“Baby, I hear you loud and clear. More than anything I want your mouth on me, letting me know how you feel. You can’t know how much that means to me, but even more than that, I want to take care of you. You’re exhausted. You need rest. I’ll settle for kisses this evening. And then I’m going to feed you and massage you. The leopards are going to want out again soon and you’ll need stamina. When they get erotic, so do we. Our emotions are tied together.”

Before she could say anything he took her mouth with every bit of gentle and tender he had in him. It wasn’t much, but all of it was hers. He poured love into her mouth, hoping she could hear him. He was talking to her just as she’d been talking to him. He lifted his head and saw that tears swam in her eyes. Yeah. She heard him.

“Do you need me to help you get into the bathroom?” he asked softly.

She shook her head. One finger came up to trace his jaw. Then his lips. Her touch was light, barely there, but he felt it like a brand in his bones. He opened his mouth and drew her finger deep. Her eyes went wide, then sexy.

“Baby” – he laved her finger with his tongue and then released her – “I asked you a question. I thought we’d established I like answers.”

She smiled again. Her smile could move mountains. “That’s not fair, you distracted me, probably on purpose so you could use that bossy tone.”

“You like my bossy tone.”

“True. But it makes me all hot and bothered, and you made it clear we’re not going there right now, so you can’t use that tone.”

His smile widened until he felt it in his gut. She did that. Brought sunshine into his life, even there in the night. He brushed a kiss over her mouth just because he couldn’t resist.

“My bossy tone makes you all hot and bothered?”

“You know it does.”

Yeah. He knew. “You’re wet for me right now, aren’t you? Hot and slick and dripping honey.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Probably.”

That was a clear challenge. She wasn’t going to tell him. She was teasing him. Teasing him. He liked it too. His palm shaped her breast, his thumb sliding over her nipple. He felt the answering shiver in her body and her eyes went violet. His hand kept going, down her rib cage to her waist. His finger dipped into her belly button and then circled it before sliding down to the soft nest of curls. The shiver grew into a tremor. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.

He liked this too. Playing gentle. It felt a lot like love. He sank two fingers into her. She was hot. She was slick. And there was plenty of spice calling to him. His woman was as perfect as she could get. She squirmed beneath him, her breath catching. He grinned at her.

“You are. Nice and hot too. It’s a damn good thing I’m a strong man.” Deliberately he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked her right off, making a show of it. “You taste so fucking good, Kitten, I could spend a lifetime eating you up.”

That got him a full body shiver. He rolled off her before it was too late. Teasing was one thing, but he wasn’t testing his discipline, not when it came to her. “Take care of the bathroom, Cat, and come on out to the kitchen. I’ll make us a sandwich.”

“Coffee,” she murmured, not moving when he got up.

He stood over her just looking down at her. So much love. The intensity was overwhelming. She hadn’t moved. She lay on her back, looking at him, her hair spilling around her like a halo, her body bruised and battered but looking sexier than ever. He had to admit, there was a primitive, savage part of him that liked seeing his mark on her.

She lifted a hand, brushed his cock with languid fingers. “I like this part of you very much, Eli. You really are a beautiful man.”

Her touch sent a shiver through his body. “Glad you think so, baby,” he said. “Since it belongs to you.” He should have moved, but something held him there. He’d never had this – quiet intimacy. Both knew she was in no condition for sex – especially his kind of sex – and this felt loving. Right. He loved that she was his.

“I do think so. All of you. Every inch. And I’m glad every inch of you belongs to me.”

Her voice was soft. A thread of sound really, but it made its way inside of him. Her eyes met his. Her fingers still moved against him, stroking his shaft with gentle, loving caresses. “Just me, Eli. Right? That’s what you mean. I know I don’t know what I’m doing yet, but I’m a fast learner.”

She took his breath away. She gave herself to him. Admitted, in her way, that she loved him, but she still wasn’t sure of him. She still wasn’t sure of herself. Damn Cordeau for making her think she was nothing.

“Just you, Catarina. How could I possibly want another woman after having you? It would be impossible. Now get moving and stop trying to tempt me. I’m taking care of you, remember?”

She leaned into him and licked up his shaft like a cat licking cream. Her tongue teased and danced under the sensitive crown. Fire shot through his body. There was nothing gentle about his body’s reaction as her mouth slid over him like a tight glove. She suckled, her tongue dancing. A low moan escaped, vibrating right through his cock. Then she was gone, her blue eyes dancing with mischief.

“Just making certain you heard me right,” she said.

“That earned you a spanking.”

She laughed. “I’m so scared.” She didn’t sound in the least bit scared.