Page 44 of His UnBearable Touch

Allegra sighed and the sound didn’t leave him concerned, it left him hard.

She laughed, a soft melodic sound that had more blood pulsing through his body.

“I think we should get to the car.” Natale’s suggestion got them moving.

He stepped closer to Allegra and had her safely in his arms a moment later. The pianist sighed and waved at him and the conductor met his eyes with worry and affection for Allegra plain to see in the older man’s eyes.

The driver was already at the front entrance and he heard Natalie’s phone case shut with a click. “Take her home, Val. I’ll wait for the others.”

He didn’t want to argue. Salvatore would take good care of his mate and Valerio desperately needed some time alone with Allegra. Setting his mate in the car he turned to brush a kiss on Natale’s cheek. “Thank you.”

She gave his shoulder a playful shove. “Go.”

In the car he got down on his knees and reached for her hand. “Let me see again.”

She groaned but held out her hand.

He looked at her fingertips and the bear made its opinion known about the whole event.

Her laughter softened the anger he’d been fighting. “Both of you need to calm down. I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

She sighed. “Your bear is pretty close, isn’t he?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I can hear him in your voice. Feel him just under the surface. Even in the dark he’s rather imposing.”

He listened to her words, absorbing their meaning.

“Is Salvatore bigger than you as a bear?”

His bear rushed at the wall separating them. Fangs pushed through and he tasted his own blood on his tongue. “Why?”

He felt her fingertips on his cheek, brushing against his face.

“You’re not angry,” she trailed her soft skin against the thickening hair, blending with the fur struggling to push through his skin, “you’re jealous.”

Valerio bent over her hand, looking at the cut. They were shallow, superficial. They could have been worse, so much worse. The worry pushed at him like a hand ruffling up his fur. “Does it matter?”

“His size compared to yours as a bear?” She giggled and that only made his frustration worse.

But as disgruntled as he was, he had one primary aim, taking care of his mate.

His phone buzzed and a quick look told him what he already suspected. The glass was thick, but the way it was broken, they weren’t worried about thin slivers. Valerio set his phone aside and picked up her hand again.

He lifted her hand up to his nose and took in a deep breath, fanning the exhale across her skin. A sigh escaped her lips when he touched his tongue to her fingertip. He brushed his tongue over the pad of her finger in one direction and then another. His touch made her shiver and he liked the way she sagged back against the seat.

When he drew her finger into his mouth and cleaned away her blood she made a little moan in the back of her throat. When he slipped the next finger into his mouth she giggled softly.

“Don’t misunderstand me but, I – Oh, wow, that feels amazing – I mean, is this your way of making me melt? Because I’m all for it.”

To answer her he had to hold back the hunger he felt building inside of him. They were close to their home and he wanted her to get safe inside, but he knew he had a little time. “It’s the same principle of how I’ve been healing the mark on your shoulder.”

“Oh,” she sighed and moaned again as he took another finger into his mouth, “so it’s like the old adage of ‘kiss it and make it better’ except I get to have your tongue on me?”

He smiled at the way she described it, applying a little more pressure from his tongue as he bathed her finger. The taste of her blood was a familiar one and his body enjoyed the reminder of their mating.

“You’ll get more of it later after we get home,” he turned her hand over and looked at the three fingers he’d treated. The tips of her fingers weren’t bleeding any more. While he could see fine lines that wouldn’t be likely to leave a scar, he was sure they would be healed in a matter of minutes.

The car pulled into the private parking entrance of their building and descended toward their private penthouse elevator. Assured that she could step out on her own, Valerio exited the car and made his way around to open the opposite door, gently drawing her out beside him. The driver pulled away, leaving them standing comfortably beside each other for a few moments.

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