Page 13 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha
My biceps clenched, ready to rip the chains apart so that I could hold her against me, when sanity returned. Grabbing her now would lead to questions that I wasn’t ready to answer. And my mate was skittish and wary. After the ‘Ice Queen’ debacle, I still hadn’t earned her trust back. I was done waiting for my mate, but she didn’t know it yet. I had to go slowly.
I rolled my neck.Patience, I told my Beast. I had waited too long to frighten her off now. And while being taken prisoner wasn’t my ideal way to court my mate, I didn’t get to be the youngest President of the Council without knowing when to press the advantage. And our forced proximity in this cell was very much to my advantage. It would give me the chance to break down some of her mental barriers. The first step was to get her used to touching my body and being touched by me. Slowly, slowly. Having her sleep cuddled up against my body like she had last night was a good start. But I didn’t like the way she threw herself away from me when she realised what she’d done. From the hitch in her breath, she’d hurt herself when she launched off me.
I was completely serious when I answered her question. It would absolutely be better if she stayed on top of me. From the sarcastic tone in her voice, she didn’t believe me. Never mind. We had tonight. Tonight, I would make sure that she understood I wanted her to sleep on me. Could I spin it as a way of recovering from torture? I would if I could, but that was probably a step too far. It was true in fact. Having her as close as possible would help me heal, but unless I explained that she was my mate, it wouldn’t make sense. And I still wasn’t ready to tell her that.
Then we had to help each other with our bodily needs. The chains that connected our manacles to the wall were long enough to allow us to reach the toilet in one corner. I shut my eyes as I helped my mate pull down her pants and panties. Inappropriate lust rose up under my skin. For so long I had imagined doing this. But I didn’t rip off her plain black panties the way I wanted to. Electra was embarrassed, the scent of her discomfort filling the air with sharp fumes. My mate was not yet ready for me to claim her. To shove my fingers and cock intoher luscious body. Fuck. My cock throbbed against my zipper. Forcibly I pulled myself as far from her as I could while still being able to touch her. Gritting my teeth against the desire that pulsed in my chest, the desire to break my chains, to spin around and worship her with my tongue and my fingers, I bent my legs. Instead, I just allowed my fingertips to touch her. To feel her smooth skin. Soon she would lose her embarrassment about being around me. Once I claimed her, she would have no secrets from me. I would know everything about her body. She was mine.
Slowly, slowly. One step at a time.
Next step was to get my dick soft enough that I could take a piss. Picturing how I was going to kill the guy who threatened my mate did the trick.
My cautious strategy was proved right when my poor darling had a short bout of hysteria. It was likely a good thing that she let her emotions out and afterwards Beast could sense that she felt calmer.
We were still standing back-to-back after we’d helped each other with our clothes. I pushed her a little bit further.
Eye contact now might be coming on too strong. “I think we’re past formalities now, darlin’. Call me Bastien,” I said. I was a selfish bastard. But I’d wanted to hear my name on her lips since the moment I’d met her.
There was a pause and then she said it.
And hearing it was more profound than I could ever have expected. Just my name. Nothing else. Her voice was slightly rough after she’d let out her emotions, and the power of my name on her lips hit me in the chest like a punch. I let out an involuntary grunt.
I needed to hear it again. I needed to hear her say my name while I made her come on my fingers and on my cock. I wanted her to sigh it. To gasp it while her body arched underneath mine, as I drove into her wet cunt. Five years of imagining how my name would sound on her lips while I fucked my hand in the shower every morning hadn’t prepared me for this.
And I was hard again. Fuck.
“Bastien, are you okay?” Fabric rustled as she took a step closer to me.
Beast pushed a warning at me. I cast my attention outwards, my hearing sharp with Beast’s help. Footsteps in the corridor. We were out of time this morning. “They’re coming for me.”
I turned towards her, my eyes drinking in her beloved face. The green of her eyes. The freckle on her right cheek. Her lips. I made a new memory of her right now. It would help sustain me over the next painful hours. My gaze moved back to hers and she held my stare, her eyes welling with tears.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking, dropping her eyes in shame.
“It’s not your fault.” I stepped towards her, just as she took a step back. I stalked forward again. She was trapped between me and the wall now. Beast purred at her closeness. I wanted to hold her so badly. The muscles in my arms swelled, ready to break the chains that kept me from her.No, I told Beast.Be ready, but not yet. We must co-operate. For now, they are ignoring our mate. We need to keep it that way.He snarled, but the pulse of strength faded. Dropping my head, I touched my forehead to hers. “This has been a long time happening.They nearly killed my brother and your sister. They were well prepared. I’ve already told you it’s not your fault.”
“It feels like it is.” The wobble in her voice pierced my heart. Beast moaned and writhed under my skin. Then he pushed her feelings to me. Guilt. Resolve. Despair.
Understanding sent an arrow of pain to my heart. She was going to leave me if I didn’t fix this. No. No fucking way was I going to lose her now. “No baby. Don’t blame yourself.” I leaned in close, bending down to nuzzle her cheek. But she didn’t believe me. My words weren’t enough.
Beast pushed at the bars of his cage in my mind. I had to fix this now. For me. For Beast. And for my mate. Fuck it.We can’t free ourselves yet, but we can make her understand how we feel.I showed him what I planned.
“Electra, look at me.” I’d never heard my voice so deep. Beast was with me all the way. We had a common purpose. Electra raised her face, her eyes wide.
We pounced.
Her lips were so soft. Better than I had ever imagined. She gasped in surprise, and I took advantage, my tongue invading her soft mouth. Yes. This. Her. The world faded. Nothing existed but my mate and her pleasure.
Chapter 13
Electra
I said his name and his whole body tensed. He let out a grunt.
My heart lurched. He sounded as if he was in pain. Not the reaction I’d expected. “Bastien, are you okay?” He’d asked me to say his name, so why did he sound as though it hurt him when I said it? I know that I’d never called him by his given name in the five years I’d worked for him. I’d avoided doing so, afraid that I would get even more attached to him than I already was if I allowed myself that closeness. I’d expected a reaction, just not this one.
He turned towards me, his deep chocolate eyes searching mine. “They’re coming for me.”
Guilt rose like a black tide, threatening to drown me. A buzzing began in my ears. I didn’t want him to go. He was so brave. So selfless. I couldn’t get enough air. They were coming. They were going to hurt him. And all because I had failed in my duty. I had one job.
