Page 295 of Caelum

“I really don’t feel like sex.”

I knew whatever he’d expected me to say, it hadn’t been that because he started snickering. “Good to know,querida.”

I shrugged. “But I want to Claim you.”

“Such a quandary,” he stated in a singsong voice that had me shoving his arm as I pulled back. I was laughing, though, and relaxing. Something I’d never thought I’d do at the same time with only him in the vicinity.

The truth was, we both had a long road to walk together. But I did with all my men. We’d only known each other a handful of months, and we had a lifetime together if we survived whatever the third Original could throw at us. But that was something only time could afford us, and I had to admit that it was starting to feel like it was beginning to run out.

Even though I wanted to curl into him, maybe drink some tea and watch the world go by in all its madness, I didn’t. Because deep inside me, in my blood and bones, whatever it was that made me Eve, be it theJannahor the creatures under its control, was making demands.

Demands that overwrote the human.

“Dre?”

He hummed. “Yeah?”

“Kiss me?”

He tilted his head to the side. “Thought you weren’t in the mood?”

My lips curved. “I like that you won’t take any shit. You know that?”

“Thought you were cursing me out over it a moment ago.”

“Only when it hurts my feelings. This isn’t hurting my feelings.”

He curved an arm around my waist and hauled me into him. Our bodies brushed as he stared down at me. I’d never appreciated his height more than I did at that moment, and it was only then, curved into his embrace, that I realized he was bigger than before.

“You’ve changed,” I murmured, staring up at him, the city lights and the hotel’s floodlights illuminating the entranceway four floors below us, the only things marring the night sky.

“I have?”

“Your bear has made you bigger. Bulkier.”

“All the better for hauling you around,” he teased, and I mock-gasped in response.

“Was that a joke?” I whispered in faux horror.

He snickered, dipped down, and did the damnedest thing.

Nipped the tip of my nose with his teeth.

Whatever I’d anticipated, it wasn’t that, and somehow, for whatever stupid reason, it made me melt. I sank into him like a pile of goo, loving theplayfulness that had just sprung to life between us. Loving it because it heralded so much promise.

He was so serious, so grumpy all the time, mean with it too, and it hurt. It hurt so bad. But this? This gave me hope, and hope was both a beautiful and a dangerous thing.

Before I could second guess myself, I tipped my head back as I surged onto tiptoe. The move had our mouths brushing, and I took advantage, nipping his bottom lip so I could swipe along it with my tongue. He grunted, opening up for me and letting me slip inside so I could thrust mine against his.

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected.

Him to take over the kiss?

Him to dominate me?

But he didn’t.

He let me explore. Let me taste him, let me fire myself up, and it worked. I couldn’t believe how much it worked because, God, it did. The fire burned inside me, so damn hot and heavy that I wasn’t sure where it came from or where it would go. From nothing to outright need, I plunged my tongue against his, thrusting into his mouth as I wanted him to thrust into my body. My breasts heaved as breath soughed from my lungs, urgency overwhelming me until I didn’t know where I ended and he began.

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