“You should really be resting. You’re a test on my self-control. Wet, gorgeous and so damned sexy I can barely breathe.”

“Why self-control? Am I asking for that?”

He turned and backed her against the wall. “You were gravely injured just a day ago. Sex is the last thing you need, Grace.”

“Sex is exactly what I need. I need you inside me, filling me up and making the fear go away.”

He frowned at her. “Why are you afraid? God, honey, you know I’d die to protect you. I know I didn’t and you almost died.” He shoved a hand through his hair and stepped out of the shower, turning off the water and drying off.

She stood there, trembling but not leaving the enclosure.

“Let me dry you off. Let me do something for you.”

“Am I just so bad at this whole thing?” Her voice was so small, it tore at him and he picked her up and began to dry her himself but the trembling didn’t stop.

“Bad at what? Are you all right? You’re shaking and really beginning to worry me.”

“This!” She angrily waved her hand between them.

“What are you talking about?” He turned and found a pajama shirt. Once he’d pulled it over her head, he ushered her into the room and yanked the blankets back. “Get in there before you turn blue.”

“I’m not cold!” She actually stomped her foot and he felt her through the link. Fear.

“Do you want to leave? To go somewhere safer where you’re protected better? Don’t you think I don’t obsess about what happened yesterday a million times a day?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Why do I feel like you and I are on a hidden cell phone talking to other people having totally different conversations? Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it. If you hate me, if I make you unhappy, just tell me.” He fell to his knees.

“You’re the one who can’t bear to be alone with me for three minutes. You say you’ll be back in an hour and it’s four. You tiptoe through our bedroom and take a shower but when I show up you can’t get out fast enough.”

“That’s bullshit! And unfair. I’m trying to keep my people alive, I’m sorry if I can’t be with you every minute of the day. I truly am because I’d love to be and I’m not being sarcastic. I’m trying to take care of you and a million other people all at once. It’s a lot to have on your shoulders.”

“Well I do apologize for being a burden on you. God knows I’m quite aware I’m yet another thing on your to do list. I can’t be all bitchy like Nina or a warrior like Tegan. I’m sure I’m a disappointment to you. Do you imagine Nina’s face when you f**k me?”

He froze, her pain sliced through his anger. His anguish. Their exhaustion and worry for the other. Her fear was for him, not of him or for herself.

He surged up and pushed her back to the bed. One-handed he ripped the front of the pajama top open and exposed her skin to his. “That’s beneath you. And you know it.” He kissed a hot line down the tendon at the side of her neck and she arched into him, pulling him closer with legs she wrapped around his waist. “You’re all I think of. If you’re safe. If you’re happy. If you’re well. I just want you. Always you. Only you.”

“Then for heaven’s sake f**k me.”

On a strangled laugh, he guided his c**k to her gate, groaning when he found her hot and slick-wet. One flex of his hips and he was inside. She writhed against him, cunt tightening around his c**k as she made soft, needy sounds.

“You’re not a burden to me. You complete me, damn you.” He rolled, bringing her atop him.

She planted her hands on his ribs and rose and fell over him. “Then stop acting like it. I’m not going to break. I’m your partner not your ward. When I grab your package in the shower it’s not for pity, it’s because I want you. If I was too weak for sex, I wouldn’t be riding you like a pony right now, would I?” She paused, panting as she increased her speed, grinding herself into him on her downstrokes. “And if you blame yourself for what happened yesterday once more I’m going to twist your balls right off.”

He winced. “You’re a mean little thing. And good lord your pu**y is tight. You’re my woman to protect. Of course I—um, worry about what happened yesterday. Don’t blame myself of course!” he added quickly and she laughed.

“Werewolf males have an annoying tendency to think they can control everything in the world when they can’t. Warren has money, he used it to betray me, betray you, betray his people. That’s who he is. This subject is making me squicky so stop it now and make with the sexin’.”

“Always. But one last thing, you’re not a disappointment to me. Not ever. I’m so amazed by you. Awed. Proud. Thankful. You’re more than I ever imagined my wife would be.” He ran his hands over all of her he could touch, marveling in her very presence.

“If you die, I will be so pissed off.” She leaned down and captured his mouth with hers.

Sliding his hands down her back, he cupped her ass, holding her open and reaching around his c**k to find her clit and circle it as he thrust up into her.

“I said I was going to wait until you’d recovered more but I can’t resist you when you’re being all quizzical. Now come for me,” he murmured.

She gave him that squeak he loved so much and her cunt rippled around his c**k as she came. What he hadn’t quite expected was to feel her teeth sinking into his chest just above his nipple.