She climbed into his lap and impaled herself on his cock, sighing with relief to feel that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
“This is so good,” she whispered.
He captured her lips with his. He grabbed her hips and as he fucked her with his cock, his tongue did the same to her mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him.
This time, she didn’t need his tongue or his finger or anything else but his cock sweetly fucking her to orgasm. It started slow, deep inside her, gentle waves that quickly swelled, crashing, breaking over her as she felt her body milking his member and triggering his orgasm.
She cried out, muffled by his lips on hers as his hips rocked against her harder, faster until one last climax left her spent and shivering in his arms.
They collapsed to the bed. She curled against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.
“You’re an amazing woman, Anastazia,” he said, kissing her. “I am a very blessed man.”
In his arms she felt safe, protected. Loved. Even his scent felt imprinted on her heart, and the taste of him…
“Why didn’t you bite me that time?”
He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” She turned to look at him. “Uh, pain’s the last thing I thought of when you did that to me at the house.”
He smiled and kissed her. “It’s something special. We don’t need to do it every time to know we love each other.”
Then she caught a whiff of his thought. “Really?”
Matthias hesitated before nodding.
“I’m only the second person?”
He nodded.
She sat up to look at him. “Ever? You’re shitting me.”
“Why would I lie about that?”
“I mean, I just—”
“Rafe and I have fed each other, obviously, to save the other. But you are only the second woman I’ve ever tasted.”
She searched his eyes. “I’m the first to taste you?”
He nodded again as an ancient ache filled his face. “My wife wasn’t of the line. I…on our wedding night, before I knew what I was, it was…instinctive. I didn’t hurt her, thank God, but obviously she didn’t have the same need I did.”
Taz touched his cheek. He nuzzled her palm. “Matthias, really? I’m the first woman you’ve ever let do that?”
He nodded. “I waited until I found my true love, cara,” he murmured, deeply inhaling the scent of her hair. “I would have waited hundreds of years more if I had to. I belong only to you. You are the only woman on this planet who holds my blood in her veins.”
Something in his words thrilled and frightened her. He wasn’t bullshitting her. The fact that he loved and trusted her so much scared her. With that thought in mind, she snuggled into his arms again and closed her eyes.
Taz awoke before Matthias the next morning. As she watched him sleep, she resisted the urge to probe his thoughts. Now that it was a two-way street she understood what he’d meant about the connection between them.
How powerful am I?
She remembered the times in school she’d pulled quiz answers from nowhere. Not lucky guesses, she figured. She recalled watching her mother during interviews, how she played reporters, toyed with them, had them eating out of her palm.
Her father, too. He was a playboy and could snag any woman. How many times had he talked his way out of trouble with her mother? Sweet-talked her into forgiving him, both knowing it was just a matter of time before he strayed or drank again?
“Did he drink to escape the demons within him?”
“Yes,” Matthias said, startling her.
She glared at him. “I didn’t do that to you.”
“I’m sorry.” He took her hand and kissed it. “All I heard was that last part. You were rather intense. You think loudly, dear.”
“Oh,” she said, mollified.
“He most likely drank to escape what he thought was mental illness. He could focus on his driving. When he had downtime, he needed something to quiet what was inside. That’s why Tim took such great care to raise you the way he did, with self-control and restraint. Kept you busy with your studies and outside activities, taught you constructive ways to focus.”
“I miss them.”
He hugged her to him. “I know you do. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring them home to you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“What now?” she asked him. The others remained in the parking lot while Matthias and Taz walked across the bridge over the Firehole River as the cool morning breeze competed with warm mist blowing off the basin.
They were in Midway Geyser Basin, heading toward Grand Prismatic Spring. Taz was a little unnerved to read in the guidebook how easily someone could fall into the hot water and die because of the temperature. According to the guidebook, people and animals had jumped in to swim and literally been boiled to death.
Most of the boardwalks had no guardrails.
“We have a meeting tomorrow,” he said.
“Scientists?”
He shook his head. “Guests. People you need to meet.”
She didn’t want to guess.
“I wish I could give you more time to practice, but we don’t have it.” They sat at the far western side of the basin on a short boardwalk extension that kept them out of the main traffic. They pretended they were looking out over the large spring. Most people took pictures and moved on, affording them relative privacy.
“What are we doing here?” she asked him.
“I want you to focus on blocking me from your mind.”
“Why?”
“No one you will meet tomorrow is stronger than me. None of them are older.”
“You don’t trust them?”
“I didn’t say that. I don’t want anyone knowing our business. It’s best you learn to block them without exhausting yourself.”
“You think they’ll try to read my thoughts?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps. Eventually you’ll be able to selectively block others. Allow only those you want to have access. For example, I can block others and still allow you in.”
“How do I do it?”
“You had the right idea the other day, of creating a bubble. I want you to fine-tune it so you don’t wear yourself out. I can read you without effort because of our relationship. Otherwise I would have to probe—” He stopped as she giggled. He playfully patted her leg. “Yes, I get the pun.”
“Sorry.”
“As I was saying, I would have to actively probe your mind. If you pay attention, you can feel someone trying to do that to you.”
“So I can’t broadcast my thoughts to them like I can you?”
“Not yet, at least. It would take great effort you can’t afford to expend right now. Think of these skills as mental muscles you have to develop to effectively use without wearing yourself out.”
“Hit me.”
He closed his eyes. A wall went up in his mind, shutting her out. She felt a pang as she realized the connection was gone. She missed it.
I took it for granted.
“Don’t close your eyes,” he said. “Just look around. You need to be able to feel this during distractions.”
Taz did as he said, and then she felt it. A slight tugging at the edge of her conscious. It was like small finger probing, looking for entry.
“Do you feel it?”
“Yes.” It was odd not having him naturally inside her head now that she was used to it.
He stopped, and she felt him withdraw. He opened his eyes.
“Were you in?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to get in.”
Something with the power akin to a fist slammed into her mind. He reached out to steady her. Now she knew why they were sitting. If she’d been standing, she would have fallen off the boardwalk.