“Really?”
“Really. It was that surge of fierce adrenaline and protectiveness that allowed my family to hold off the Oksanans when they attacked Andaria.” Sinking his hand in her soft hair that fascinated him, he stared into her eyes so that she could see his sincerity. “I am yours alone, mia. You own a part of me no other will ever have. And this” – he pointed to his eyes–“is only for you.” He glanced over to Darice and sighed. “And now he knows it, too. I can’t hide this. Not that I want to.”
Her hand trembling, she picked up a piece of meat and carefully fed it to him. “I love you, Dancer.”
He nipped at her fingers. “And I, you.”
Sumi felt terrible for having done this to him. She’d single-handedly ruined his life. That was what Kyr sent you to do.
That thought really didn’t help her mood any. How simple it’d seemed when Kyr had first assigned this mission to her. Now…
How could she hurt someone who meant so much to her?
Her heart aching, she brushed the hair back from his face. “Did you get a message out to your friends?”
He winced as he tried to chew his food. “I sent one. I hope it got through. Won’t know for another day or so.”
Sumi dropped her gaze to his ribs, which were still bleeding terribly. Neither Thia nor Darice knew what to do for him. And she hated feeling useless. “Bastien said that he couldn’t get anything from them about who hired them. Only that you really pissed them off by killing so many of their brethren.”
“Told you my list of enemies was infinite.”
“You’re not funny.”
He wrinkled his nose playfully at her. “I’m a little funny.”
She growled at him.
Thia came up to them with Dancer’s sleeping bag and an inflatable pillow. “We’ve all agreed, Uncle Hauk, if you try to leave, we’re siccing Darice on you.”
He gaped at her. “Why do you hate me so much?”
Laughing, Thia squeezed Sumi’s shoulder before she returned to the fire.
While he finished eating, Sumi carefully laid the sleeping bag out and inflated his pillow. Then she helped him into it.
No longer caring what Darice thought, Hauk opened his arms for Sumi to join him. She accepted without complaint by curling up at his side, taking care not to hurt him. Closing his eyes, he savored the feeling of having her with him. Of knowing she was safe.
Sumi listened to his ragged breathing in her ear. “Are you all right?”
“No,” he said between clenched teeth. “I’m in hell. Complete and utter.”
Worried, she turned to look at him over her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
He ran his finger down her cheek. “I’ve had the shit kicked out of me and I’m so horny that I swear I’m about burst into flames from it. And because of one I can do nothing about the other.”
Sumi snorted at his dire, angst-ridden tone. “You can’t be serious.” But she knew from the size of the bulge against her hip that he was.
“What color are my eyes?” Groaning, he put his arm over his face. “I never knew this sucked so much.”
“What? Loving me?”
“Yes.”
“I think I’m offended.”
He nuzzled his face against her hair. “Better to be mentally offended than in physical agony.”
“Is it really that bad?”
He lifted his arm to pin her with an irritated smirk.
Pouting at him, she laughed. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
“You should be. You’re killing me.”
She tsked at him. “Is there anything I can do?”
His answer was drier than the desert around them. “Geld me.”
“Really? That’s what you want?”
“No… maybe. Ah, hell, just stun me unconscious until the others get here.”
She laughed at his playful misery. “You’re such a baby.”
“I defy you to feel like this and not whine. All in all, I’m being pretty damn fierce.”
She lay back down and glanced over to see where everyone else was. Darice had already gone to sleep. With their backs to her and Dancer, Bastien and Thia were on the other side of the fire, talking to each other.
Making sure they were completely out of everyone’s line of sight, she opened his pants underneath the blanket.
He peeked out from under his arm. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to help you,” she whispered. “Shh!”
Hauk had to bite his lip to keep from crying out as she brushed her hand against his cock. And as she worked her magic on his body, the pleasure of her soothing touch overrode the pain, until the only thing he could feel was the pressure of her hand as she gently stroked him. He thought that was amazing until she slid down inside his sleeping bag and took him into her mouth.
Unimaginable tremors of pleasure racked him. His heart raced as he arched his back and shook all over. Oh dear gods… How could anything feel this good?
Beat me any time if this is my reward.
He gently buried his hand in her hair as she teased and licked him until he thought he’d die from ecstasy. And when he came a few seconds later, the love he felt for her completely overwhelmed him.
In that moment, he knew she owned him in a way no one ever would. For her alone, he’d do anything… kill anyone she asked him to.
Sumi didn’t pull back until the last tremor he felt settled down into the most tranquil bliss he’d ever known. She slowly slid up his body until her head was even to his. He locked gazes with her as he ran his fingers through her pale hair to smooth it down. Her lips were shiny and swollen, her eyes dark and filled with a tenderness that stole his breath.
Laying his hand against her cheek, he traced her amazing lips with his thumb.
She frowned at him. “Your eyes are still red. I thought that would make them normal again.”
He slid his finger along her brow line, delighting in the softness of her skin and the fire in her eyes as she stared at him. “Because you own me the way you do, they may never be white again.” She had changed him completely.
Scowling, she reached for his water to take a drink. “I don’t understand.”
He bent his arm under his head as he tried to explain it. “It’s not tied to sexual desire, Sumi. It’s tied to my love for you. My need to protect you from all harm.”
She took another drink then offered the bottle to him. “Will they really remain this way?”
“I honestly don’t know. Keris’s would come and go, depending on his drug use and emotions. He’s the only Andarion I’ve ever known who had the condition. But I have heard that in extremely rare cases, it becomes permanent.” He took a sip then asked the one thing that hung heaviest on his mind. “Do they repulse you?”
“Dancer,” she chided. “Nothing about you repulses me. I simply adore you and I think your eyes are absolutely beautiful. Red or white, makes no never mind to me. I could stare into them forever.”
He tightened his arms around her before he nuzzled her neck. “Do I need to help you now?”
It took her a moment to realize what he meant. Afraid of offending him, she suppressed her smile. “No, sweetie. While I would love to climb on top of you for the rest of the night, I know you’re hurt and I don’t want to do anything to worsen your injuries. Being held by you, right now, is more than enough.”