Page 78 of Shielded Heart

“This place is amazing,” she said.

“I’ve always believed a home is a reflection of its owner.” He dropped one of his hands onto her thighs and gently massaged her flesh, wiping away the lingering stickiness of their joining.

She turned her face toward him and grinned. “Have you always been this arrogant?”

“I can’t be considered arrogant if it’s all true. Onlyconfidentand self-aware.”

She chuckled. Looking down into the water, she placed her hand on his arm. “The water doesn’t affect them?”

Arcanthus huffed. “No. I spent good credits on these limbs. They weren’t pieced together on some backwater planet, they’re top of the line. Only the finest for myself…and my female.” His fingertips danced over the soft flesh of her pelvis, just centimeters away from her sex.

How could he have experienced so much pleasure only moments ago andstillhunger for more? How was his want for her so relentless, so insatiable?

She pressed her thighs together, trapping his hand.

“Hmm…I suppose you’ve earned a respite, if you feel you require one,” he said, dipping his face to brush his lips against her cheek and nip her ear.

Arcanthus cleaned his mate, taking pleasure in the simple task, especially when contentment relaxed her features as he washed her hair and massaged her back. By the time he was done, she was limp and nearly drowsing, her eyelids drooping.

He gathered her close, rose, and carried her out of the pool. She rested her head on his shoulder. He paused only long enough on his way out of the bathroom to let the auto-dryer do its work; the floor and ceiling briefly glowed white, and tingling warmth flowed over his skin for a few seconds, easing away the moisture.

Once he was beside his bed, he shifted his tail around to his front, hooked its tip beneath the bedding, and peeled the covers back. He gently laid Samantha in the open space. She curled on her side, and he pulled the blanket over her body.

After brushing the backs of his fingers over her delicate cheek, he turned to leave.

She caught his wrist.

Brow furrowed, he glanced down at her. “What is it, Samantha?”

“Stay with me,” she said sleepily. “Hold me.”

Her request caught him off guard; habit dictated that he never slept withanyone, that he never allowed himself to be so vulnerable. But what weight did habit hold when it came to Samantha? He’d already violated so many of his normal behaviors for her, had already risked so much. He’d demanded trust from her…and she deserved trust from him in return.

He lifted the blanket again and eased himself onto his side next to her. His heart pounded, and his mouth was suddenly dry. The logical part of his mind said this was just sleeping. What was there to be nervous about?

Ifeelfor her so deeply, so wholly, and I don’t know what these emotions are. They’re so powerful, so deep…

And this was another step toward the edge; a little farther, and he’d plunge into the darkness of the complete unknown, he’d tumble beyond the limits of his experience.

As he laid his head down and wrapped his arms around Samantha to draw her against his chest, he realized that hewantedto delve into the unknown with her. He wanted to discover what their relationship would become, what it wasmeantto be.

Samantha rested her head on his flesh-and-blood bicep, and her soft, warm breath wafted over his chest. Her arms, with her hands curled into fists, were bent between her body and his. Within moments, her breathing slowed; she was asleep.

Arcanthus tightened his hold on her and wrapped the tip of his tail around her leg, wanting as much contact as possible. He rested his chin atop her head.

Even if he couldn’t decipher his complex emotions regarding Samantha, one thing was certain—lying with her in his arms feltright. It felt like this what had always been missing in his life. Like she was the piece that had been left out of him all along, and he’d only just figured out how she fit.

He didn’t realize he was succumbing to sleep until it was too late; Samantha’s intoxicating scent, mingled with his own, was the last thing he was aware of before oblivion claimed him.

Fifteen

Arcanthus drifted up out of the depths of slumber, awakening to the darkness behind his own eyelids. His body was warm, his muscles blissfully slack, and a sweet, feminine scent pervaded the air. Something had touched his face; he was certain of it, though the notion was hazy in his dream-fogged mind.

Taking in a deep breath, he drew Samantha a little closer—her body felt just as warm and limp as his—and willed sleep to reclaim him.

A light brush over his cheek stirred his awareness to the surface again. He lifted a hand to his face, swatting at the phantom sensation without opening his eyes. There was room enough in his mind only for Samantha, and he’d not yet lain beside her long enough, hadn’t yet held her long enough, hadn’t yet dreamed of her long enough. This was where he wanted to be—in bed with his mate, the whole world nothing but a distant, unimportant memory.

Just as he was drifting again, something poked his cheek, squishing his skin against his teeth.

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