Page 86 of The Bonds of Nyx

“Are you joining me or what?” she called.

As I threw my own clothes off, I thought about how lucky I was to have found her, to have been given such an exquisite mate by the Goddess.

I found Ivy waiting for me at the edge of the tub; the steam from the water surrounded her sublime body, dancing around her dewy skin, reigniting the fire thrumming through my veins. I wanted to take her again, to do all the things I’d been dreaming of since the moment I stepped foot into that hotel.

Ivy’s smile brought me back to the present, her cheeks a rosy pink as she bit her lip. “I have a pretty decent impression of what you’re thinking, Adrian, and I could be easily convinced of all the things running through your head right now.”

Heat rushed up my neck to my face, and I ducked my head to hide it. “Shit, sorry.”

Her laugh made my heart skip a beat and was music to my ears. “We’ll work on the mind-speak thing later,” she replied, reaching over to take my hand. “This looks great, Adrian.”

“I want to take care of you.” I tugged her into me, relishing the feeling of her soft body pressed against mine. “You’re mine. From now until Nyx takes us, I’ll be yours.” I cupped the side of her face and lowered my head to kiss her lips lightly. “I want totake care of you before we go further. This…this has to be a lot to take in.”

Ivy reciprocated the kiss, and for the first time since the bond snapped into place, I felt her genuine emotions through our bond.

At first, it felt like lightning, striking and blinding, before dimming to give me the barest impression of her feelings. Contentment, happiness, comfort. A hint of shyness was hidden within all the positive emotions running through the bond.

I’ll fuck that out of you,I warned lightly, claiming her lips once more.I never want you to feel shy around me.

She chuckled against my lips. “Sorry, it’s a habit.”

“A bad one,” I replied, stealing another kiss. “Let’s get you clean, Sweetheart. Wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable with all that cum between your legs.” I took a step back and marvelled at the sight of her bare thighs gleaming with my seed. “On the other hand, I do enjoy looking at you like this.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “Of course you do. Why does that not surprise me?”

I grinned. “We tend to be primal creatures once we meet our mates. The days following a mate bond happen to be the most…active.”

“Uh-huh. At least you’re not threatening to impregnate me like Elias. Yay, magical birth control.”

My eyes darkened, and I grabbed her hand again, pulling her back into me. “Elias might be onto something,” I murmured, kissing her neck. “But I want you all to myself for now. Maybe in a few months—”

“Years,” she snapped, smacking my arm. “And we are not talking about this right now.”

“It’s a conversation that needs to be had.” I nipped at her earlobe and smiled at her low moan. “But one we can save until you’re crowned.” Well, until she found her other mates. Therewas no telling how many she’d have, but now, as her bonded, I could feel the strength of her magic. It swelled within her and rushed through me for release.

It worried me. Without her third, she’d be weakened, and I couldn’t help but wonder if three would be enough to compete with her power. I’d felt it when she’d gone through the power surge. Even after Hawk had somehow made her calm down, it had still been a lot for me to take in when Elias had taken her and tried to pull some of that magic through him.

But I didn’t say any of that aloud, and hoped I’d successfully blocked those thoughts from her. “Let’s clean you up,” I said, motioning for the tub. “Come on.”

Ivy climbed in quietly, and I followed, sitting against the edge as she settled in between my legs. With her situated against my chest, I took a moment to breathe in her scent.

“Are you…are you sniffing me?” she asked, peering at me over her shoulder.

I blushed and kissed her temple instead of replying. “How are you feeling?” I asked, reaching for a washcloth and wetting it.

Ivy turned back around and rested her head against my shoulder. “Good. Why?”

“Does your magic feel more stable?”

She shrugged, and I took that moment to drag the cloth over her breasts; the water just covered her voluptuous body, but I had a wonderful view of the peaks of her nipples slicing through the steam, and the valley between her thighs.

I circled the cloth between her breasts and down her chest, leaning into her body as I cleaned the mess between her thighs. “Tell me, Sweetheart. How are you really feeling?”

She sighed, then kissed my jaw as I washed away the remnants of our mingled release. “Calmer than before. I guess with everything going on, I hadn’t really noticed the storm inside me,but now it’s just…there. I don’t think I’ll know the extent until we’re faced with something horrible.”

I leaned back and wound my arms around her. “I’ll protect you—we,your mates—will make sure you never have to go through that again.”

“But I will, won’t I?” she asked, and I felt her fear through the bond. I tightened my hold on her. “They’ll keep coming after me until I’m dead.”

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