Page 65 of Tamed By Air (The Nature Hunters Academy 4)

His soul mate turned her head toward him, her movements hesitant. Ra felt her need for him through their bond. He felt her fear that he would reject her. Ra lifted his hand to cup her face and raised her face further until their lips lined up. He could feel their breath mingle. He ran a finger down her cheek, across her jaw, and then over her lips. “I understand what you felt toward Osiris, Shelly. I can sense it through our bond.”

She made a sound that broke his heart. Her voice quivered as she tried to drop her face, but Ra wouldn’t let her hide herself from him, not after being separated from her and wondering if he’d ever see her again. She shook her head and pushed at his chest.

“I’m not letting you go, so you might as well stop fighting me.” He pulled her tighter against him. “All you felt was empathy, Mery. You experienced guilt for even feeling that, but there wasn’t any genuine attraction. Your soul, the part of me you share, called out for mine the entire time, even when you weren’t aware of it. I can also feel the distorted emotions he attempted to plant. Osiris was encouraged because he sensed your empathy as well. He tried to manipulate your caring nature into something more. But he failed, beloved. He failed because you belong to me. As I belong to you.”

She finally looked at him. Her smaller hand lifted until she touched his face. Her fingertip ran across his cheek and up to his brow. “What happened to your eyes? I’ve wanted to ask, but honestly, I’ve been afraid to hear the answer.”

“Because they look like demon eyes?”

She shook her head. “Because despite being solid black, they look sad. I never want to be the cause of your sadness.”

“At first I thought I knew why they turned black,” he admitted, though he wasn’t about to tell her his initial suspicion about her unfaithfulness. He should have never even given the thought a second of his time. But especially now, after feeling her emotions, Ra knew he could say nothing. If he told her it crossed his mind, even for only the briefest of moments, that she’d been unfaithful, it would crush her. Ra would never be the source of her pain. Not if he could prevent it.

“And now?” She kept running her finger over his face, and it was beginning to drive him mad with desire.

He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. If she kept touching him so gently, he was going to wind up begging her to let him take her to the empty bed. “Now, I’m not sure. I need to do some research. The whole Osiris thing has thrown me for a loop and, considering my ancestors are tied to him, I need to know what that means for them, for me, and for us as well.”

Shelly looked down at their hands and then back at him. Her eyes filled with desire. At the same time he felt it come through their bond loud and clear.

“Mery?” he asked, his voice suddenly breathless. He wouldn’t push her, but he wasn’t about to deny her if that’s what she wanted, what she needed.

“I need you to take control, Ra. You know that.”

He released her hand and pressed his palm to the back of her head, guiding her closer. “Are you sure?”

She nodded slowly, and her breathing increased.

Ra brought his hand to her chin and lifted her face to his. His lips hovered above hers, and he soaked in the moment. He focused his entire being on her. He felt the warmth of her body everywhere it touched his. His other hand ran up her back and over to her side, pulling at her shirt until he could slip it underneath. His skin met hers. She gasped at the touch, and Ra bit her bottom lip, giving it a gentle tug. Then he released her and ran his tongue across it.

“Ra.” She breathed out, needy and restless.

He slipped his arm under her knees. With his other wrapped around behind her, he lifted her and rose easily from where they sat. Stalking over to the bed, his eyes never left hers as he laid her down. There were no words spoken as he helped her undress and then removed his own clothes. His hands reacquainted themselves with her feminine form, trembling as she trusted him with the most vulnerable part of herself. There is no hiding when you are naked. Everything is laid on display. He made sure she could see the desire in his eyes and feel it through their bond.

Her hands ran up his arms, over his shoulders, and down his back. He exhaled a rush of air as he covered her body with his. A rumble of contentment filled his chest. He slid a hand up her thigh, over her hip, to the dip of her waist. She was so soft, so lovely, and so his.

“Ra,” she whispered, moving restlessly under him.

“Shh.” He pushed her hair away from her face. “Don’t rush this. Let me love you.”

Shelly leaned up and pressed her lips gently to his and nodded. Ra deepened the kiss before she could pull away. Both of them moaned as their lips opened and their taste filled each other’s mouths. Ra decided whoever invented kissing deserved some sort of recognition. He could kiss his female all day and never tire of her taste or feel.

As their kissing grew more passionate, Ra felt his control slipping. He’d held off as long as he could. He needed her, and Ra could feel that she needed him just as desperately. He grasped her thigh and pulled her leg up over his hip, earning him a delectable gasp. His lips turned up slightly as he looked into her eyes. “I love you,” he said and then waited until she responded. As she spoke, he joined their bodies. Every thought fled his mind except loving her, showing her how much she meant to him, giving her everything she needed, and taking what she offered.

“I love you, too, Ra,” she whispered as he made love to her.

“I know, beloved,” Ra assured her because she still doubted he wasn’t upset. “I will convince you we are more than good, even if I have to keep you in this bed until the only thing you can think about is me.”

“If that’s a threat, it’s an epic fail.” She smiled.

Ra leaned down and kissed her. “That”—he ran his finger over her lips—“is what I want to see.”

“It’s easy to smile when we’re together,” she said somewhat bashfully. Shelly was still shy, even though they’d already been intimate before tonight.

“Then I suppose I need to make sure we’re together like this often.” He ran his fingers into her hair and pulled it tightly as he crashed his mouth onto hers. Though the world might have been falling apart around them, the only thing Ra wanted to focus on was his mate. He would give her all of him, reassuring her until she knew without a doubt that she belonged to him and only him.

* * *

“This shouldn’t be awkward, right?”Rory asked. They were once again back in her familiar cave, with Aston sitting on the bed they shared. She paced in front of him, a sheet wrapped around her while he sat shirtless in a pair of jeans.

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