When she finally settled down, breathing hard, he pulled his wet finger out and licked up her essence. Her legs fell loosely to the sides as he stood. His legs were shaking, his eyes hooded as he looked at her. She had a smile on her face and her body looked like she couldn’t lift her arm if she wanted to. After a moment, she turned to him with that smile.

“Come here,” she said and parted her legs for him. It was a dream come true, but Henry hesitated.

“I wouldn’t last a heartbeat. I can’t have our first union cut so short. I’ll go the bathroom and take care of this and be right back.” Nanu sat up, her eyes sparkling but clear.

“No, you don’t,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’ll take care of it for you. I’m your woman now.” Henry’s stomach flexed hard, but because of her words or her touch, he didn’t know. She slithered to the floor before him. Her touch burned him, grabbed his hard waist then gripped the band of his shorts and tugged.

“Wait,” he said, his hand stopping her. The thought of her on her knees on the floor before him...he didn’t like it. “Don’t do this.” Even though the thought of her mouth sucking him deep made breathing difficult.

“Henry, I want to. Please let me.” She rubbed her cheek back and forth across his

straining erection and he bit his lip to keep from doing something crazy. Like whipping it out himself.

Slowly, hesitantly, he nodded.

She practically glowed as she tugged his shorts down. They dropped heavily around his feet. His cock fell forward and landed against her cheek. She smiled and wrapped her hand around him. The pressure was soft but so damned good.

“Don’t be nervous. Just let me pleasure you.” She kissed the tip of him then stroked him, rubbing the skin around his cock back and forth. He couldn’t stop the groan that left him. His hand curled around her slender shoulder and if not for her there, he would have fallen and embarrassed the hell out of himself.

“I like the way you feel. So hard and rigid but like soft velvet on the outside. I can’t wait to feel you slide inside me, Henry.” Her tongue wet the tip and then her wet mouth swallowed him.

He nearly lost it right there. His fangs dropped, throbbing. He bit into his bottom lip to ease some of the pressure in his loins. She pulled back and sucked him, her tongue rubbing against him. When she came back down him again, it was pure torture. Her hot, wet mouth sucked him again and again, her hand fisted his cock and pumped him in the slightest of motions.

He had to unclench his hand from her shoulder, too afraid he’d hurt her. She sucked him faster, her eyes closed, soft moans leaving her throat. Henry panted, his chest burning, heart thundering.

She laved her tongue against him and took him deep into her throat until he was hitting it the back of it. “Stop,” he said raggedly. “Please, stop. I can’t. I’m going to—”

Hot liquid boiled in his balls shot up to his cock ready to burst. His legs stiffened, ass clenching, breaths exploding from him. “Nanu, pull away!” She didn’t. Her hands cupped his ass, and she took him as deeply as she could.

He couldn’t stop the hard, hot pulses as he came, couldn’t stop the harsh shout that left his throat. His hips jerked against her mouth and her tongue coaxed every drop of come from him until he was shaking in front of her like a damned leaf. She pulled back, his cock making a wet popping sound as he did. She ran her hands up his body as she stood, the smile of a seductress on her mouth.

“As soon as you’re ready again, I’m ready to feel you inside me, Henry.”

Henry pulled her close and kissed her. Kissed the woman he loved, the woman of his

dreams.

Chloe hesitated at the top of the stairs. She saw the barest of light escaping from under Tyrian’s bedroom door and knew he was in there.

As she took a deep, shaky breath, she coached herself. She could do this. She was a Bellum. Strong willed, independent, unafraid of challenges. With that in mind, she turned the doorknob to his room; it didn’t budge. Gritting her teeth, she banged her fist on the door and didn’t stop until she heard footsteps coming.

When the door swung open, Chloe forgot what she was about to say. Tyrian stood there naked, angry, and dripping wet with only a tiny towel wrapped around his lean, hard hips. Chloe licked her lips. She would give up her house in Colorado for the chance to lick all that water up.

His hair was loose and splattered across his scarred cheek and shoulders in a way that her fingers twitched to touch.

“What?” There was no ice in his tone, just anger. Was this progress?

“What do you mean what? Are you honestly surprised I came?” His eyes actually rolled and then he spun away, leaving the door wide open. Doing a mental fist-pump, Chloe let herself inside, closing the door behind her. Tyrian entered the bathroom and she heard him getting back into the shower.

Again, that nervous feeling fluttered inside her like a butterfly trying to get out. She lifted her chin, pulled her shoulders back, and followed him. The shower had a glass door instead of a curtain, which made it the greatest shower on earth for her to watch him. He was magnificent.

Built hard and strong while carrying the marks of battle across his body. He ducked his head under the showerhead and she caught a glimpse of the crow brand across his shoulders. She wanted to trace it with her fingertips, learn its feel.

“Are you going to stand there and watch me or tell me what you came here for?” Chloe smiled, realizing that he was angry. This was progress. It was getting harder for him to control himself around her and keep the icy wall up. Good.

“I’d prefer to do both if you don’t mind.”

His dark eyes cut her a hard look. “Well, I do. Get on with it, Chloe.” The way he said her name still managed to make her shiver.

“I want you to be my Protector in the real way.” His hand slammed into the shower wall and she jumped at the loud bang it made.

Shaking his head he said, “Why ever would you want that? Be realistic, Chloe. I’m a commander, a warlord. I’m not husband material. I won’t rub your feet when they hurt. I don’t want children. I don’t want you.” His words cut hard and deep. Deeper than they probably should have. She heard the utter conviction in his voice and it nearly sent her running from the room.

“You’re wrong. You’ve been those things before and I think you have even more in you now. The pain from you past hasn’t crippled you, though you act as if it has. It’s made you stronger, made you realize how precious life is. If you’d stop looking at things in such a bitter light, you might just learn something, Ty.” He shut the water off and stalked to her, backing her into the door, dripping water over her dress and stocking-clad legs. It completely turned her on.

“You know nothing. You are young and naive as I once was. Life is death and pain.”

Chloe glared at him. “It’s only like that for you because you’ve let it be like that. I am so, so sorry for what happened to your family. I truly am, but it was such a long time ago. I mean do you still love her?”

He drew back as if she’d slapped him. A look flashed across his face. Guilt? Shame?

“No, I never loved Maria like that. It wasn’t the way of things then. I was a vampire of means, being the general of the Atal Warriors made me a status symbol. My marriage was arranged by my father.”

Chloe digested that. She faltered, unsure what to say. He sneered at her, his lips curling downward.

“I couldn’t protect her or my son. Now you wish to take the seat next to me. So then when it happens again, I’ll be left alone to—” he shook his head and left the room. He threw open drawers and started pulling clothes out with violent movements.