She lay as he'd left her. Waiting for him.
“I love you.” Her hazel eyes were large, the loving expression in them pure, devoted. “I love you, mate.”
He knelt over her again, a knee on either side of her hips. And as he placed his hands over her throat, as he'd done before, another image replaced this one. One of the magnificent woman on her knees, of her generous smile as she made love with him. Her joy as he took her in every way.
The berserker leaned closer and nuzzled her ear, taken with the scent of them both. His and hers, together. He lessened his hold around her neck and released her, planting kisses in place of his fingerprints. She made him so hard. He wanted her right now, under him. The shirt she wore rode high on her hips, and he scooted back to glance down at her pretty little pussy.
“Mine,” he said again, his voice thick but not as deep. The need for her submission faded, replaced with the need for her pleasure, and he slowly decreased in size, his berserker sinking back inside him, at peace. His beast wanted to protect, to satisfy her wants. But the man wanted to feel her under him, surrounding him, as he made love with his mate once more.
Gunnar felt himself change back into a man's form but couldn't concentrate on anything but Ava. He didn't give her a chance to protest. He shrugged out of his tattered clothes, lifted her to him, and pushed through her wet folds deep into her pussy.
“God, I love you,” he sighed as he kissed his mate.
Their loving was passionate, hurried, and thorough. He thrust hard and fast, grinding against Ava's clit until she clenched him tight, coming hard around him.
She squeezed him into an all-consuming orgasm, making him tremble as she milked him of his seed.
He finally felt normal again when he heard Jules groan.
Shocked, Gunnar stared into his mate's sated expression. He hurriedly withdrew and carried her out of the gym and back to her bedroom. Though he heard the others near, they didn't pass anyone along the way, for which he was profoundly grateful. Once back in her bedroom, Tersch let out a loud breath.
“I was worried for you,” Ava said in a thick voice. Her eyes shimmered with happy tears. “But I knew you would protect me. You, your beast, your berserker. You really do love me, don't you?”
He hugged her close. “More than life itself, baby. You have no idea.” They sat for a few minutes on her bed, closer than they'd ever been.
Then Ava stirred. “Much as I hate to cut this short, I think you need to dress and rejoin the others. Jules and Lonnie thought you were going to kill me. We wouldn't want to give them the wrong impression.” Tersch chuckled and stood. “I'll get dressed if you will. Because if Keegan sees you wearing that shirt and nothing else again, I'll rip his eyes out.”
“You're so hot when you're threatening.” She sighed. “Have I told you how much I love your growl?”
He snorted. “Save the love talk for later.”
“Might as well. After all, you owe me a few orgasms, at the least, for believing in you.”
Knowing her strengths, how fast she could truly move, Gunnar knew she could have prevented that scene in the gym when he'd been choking her. Instead, she'd lain under him, her faith complete.
“We really are made for each other, aren't we?” He smiled as she dressed.
“I've been telling you that for months. Game, set, match, honey. I told you we'd be mates some day. I win.”
“No, we both win.” He hurried to her side to kiss her once more. “Now promise you won't tell anyone we did it in the gym. A guy's gotta have standards, and sex where you work out is just wrong. No matter how hot your woman is.” Not to mention how much shit he'd given Morgan and Hayashi when they'd done it on those same mats months ago.
“Flatterer.” She batted his groping hands away. “Now get out of here so we can pretend you didn't just ravish me on the floor in front of an unconscious Lonnie and Jules. And Anderson was in there too. Ew.”
He saluted and left, careful to pass no one on his way to his room. But once there, he had to stop and wonder. Could his life possibly get any better?
Could his life possibly get any worse? Nearly a week after “The Incident,” and the guys wouldn't stop ragging him for fucking in the gym. It wasn't so much that he'd done Ava on the floor, but that he'd taken her with Admiral London present, a guy most of them thought of as a surrogate father.
“Considering all the shit you gave me, you can't possibly think you're not going to hear about this for years to come?” Morgan murmured as they stood on the back patio barbecuing their dinner.
“Morgan, he was fucking passed out. He and Jules were oblivious.”
“Ah, hate to burst your bubble,” Jules said. “But I caught an eyeful. You were pretty intense, huh, big guy?”
“Shut it,” he growled, then smiled as Ava, Sheridan, and Olivia passed by with trays of drinks. “At least my mate knows I believe in women's rights.” Jules frowned when Sheridan glared at him over her shoulder.
Hayashi snorted. “That's just because she can kick your ass as easily as you can kick Fallon's.”
Fallon turned from ogling his wife's ass. “Hey. Get off me. You know, you used to be a lot nicer before you mated Morgan. He's a bad influence.” Morgan grinned.
Ava joined them. Gunnar's misery grew in leaps and bounds. Dammit, he needed more time to do this right. The fucking ring in his pocket was giving him hives, but Alicia had helped him pick it out. With glee, I might add.
“Everyone, please have a seat.” Mrs. Sharpe nodded to the large table and chairs.
Admiral London manned the grill while the rest of them took their seats.
Gunnar grabbed Ava's hand in his and refused to let go.
She glanced at their hands and mouthed, I win. The smug smile she gave him made him hard.
“There are a few things I'd like to clear up before we enjoy this fine meal, courtesy of my Lonnie.”
The older man flushed and glared when Tersch snickered. “Keep it up, Gunnar. Your days are already numbered. That one,” he said pointing at Ava, “is a chip off her block.” He pointed at Alicia.
“Poor bastard,” Jules muttered.
“I heard that, Jules.” Alicia frowned at him, then smiled. “Grayson is doing well. He plans to visit next week. He heard from Jack. It's been confirmed Robert Anderson killed Melissa. Jack did his part by freeing Grayson, and he's now the admiral's problem.”
“Bastard refuses to come back in.” London frowned. “But I'll deal with him on my own. This team has done more than its part with all this. I can't thank you enough.”
“You could give us a raise,” Tersch muttered, considering the rock he'd forked an arm and a leg over for.
Ava raised a brow at him, and he quieted.
“As I was saying,” Alicia continued. “Anderson is now in federal custody, in the hands of a special task force assigned to deal with such individuals. He's also volunteered to test more of those harmful drugs that hurt so many of our psychics.” Tersch eyed Alicia with appreciation. A fitting end to Anderson. Those drugs had a bad habit of killing psychics. And the latest batch had stripped several psychics' powers altogether.
“We've found another cache of rogue Circs. You'll be dealing with them in another month or so, after a well-deserved, all-expense-paid vacation to a tropical island we've arranged.”
“Not that's what I call good news,” Olivia said with a laugh. She sat in Fallon's lap, her mate's hand over her belly.
“Now, for the truth you've all been so interested in knowing.” Everyone grew silent, the sizzle of steaks and a few chirping birds the only sounds to be heard.