Chapter 19
Jessa went very still. “What do you want?”
Tarek turned onto his side, facing her fully. He reached out and took her hand in his, feeling her pulse flutter against his palm.
“I want your heart.”
The words hung in the air between them, naked and undeniable. He watched emotions chase across her face, and then she smiled.
“You’re too late,” she said softly.
His own heart seized. “What?”
“You already have it.” She brought his hand to her chest, pressing it over the place where her heart beat steady and strong.
“You’ve had it for longer than I want to admit.
Since you held me through the storm, maybe.
Since you carved Dani her first animal and let her follow you around asking questions.
Since you looked at me like I was something precious instead of something useful. ”
His breath caught. “Jessa—”
“So if that’s your price, consider it paid.” Her smile grew, soft and brilliant. “You own me, Tarek. Every piece of me that matters.”
He kissed her.
It wasn’t gentle, this kiss. This was hunger finally unleashed, desperation finally given voice. He pulled her against him, mindful of her ankle but otherwise lost in the taste and feel of her.
She responded with equal fire. Her hands found his chest, his shoulders, the back of his neck. She pulled him closer, arching into him, making those soft sounds that drove his beast to near-madness.
“I need you,” she breathed against his mouth. “Please, Tarek. I need—”
“Are you sure?” He forced himself to pause, to check. “Your ankle, your recovery—”
“I’m sure.” Her eyes met his, dark with desire but utterly clear. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
He was careful, so careful. He drew her sleeping shift over her head with reverent hands, mapping every inch of newly revealed skin. She was beautiful in the firelight—all soft curves and warm shadows, her body a landscape he wanted to explore forever.
“You’re staring again,” she murmured.
“I’m worshipping.”
She laughed, breathless and bright, and pulled him down to her.
He trailed kisses down her body, lingering over her breasts and stomach before settling between her thighs.
Her scent was intoxicating—spicy and sweet, and purely Jessa.
He parted her with gentle fingers and stroked her with his tongue.
She cried out, her hands fisting in his hair, her back bowing off the furs.
He did it again, swirling that sensitive bundle of nerves, learning her responses.
He brought her to the brink and then eased back, repeating the pattern until she was writhing beneath him, her hips rising to meet his mouth.
“Tarek,” she gasped. “Please. I need—”
He gave her what she needed, sealing his mouth over her and suckling hard.
Her climax took her by surprise—a sharp cry that turned into a long, drawn-out moan as pleasure crashed through her in relentless waves.
He held her through it, gentling her with his tongue until the tremors subsided and she lay panting beneath him.
He kissed his way back up her body, then pulled back long enough to remove his clothes. Her eyes were locked on him, watching with rapt attention as he stripped off his shirt, revealing the hard planes of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen.
Her gaze dropped lower, to the straining bulge behind the placket of his trousers. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, a small, unconscious gesture that made him even harder.
“Can I…?” She reached out a tentative hand.
His breath hitched as her fingers brushed against the laces. “Are you sure?”
Instead of answering, she tugged, releasing the fastening with clumsy fingers that betrayed her inexperience. His cock sprang free, heavy and erect, and her breath hitched in a soft gasp.
“Oh.”
She wrapped her fingers around him, her grip inexperienced but determined. Her thumb brushed across the head, gathering the moisture beading there, and he had to clench his fists in the furs to keep from falling over.
“Jessa,” he growled. “You need to be careful.”
“Or what?” she asked, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “You’ll lose control?”
“I already have.”
He surged up, claiming her mouth in another desperate kiss. He positioned himself between her thighs, the head of his cock nudging her entrance, and pulled back just enough to meet her eyes.
“Last chance,” he panted.
She answered by wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer. Her body resisted at first, but he pushed through it slowly, carefully, a fraction at a time, giving her body time to adjust.
She winced as he finally sank home, a brief flash of pain that made him freeze. “Are you—”
“I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
She was so tight, so hot, so perfectly fitted to him that he saw stars. For a long moment, he simply held himself there, savoring the feeling of being inside her, of finally having what he’d wanted for so long. But then she shifted beneath him, urging him to move.
So he did.
He moved with a slow, deliberate rhythm, watching her face as pleasure began to overtake the pain. Her eyes fluttered closed, her lips parted, her breath coming in short, sharp pants. He adjusted his angle slightly, and she cried out.
“There,” she gasped. “Oh, god, right there.”
He found the spot again and again, driving into her with long, deep strokes that made the sleeping platform creak in protest. Her body met his, her hips rising to meet his thrusts, her hands clutching at his back, her nails digging into his skin.
He increased his pace, thrusting deeper, harder, each stroke a declaration, a claim. Mine, mine, mine. The words chanted in his head, a primal rhythm that matched the rhythm of their bodies.
She was close. He could feel it in the tightening of her muscles, in the frantic way she was moving against him. He reached between them, finding her clit with his thumb and circling it with firm, steady pressure.
That was all it took.
She came with a cry, her body arching, her inner muscles clamping down around him so tightly that he saw white. He thrust into her twice more before following her over the edge, pouring himself into her with a hoarse shout but pulling free before his knot could engage.
He collapsed on top of her, careful to keep most of his weight on his arms. They were both breathing heavily, their bodies slick with sweat, the air around them thick with the scent of sex and satisfaction.
He nuzzled against her neck, his canines lengthening, the mating instinct rising hot and urgent. His mouth found the curve of her neck, the precise spot where a bite would seal them together for eternity.
He wanted it. He wanted to claim her and bind her to him in a way that could never be broken.
But he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Tarek?” She must have felt him hesitate, felt the tension in his jaw. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” He kissed the spot he’d nearly bitten, soothing it with his tongue. “Everything’s perfect.”
“Then why—”
“I want to give you the mating bite.” The words came rough and uncertain. “Do you know what that means?”
“I know it binds us permanently.” Her hand found his face, turning it so she could meet his eyes. “I know I want it.”
“Not yet.” It cost him everything to say. “There are things you need to know first. About who I was. What I did. Why I’m here.”
“I don’t care—”
“You should.” He rolled them onto their sides, keeping her close. “The mating bond can’t be undone, Jessa. If I bite you, you’re bound to me forever, for better or worse. I won’t let you make that choice in ignorance.”
She studied him for a long moment. “It’s that serious? Your past?”
“Yes.”
“And you think it might change how I feel?”
“I think you deserve to know everything before you commit.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve lived without honor for too long. I won’t start our lives together the same way.”
Something softened in her expression. “You have more honor than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Wait until you hear the story.”
They lay in silence for a moment, bodies still close, their earlier urgency settling into something quieter. He gathered his courage.
“I was a healer,” he began. “Not a warrior, though I was trained to fight. My calling was medicine, specifically the treatment of—”
A scream split the night.
He was on his feet before the sound finished, every instinct snapping to high alert. His claws extended without conscious thought, his body shifting into combat readiness.
“Dani!” Jessa struggled to rise, her face gone pale with terror.
Another cry, this one wordless and raw with fear.
He yanked on his pants and ran. He reached Dani’s small room in seconds, bursting through the doorway to find that she was alone, thrashing in his blankets, her eyes squeezed shut. Asleep.
A nightmare.
“Dani.” He crossed to her in two strides, gathering her small body into his arms. “Dani, wake up. You’re safe. You’re dreaming.”
Her eyes flew open, wild and unfocused. For a moment, she didn’t seem to recognize him, but then recognition flooded in and she collapsed against his chest, sobbing.
“The snake… I saw the snake, and it was biting Jessa again and she was dying and I couldn’t help her. I tried to help but I couldn’t move—”
“Shh.” He held her close, rocking her gently. “It was just a dream. Just a bad dream. Jessa is fine. She’s right here.”
“I’m here, sweet girl.” Jessa appeared in the doorway, leaning heavily on the frame, her sleeping shift hastily pulled back on. “I’m right here. I’m okay.”
Dani reached for her sister without releasing Tarek, and somehow they ended up in a tangle on the small bed, all three of them holding on to each other.
“I’m sorry,” Dani hiccupped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I just—”
“Don’t apologize.” Jessa pressed kisses to her sister’s hair. “Don’t ever apologize for needing us.”
He held them both, his heart aching with a fierce, protective love that threatened to overwhelm him. His confession would have to wait. Tonight, there were more important things than the past.
Tonight, his family needed him.