Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Leda
I woke up in the same position I’d fallen asleep in—sprawled over Bokkan’s torso. I waited to feel regret for asking him to touch me the night before, but found that I didn’t.
He might look terrifying, but he was the kindest, sexiest man… well, male, I’d ever met. He took care of me with no expectation of reciprocity. I found that the more he did that, the more I wanted to do the same for him.
For a split second, in the blissful haze of post-orgasmic sleep, I half-wished I could stay here with him forever.
Then reality reasserted itself, and I slid off his body and out of the bed.
The fire had died down, so the bedchamber was even colder than it was the first night.
Shivering, I scurried to the wardrobe and grabbed the thickest pair of trousers he purchased for me.
They were loose and had a drawstring waist rather than laces.
I pulled on one of the bras. They were like the most comfortable sports bras I’d ever worn.
Soft, a little stretchy, and supportive.
The underwear was next. All of the sets were a light tan that nearly matched my skin tone.
The imp at the store explained they didn’t dye the fabric because some humans didn’t react well to it.
I hurried to pull on the trousers, a comfortable long-sleeve shirt that resembled a loose T-shirt, and one of the sweaters Masu had brought me. Though I loved the human-size socks Bokkan purchased me, they weren’t quite as warm as the ones I’d made with his knit arm covers.
I slipped those on my feet, snagged my dagger and smaller knives, and padded into the bathing room.
When I came out a few minutes later with the dagger strapped to my thigh and the smaller knives tucked in my bra, Bokkan had turned over on his side in the bed and wrapped the furs completely around his body, almost above his head. Only the very top of his head and horns was sticking out.
I found myself smiling at the sight. With his bronze skin, black eyes, fangs, and being over seven feet tall, I never would have expected him to be cute at times. But, right now, he was.
Just as I was almost to the door, a guttural snore came from the bed, and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. It was strange he hadn’t snored at all the few nights we’d spent together so far, yet he was now.
I crept out of the bedchamber and headed downstairs. The kitchen was warm and smelled amazing when I entered. I made a beeline for the metal pot with a spout that Masu used to make szite. Thankfully, it was still full.
Grabbing a stoneware cup, I added the sweetener and milk to it before I poured in the strong, dark brew. It was similar to coffee without the bitter edge. I already loved it.
I was just taking my first sip when the back door opened, and Masu came in with an armful of wood. “Good morning, Leda,” she greeted me.
“Good morning, Masu.”
“Did you sleep well?”
Something about her tone when she asked made me glance at her. When our eyes met, she winked. With her red eyes and gray skin, the gesture looked strange, but her intent hit me, and I immediately felt heat rising in my cheeks.
“I did,” I answered. “How about you?”
“I did as well.”
I decided to change the subject. “What smells so good?”
She smirked at me as though she knew what I was doing and walked over to the stove. She opened the door on the side and slipped two of the thin logs inside, then tucked the rest into a box on the floor near the sink.
As she washed her hands, she finally answered my question. “I made winterberry porridge. The first winterberries are finally ripe, and it is the master’s favorite breakfast when the cold moves in.”
“It’s going to get colder?” I asked.
She nodded and dried her hands. “Autumn will last a few more weeks, but it will be winter soon.”
Once she was done, she grabbed a bowl and carried it to the huge pot on the stove. When she removed the lid, I got another whiff of whatever she had made.
I watched as she used a ladle to scoop out the porridge. She brought it over to the table with a spoon and set it in front of me. My eyes widened when I saw the rich magenta color of the porridge.
Reading my internal thought, Masu explained, “I cook the winterberries in the porridge with spices. It makes it take on this color.”
“I don’t really care what it looks like because it smells amazing. I just didn’t expect it to be this bright.”
She grinned at me. “Try it and tell me what you think.”
I dipped my spoon in the steaming mixture and took a small bite because it was still hot. A mix of sweet and tart hit my tongue, reminding me a little of cranberries but more floral. There was cinnamon and some other spices mixed in that made it taste like Christmas.
“I lied yesterday,” I said.
She stared at me in confusion.
“The noodles weren’t the best thing you’ve ever made me. This is.”
A wide, fanged grin spread across her face. “The master will eat this every day in the winter if I make it.”
I took another bite and replied with my mouth full. “I don’t blame him.”
I powered through the bowl of porridge and was just scraping the final bite out of the bottom when I heard a roar throughout the house.
“Leda!”
I dropped my spoon on the table, and the porridge splattered all over.
The door to the bedchamber upstairs flew open and smashed into the wall before rapid footsteps thundered down the hall to the stairs.
I was on my feet and at the doorway leading from the kitchen to the front of the house when Bokkan hit the last stair.
He rounded the corner, naked and with his muscles bulging, and stopped for a split second. Then, he was moving toward me again.
“Leda!”
I hurried out of the kitchen, hoping to intercept him before he walked inside completely naked and gave Masu an eyeful of what I was beginning to consider my personal penis.
“What the hell, Bo?” I asked, coming to a stop a few feet from him.
He didn’t quit moving, just swept me up into his arms and turned to head back toward the stairs. He was about to turn the corner when I glanced over his shoulder and saw Masu watching us with her arms crossed over her chest and a smug grin on her face.
Like he’d done yesterday, Bokkan took the stairs three at a time and made a beeline straight for his bedchamber.
I smacked his shoulder. “What is your problem?!”
The door to his room shut behind us, and he paused to lock it.
Then he carried me to the bed, keeping a tight grip on me despite the fact that I was squirming in his hold.
When he dropped me on the bed, I scrambled toward the opposite side, intent on putting some space between the crazy daemon and me.
I didn’t make it far before he landed over my body on his hands and knees. He flipped me onto my back and pinned me to the mattress with his body.
“What is wrong with you?” I yelled, shoving at his shoulders.
Could I have defended myself against him? Yes. But he wasn’t hurting me or even scaring me. I was mostly annoyed and a little turned on by the way he manhandled me. The only way I would be able to make him stop was to actually harm him, and I didn’t want to do that.
“You don’t leave my bed without letting me know,” he growled out.
I changed my mind about hurting him. Without saying anything, I reared up and bit him on the chest.
He bellowed in pain and fisted one hand around my braid, tugging my head away from his body. His other hand cupped my jaw, tilting my head back and holding me still.
I opened my mouth to swear at him, but his lips were on mine before I could form the first syllable. His lips were hot and incredibly soft. His tongue slipped into my mouth to tangle with mine, stealing every thought out of my head.
He ended the kiss with the light nip of his fangs, but I felt the light bite in my nipples.
All my annoyance went up in a puff of smoke.
I’d never had a lover take complete control of me like that before, and it flipped my switch in a big way.
My body melted into the mattress as he stared down at me, his black eyes boring into mine.
There were a few fiery red streaks inside the inky depths, but they were fading quickly.
Still holding my head, Bokkan leaned down and ran his tongue across my bottom lip in a light caress.
“Wake me next time,” he commanded. I was winding up to tell him to fuck off when he added, “Please. When I couldn’t find you in the room, I feared someone had taken you or hurt you.”
Shit. I couldn’t be angry at him when his behavior was rooted in worry for my safety.
Wait. Yes, I could. I needed to set boundaries. Boundaries were important.
“I will wake you next time,” I agreed. His body relaxed over mine until I continued, “But you will not treat me like that again. Am I clear?”
“What do you mean?”
“Unless I am actively in danger, you won’t sling me up into your arms like a sack of potatoes and carry me wherever you want me to go. You will find me and communicate your worry and your wishes to me in a fucking rational manner. Understood?”
Eyeing me as though he wasn’t sure what to make of me, Bokkan nodded.
I jabbed him lightly in the side with my finger, making him jump. “Answer me verbally, please.”
“I understand. I’m sorry if I frightened you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say you frightened me,” I said. “But I don’t appreciate you shouting the house down and refusing to answer my questions before you hauled me up here and kissed me into submission.”
Some of the confusion on his face cleared, and he dropped his head to put his nose against my throat. After a deep inhale, he growled softly. “I think you like it when I pin you down and kiss you like this.”
“Maybe I do, but that doesn’t mean you can do it without my consent,” I retorted.
His hips shifted against mine and I suddenly became aware of the heavy length of his cock against my pussy. There was only a thick layer of wool and a thin layer of stretchy cotton-like fabric between his dick and my entrance.
“Can I kiss you into submission again?” he asked.
I knew I should say no but my body was tingling everywhere we touched despite the clothing between us. “Yes.”
The word had barely left my lips before his mouth was on mine. He kissed me as though he wanted to devour me, to consume my soul. Yet there was a reverence, a gentleness that was unexpected.
I buried my hands in his hair, marveling at the smooth, silky texture of the black strands. He normally kept it tied back in a low ponytail or a braid, but this morning it was loose. It fell around my face, surrounding me with his scent and presence.
He smelled rich and warm, like the spices Masu used in the porridge, but there was a smokiness beneath it, as though he’d been close to a campfire.
My legs wrapped around his waist. He was so broad that I could barely lock my ankles together behind his back. The move meant his cock was too low for me to feel, and I rocked against him, searching for friction.
Just as I was ready to wrestle him onto his back and strip off my clothes, his mouth withdrew from mine. He tucked his face against me, his cheek pressing mine. We were both breathing heavily.
My heart finally slowed down, and I let my body mold to his, shaping myself to the curves and dips of his muscles.
I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his bare back, petting him in slow, long strokes.
Though he’d made me come over and over the past two nights and I’d stretched out over his body to sleep, this was the first time I’d been able to just touch him.
“Was it my imagination or did I smell winterberry porridge when I was downstairs?” he asked.
I laughed at his question, taken aback by the randomness. “Yes, it was. I’ve already had a bowl, and it was delicious.”
“I suppose I need to apologize to Masu,” he rumbled, lifting his head to look down at me.
His black eyes were warm and a little sleepy, his hair wild around his face. He looked sexy as hell, instead of a terrifying monster.
“I think you should apologize to me first,” I replied, arching my brows.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I am sorry, Leda. I overreacted.”
“Apology accepted.”
With a grunt, he heaved his body off mine and headed to the wardrobe. I watched the muscles in his back and ass flex and his tail sway as he walked away. Heat washed through me. The more time I spent with Bokkan, the more attractive I found him.
“Stop watching me, Leda,” he growled out as he pulled on a pair of trousers.
“Why?”
He faced me, lacing up his pants as he did, and I could see that his dick was half-hard.
I snorted and covered my mouth to keep from laughing aloud.
He shot me a long-suffering look. “I am pleased my problem amuses you.”
I couldn’t suppress my giggle.
Bokkan walked over to the bed and plucked me off the mattress, setting me on my feet. “I need food, female.”
“Then, you should go eat.”
His only reply was to grab my hand and drag me downstairs to the kitchen.