Page 34 of Make Me Bleed

His body is reacting naturally to the feel of his mate in his arms. I know that. He snores loudly—he snores like abear—so it’s obvious he’s fast asleep. Even so, he buries his face into myhair, inhaling deeply as though desperate for my scent, before his thunderous snore nearly deafens me.

You know what, though?

It’s nice. I’m warm. I’m safe.

He’s here…

There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.

About an hour later,Hank finally stirs awake. His body moves, stretching as he yawns, his arm still draped lazily on top of me. I wiggle like a worm, moving so that we’re face to face.

He smirks sleepily down at me, a touch of pleasure and pride tucked in the corner of his lips. “Mornin’, my mate.”

His sleep-roughed voice goes straight to my pussy. I’m sure he’ll be able to tell how wet he makes me. Then again, it’s only fair when the evidence of his arousal is poking me in the belly.

“You’re awake.

“Mm.”

“Good. You can let me up now.”

Hank pretends to think about it for a second. I saypretendbecause, a moment later, the heat of his hand sears me through my shirt as he pushes me even closer.

I huff. “I take it that’s a no, then?”

“I finally have your sweet ass where it belongs, Lise. You’re in my bed. Let an ol’ bear dream a little longer about keepin’ you in it.”

Well… when he puts it like that. “I wasn’t leaving, Hank. I just wanted to sit up.”

“Honest?”

Doesn’t he know? “Vampires can’t lie.”

“That’s good to hear. ‘Cause Barretts don’t lie, either, especially not to the female who owns them body and soul. A mating’s built on honesty, and I’m happy to hear we’ll have that to build ours on.”

My lips part, ready to respond to his comment, but then I realize I’m not surewhatto say. Just hearing Hank so casually reinforce the idea that we’re mates… he steals the thoughts out of my head, and the words right from my mouth with his clear and simple statements.

When he catches on to the fact that I’m not arguing that point, he sits up. In this position, I go with him, though he does release me so that we can both lean up against the headboard at the top of the bed. Made of metal the same color as the walls, I didn’t notice it at first, and I hope it’s strong enough that we don’t eventually break it…

“So… let’s get the obvious out of the way,” Hank begins, ripping my new thoughts right out of the gutter. “What were you doing out in my part of the woods last night?”

Crap. Right on the heels of telling him I can’t lie, he’s going to ask me that?

“I was on my porch,” I admit. “I thought I heard something. I stupidly went to check, and then…” I lost my shit when it came to the dark. “I felt a pull.”

He studies my guarded expression. “The bond?”

I nod.

“Okay. What else?”

My lips thin. That’s all I have to tell him. Considering he found me, he knows there’s more… but maybe I want to ask him about what happenedafterhe did.

“I grew up with a black bear for a Mama. I know that look. Stonewallin’ me, ain’tcha? What’s the matter? You don’t want to talk about last night?”

My cheeks heat up at how easily he can read me. “Not necessarily,” I tell him honestly.

He shrugs. “Okay.”

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