Page 78 of Mated
“We crave touch. It’s the beast inside of us,” I tell her. “As our bodies find that more primal mindset and our senses grow stronger, we seek what feels good. Sex, touch, affection. It all kind of goes hand in hand for our kind.”
“So this is normal?”
“Mostly.” Her brows narrow and I try to smile. “A female’s heat is taking all of that and making it about a million times worse,” I say honestly. “You crave sex because your body knows you’re most fertile right now. It’s the urge to procreate. To continue your blood line.”
She makes a face. “But I’m not ready for kids.”
That feeling of lead in my gut grows. “I know. That’s why I’m not going to impregnant you.”
“But …” Her eyes lower and I wait as she seems to search for the right words. “I feel empty. Even with your mouth and your hands … I feel hollow.” She looks up. “Earlier, it was better. With you inside me.” More color stains her face and neck. “Not that just now wasn’t great. But I feel like something is missing.”
I gulp and my dick jumps.
So do I. But I can’t exactly empty my load in her.
“Because your body knows what it needs,” I say softly. “Your human body is fertile, but it requires my seed or another male’s to start your beast’s cycle. Which would, yes, make you pregnant.” She squirms. “And since we don’t want kids … I have to be very careful with you, Nisha.”
“Even with my birth control?”
My cock gives a persistent throb, but I force my expression to blank. “Your birth control is dosed for a human body. Not a shifter’s. Your metabolism works too fast for it to keep up.”
Her arms cross. “So no actual sex?”
I can’t help it, I laugh. She scowls at me, but the expression holds little real hostility and her lips curve too. “I don’t think any woman has ever been so upset about that before,” I say.
She lets her eyes roam from my head down and the motion is an eye-fuck in every sense of the word. “I’ve had you inside of me, Tanner. I think I’m craving that again more than anything else.”
Her honesty rocks me back. “Nisha—”
“I know. We don’t want kids,” she mutters, rolling on her side away from me. “But it still fucking sucks.”
The dismissal is obvious and I don’t know what else to say either. What else to do.
My eyes dip to the empty window.
“Rest,” I mutter and climb to my feet, that twisted emotion in my gut growing. “I won’t be far.”
She merely huddles into the pillows and remains silent.
Turning on my heel, I walk out onto the porch and close the door. My eyes close and I press a hand to my temple. Her delectable scent rises from my flesh, adding to the need still swirling in my veins. The want.
Nisha may be craving me, but it’s nothing to the craving I still have for her.
Chapter 34
Nisha
I wait for any further sounds from the porch before climbing unsteadily to my feet and moving to the bathroom.
The room is hazy through what feels like the world’s worst fucking fever. But the body aches have eased. At least for now.
All thanks to Tanner.
I lean against the counter with a groan.
Yeah.
Tanner and all his help.
