spectacular you were in size and abundance from the most revolting, inhumane woman I’ve ever met?”
Mercury was at a loss for words against her assault. That’s just the way he was, it was always accepted, that’s how unmated Guardians acted.
“Oh well,” Dani continued, sarcasm dripping from her words, “at least she was legal, cuz I’m sure you had your fair share of underage bait in that club.”
Instant anger took over Mercury and he moved so his face was inches from hers. Dani clamped her mouth closed and swallowed hard, but didn’t back down from him.
“ None ,” he bit out from clenched teeth, “of those women were underage. All of them were over twenty-one. All of them were willing.”
“Willing, but forgettable? Do you even remember Janice? The skank who sucked you dry and took it all back to Sigma?”
Mercury winced at her words and backed off slightly. He regretted his outburst. Not what he said, he couldn’t let that go untold. Her scent calmed him, snaking in like a summer breeze, soothing his temper. Odd, since she was the one that utterly pissed him off in the first place.
“No. Just from what you said, her timing was one of the last times I blew off steam at the club.”
“Well don’t let me keep you from ‘blowing off steam.’” She gave the last phrase air quotes. “I’m sure you can’t go without sex for long and I’m not offering.”
“I haven’t had sex.”
Hands on her hips, she gave him a “you’re shitting me” look.
“I’m a virgin,” he repeated.
Dani snorted. It was the most unfeminine thing she could do and it made her entirely irresistible. He couldn’t help but love watching the expressions float across her strong, but delicate features. Even though most of those expressions had been negative and directed at him.
This time he made air quotes. “‘Suck me dry’ is all I would let them do. The less touching the better. I just needed to get off and I’m sorry if a warm mouth is better than my right hand, but I did that for the first century. And almost half of the next. It’s lonely.”
He was breathing heavily, not believing he was confessing these details to a woman he just met, especially his mate. He should have known a human mate would have trouble understanding shifters’ basest urges. And he should have known the mate he never thought was out there for him, might have known about the extra drives and stresses that Guardians face and had heard stories. Fuck, even met some of the participants in those stories. What he didn’t expect was the raging jealousy and anxiety coming off Dani in waves. Was this really all about him and his supposedly sordid past?
She’d gone quiet, but was still pinning him with a hard look.
“Truth be told,” he continued in a quieter tone, “it was just as lonely and I’ve been trying to cope other ways. Just know, there is no one truer than a bonded Guardian.”
The hard look had been softening until the last sentence. And it was back.
“Well, we’re not bonded.”
“Not yet.”
Dani had the audacity to roll her eyes, but let the topic of conversation drop. The only emotion he could sense from her was extreme fatigue.
“You need to rest. The kitchen is to the left. We’ll stock it tomorrow, but there’s water. The bed’s in that room.” Mercury pointed to the right. “You can use anything of mine you need. The gun safe and ammo bin only open for me, so don’t bother trying. I’ll get my roll and sleep on the porch.”
Too tired to argue anymore, Dani nodded numbly and headed toward his room. He followed because he had to get his bedroll off the floor and he wasn’t missing another opportunity to see her tightly-clad bottom. But mostly, he felt driven to see her in his room, surrounded by his things, his scent thoroughly surrounding her. He found he could barely wait to see her in the morning after her shower, when the stink of the Agent she killed was off her and he could fill his lungs
Mercury was at a loss for words against her assault. That’s just the way he was, it was always accepted, that’s how unmated Guardians acted.
“Oh well,” Dani continued, sarcasm dripping from her words, “at least she was legal, cuz I’m sure you had your fair share of underage bait in that club.”
Instant anger took over Mercury and he moved so his face was inches from hers. Dani clamped her mouth closed and swallowed hard, but didn’t back down from him.
“ None ,” he bit out from clenched teeth, “of those women were underage. All of them were over twenty-one. All of them were willing.”
“Willing, but forgettable? Do you even remember Janice? The skank who sucked you dry and took it all back to Sigma?”
Mercury winced at her words and backed off slightly. He regretted his outburst. Not what he said, he couldn’t let that go untold. Her scent calmed him, snaking in like a summer breeze, soothing his temper. Odd, since she was the one that utterly pissed him off in the first place.
“No. Just from what you said, her timing was one of the last times I blew off steam at the club.”
“Well don’t let me keep you from ‘blowing off steam.’” She gave the last phrase air quotes. “I’m sure you can’t go without sex for long and I’m not offering.”
“I haven’t had sex.”
Hands on her hips, she gave him a “you’re shitting me” look.
“I’m a virgin,” he repeated.
Dani snorted. It was the most unfeminine thing she could do and it made her entirely irresistible. He couldn’t help but love watching the expressions float across her strong, but delicate features. Even though most of those expressions had been negative and directed at him.
This time he made air quotes. “‘Suck me dry’ is all I would let them do. The less touching the better. I just needed to get off and I’m sorry if a warm mouth is better than my right hand, but I did that for the first century. And almost half of the next. It’s lonely.”
He was breathing heavily, not believing he was confessing these details to a woman he just met, especially his mate. He should have known a human mate would have trouble understanding shifters’ basest urges. And he should have known the mate he never thought was out there for him, might have known about the extra drives and stresses that Guardians face and had heard stories. Fuck, even met some of the participants in those stories. What he didn’t expect was the raging jealousy and anxiety coming off Dani in waves. Was this really all about him and his supposedly sordid past?
She’d gone quiet, but was still pinning him with a hard look.
“Truth be told,” he continued in a quieter tone, “it was just as lonely and I’ve been trying to cope other ways. Just know, there is no one truer than a bonded Guardian.”
The hard look had been softening until the last sentence. And it was back.
“Well, we’re not bonded.”
“Not yet.”
Dani had the audacity to roll her eyes, but let the topic of conversation drop. The only emotion he could sense from her was extreme fatigue.
“You need to rest. The kitchen is to the left. We’ll stock it tomorrow, but there’s water. The bed’s in that room.” Mercury pointed to the right. “You can use anything of mine you need. The gun safe and ammo bin only open for me, so don’t bother trying. I’ll get my roll and sleep on the porch.”
Too tired to argue anymore, Dani nodded numbly and headed toward his room. He followed because he had to get his bedroll off the floor and he wasn’t missing another opportunity to see her tightly-clad bottom. But mostly, he felt driven to see her in his room, surrounded by his things, his scent thoroughly surrounding her. He found he could barely wait to see her in the morning after her shower, when the stink of the Agent she killed was off her and he could fill his lungs
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