Page 45 of Their UnBearable Destiny

The grass under his cheek was cool, but his skin still ran hot from the long run and the waning adrenaline in his veins. Drawing in a long breath through his nose he huffed it out, moving the grass around under his nose.

Uberto didn’t even have to turn and look for Ana. Once he was finally still and relaxing into the grass, Emiliana moved around his prone body and she laid her head down just inches from his, her smaller form curving into his belly.

His bear chuffed with satisfaction and the fur at the ruff of her neck moved under his breath. Even though they were only touching here and there, it was enough. Uberto felt her relax, felt healing rush through her body. Only then, did he allow his eyes to close and melt against her in the cool breeze. Moments later, they were both asleep.

He woketo Ana’s hand on his hip, trailing her fingers slowly up over the rise of his bare skin and then down again. The sensation was heavenly as a soft breeze rushed over his back. He moaned and found his arm tightening around her warm body. “How long have you been up?”

Her soft laughter vibrated through their bodies, pressing them even closer together as she lightly dug her fingertips into the smooth curve of his ass. “Long enough to find a few scars that are new.”

Uberto felt her thumb rub along his bare flesh. It felt good to have her touch his skin, to touch any part of him. “Did you look your fill?”

She sighed and gave his skin a pinch, making him wince the littlest bit. “Maybe.”

Smoothing his hand down over her belly, his palm brushed up over her hip and down her thigh. The shift in movement allowed him to place kisses along her skin from the base of her neck to the curve of her shoulder. His fingertips rubbed lightly back and forth over her thigh and found Ana’s skin flushed with heat. “Touching you is heaven.”

“It that what it feels like?” The slightest arch of her back stole his next breath as he felt the lush curve of her body press against the thick length of his erection. “I think I like what this feels like.”

He couldn’t argue there.

Ana lifted her knee, trailing her toes against his shin and then down until she’d tangled his foot in between her own. She shifted again, and he could only manage a soft grunt of sound from his throat.

“Is that all you’re going to say?”

He opened his mouth but stopped as her hand curled even further around between his legs, and her fingertips glanced over a particularly sensitive bit of flesh.

He heard her soft peel of laughter mixed in with the sound of birds chattering above them beyond the canopy of vines and felt a strange feeling of satisfaction in his chest. Just having Ana his arms was heaven, but hearing joy in her voice? It was truly a gift.

Leaning closer, fitting every bit of flesh of his own that he could manage against hers, Uberto gently nipped the shell of her ear with his teeth. Her laughter turned into a breathy gasp.

“You know how much I love you, hmm?”

There was a moment that turned into two and just before he tried to speak again, her soft rebuke met his ears. “Do I?”

He gave her ear another nip, making her hiss. He swept his tongue over the bite and felt her shudder against him. “What do I need to do,” he wondered aloud, “so that you’ll believe me? What do you want from me, Ana? I’m willing to do anything for you.”

“I don’t know if you’re willing to do anything I ask, but I’m willing to take a chance with you, ‘Berto. I want this to work. If you’re willing to take a chance with me?”

“I was willing to move halfway around the world to make you happy, Ana. And now, here I am, half a world away from my brothers. Tell me what you want from me. I’m sure you’ll find that I’m willing to give it.”

Silence fell between them for a long moment and he resisted the urge to turn her around. This… whatever this was… was on her terms. She needed to be in the driver’s seat.

And deep down inside he was happy to give her that power. Ana had been an amazing woman ten years ago. Now? She was everything he could have hoped for and then some. She dazzled him and frustrated him. Made him ache and burn. He wanted to be that for her too.

“I want you, ‘Berto. I want to be your mate.”

* * *

She tensedand waited for him to say something. To make light with a soft word and a chuckle designed to prod and poke at her temper.

But Uberto Orsino remained quiet.

And if she were feeling fanciful, she might even call him pensive.

Letting go of her hold on his thigh, with more than a little reluctance, she moved away from him far enough that she could turn onto her back and then on her other side, so she could look straight into his face.

What she saw struck her straight in the heart.

Rough and gruff, Uberto was the one she could always count on to push her as hard as she pushed him. He was looking at her with a single question written plainly on his face.

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