire body was still wobbly, so she headed to the couch and sat down. Pulling her legs to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and hugged tight.
What was she supposed to do now? Was there some way to reverse the mating? Would she be able to finish her assignment before Lonergan and Kodiak kicked her out?
Dropping her head forward, she began to cry while at the same time she started kicking herself for giving in to the passion and attraction she’d felt for the big gorilla shifter.
The sound of the door opening barely registered as she cried.
“What the fuck? Lily? What’s wrong?”
The couch shifted when he sat down, and then she was lifted onto his lap, and his warms wrapped around her. She curled tighter into herself as she tried to stop crying, but the tears would not be stopped now that they’d started.
“Lily, talk to me. What’s wrong? What happened?” Sailor sounded like he was on the verge of panic himself as he rubbed his hands all over her curled-up body.
Lifting her head, she looked up at him through the blur that the tears in her eyes caused. “You weren’t here when I woke up.”
He blinked and then gave her a smile that sent a warm shiver through her. “Oh, little flower. I had to go to the dining hall for dinner, but I came back as soon as I could.”
“You went out for dinner?”
He pointed across the room to the small counter in the kitchenette area where a tray was piled high with covered plates. “I thought we could eat here, snuggle under the covers, and watch a movie together.”
“You’d do that for me? I thought you didn’t like television,” she said as she released her legs and slowly uncurled her body.
He smiled. “Normally I don’t. But for my mate, I’m willing to try new things. But you need to strip first.”
She blinked and stared at him. “I have to be naked to eat dinner?”
He chuckled as he lifted her from his lap to stand in front of him. “No, I just want you to be more comfortable. Do you want to wear your sleepshirt or one of my shirts?”
Lily pointed at the shirt he was wearing. “Can I wear that one, Papa?”
His face muscles growing sore from all the smiling he’d been doing, Sailor stripped the shirt over his head and held it out to her. “Go get changed while I set up dinner.”
“Yes, Sir,” Lily said, taking the shirt and skipping into the bedroom.
Sailor sat for a moment longer, amazed that things had changed so drastically between them in such a short time. He knew there would be challenges to face as they learned more about one another, but he didn’t care.
Though he’d never been one for communicating, he would learn for her. He would learn to do anything for her. He just hoped his best would be enough to keep her happy.