Page 49 of Claws and Controllers

He left, closing the door behind him. Ellie looked down at the small marking on her hip. The little nick was all of the protection she needed because of the man who had just rocked her world.

“Zy?” she called out before she could think better of it. It didn’t stop her voice from shaking, though. She waited a little bit, waiting to hear him shuffle to the door, but there was no sound. “Zy…”

The door opened, and Zy averted his eyes, keeping them off of her. Oh god. Did he regret it?

“Are you all right?”

“Fine, yeah. I just …” She pursed her lips. “Zy, look at me.”

His jaw ticked, and his eyes met hers. “It’s not easy for me to see you naked, Ellie. It’s very tempting to hop in there with you and continue to explore every inch of you. I don’t want you to be sorer than you already are.”

If there had been any doubts in Ellie’s head that Zy wasn’t attracted to her, they disappeared as she watched his joggers tent with an erection.

“Shifters,” she laughed softly.

“Shifters with beautiful mates,” he amended.

“Then come over here,” she blurted before her courage left her.

Zy’s brows lifted. “What?”

She laughed again and waved him forward. “I’m not sore. Let’s make sure the mating took.”

“Oh,” he said, his voice rough. “It took.” He rushed forward and hopped into the bath with her.

“Let’s make sure anyway.”

“Whatever you want, love.”

TWENTY

Ellie stirred awake, her body nestled comfortably against Zy’s warm, muscular frame. The events of the past few days swirled in her mind—the attack, Zy’s rescue, and their passionate night together that had sealed their bond as mates. She blinked, orienting herself in the luxurious surroundings of Zy’s penthouse bedroom, which now felt like a sanctuary.

Zy’s arm tightened around her waist, and she felt his lips brush against her shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful,” he murmured, his deep voice sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Ellie turned in his arms, drinking in the sight of him. His hair was tousled from sleep, his eyes warm with affection. It struck her how quickly he’d gone from business rival to her everything. “Good morning,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him softly.

The kiss deepened, reigniting the passion from the night before. Zy’s hand caressed her cheek, and Ellie melted into his touch, marveling at how right it felt to be with him like this.

A quiet growl rumbled in Zy’s chest as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. “As much as I’d love to spend all day in bed with you, I did promise you breakfast.”

Ellie laughed, the sound light and happy. “Always the gentleman, aren’t you?”

Zy grinned, placing one quick kiss on her lips before sliding out of bed. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move an inch.”

As Zy left the room, Ellie stretched languidly, reveling in the pleasant soreness that reminded her of their lovemaking. She’d never felt so cherished, so completely accepted as she did with Zy. The depth of her feelings for him should have scared her, given how quickly they’d developed, but instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of rightness.

True to his word, Zy returned shortly with a tray laden with breakfast. He’d thrown on a pair of loose pajama pants but remained shirtless, giving Ellie an unobstructed view of his chiseled torso. She admired him openly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“See something you like?” Zy teased, setting the tray across her lap.

“Absolutely,” Ellie replied, her gaze traveling appreciatively over him. “The food looks pretty good too.”

Zy chuckled, settling beside her on the bed. He leaned in, nuzzling her neck affectionately. “Eat up. You’ll need your strength after last night.”

A blush crept up Ellie’s cheeks, but she didn’t shy away from his touch. Instead, she turned her head to capture his lips in another kiss. “Thank you,” she murmured against his mouth. “For everything.”

As they shared the meal, feeding each other bites of waffle and fruit between kisses, Ellie marveled at how comfortable she felt with Zy. The intimacy between them went beyond the physical; there was an emotional openness that she’d never experienced.

---