Page 20 of Tiger Born

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“Sorry for what?”

“I can’t have his claw marks on you anymore.”

She frowned, feeling drunk and confused.

“I have to mark you,” he murmured, searching her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Oooh. Now she understood. She didn’t know how she knew, but he didn’t want his brother’s claw marks on her skin. There was some instinct inside of him that was telling Dame he needed to change it.

His eyes were so raw, so vulnerable. “I’m sorry,” he said again.

Misty swallowed hard and nodded. “Do it.”

He leaned down and kissed her, brushing his tongue against hers. The snick of her skin startled her, but it was fast. He pushed into her deep again, and she spread her knees wider to invite him closer. He eased up and looked at her arm and then kissed her again as he pushed into her harder. She panted a helpless noise, pleading with him. One more time. Please.

Snick.

The way he fucked her this time was gentle. It was slow and controlled and all for her. He dragged an orgasm from her body and she was completely boneless. Boneless and mindless.

She could feel warmth trickling down her arm, but it didn’t hurt. It just tingled.

He pushed into her, pulled out. Slowly, Dame eased out of her kiss and leaned over, then dragged his tongue up her arm slowly. It still didn’t hurt. He licked her again, pushed into her, and she was there.

She gasped and hugged him tightly as her release pulsed through her.

Her legs were shaking. Her entire body was shaking with the heated pleasure he was putting her through.

He licked her arm again, his hand massaging the back of her neck.

He was…caring for her.

In this animalistic way, he was taking care of her body.

It still didn’t hurt. It just felt tingly as he cleaned her.

Two more laps of his tongue and he pushed up and searched her eyes, just inches from her face.

His chest heaved, and uncertainty swam in his eyes.

She knew this was all supposed to hit her like a brick wall. A couple of the cuts on his stomach had opened and had smeared on her skin. Her arm was cut in two places. Her old scars were open. He was buried deep inside of her, this man who wasn’t human, this man who had saved her years ago. This man who had come to her when he thought he was dying. That was it, wasn’t it?

He followed her on social media to keep up with her.

He’d come to her last night not knowing if she could even save him.

He’d come to her.

“You’ve been protecting me all this time, haven’t you?” she asked in a whisper.

His nostrils flared with his inhalation of breath. Slowly, Dame nodded.

She offered him a smile.

She didn’t want to run. She had no urge. This wasn’t normal, but she liked it right here, and she didn’t care what that said about her.

This moment, whatever it looked like from the outside, it felt right to her.