Page 164 of Beasts of Mine

“I know.” Luca replied as his thumb moved once over my side. “That’s why I’m trying not to decide it for you.” I stayed quiet when his face told me he hadn’t finished.

“I could keep clearing shelves and fixing things every time I notice something you might need.” Luca continued as he glanced toward the doorway leading back to the worktable. “And I probably would, if I didn’t stop myself.”

“You already cleaned out a shelf.” I reminded Luca softly, letting humor back into my voice when the conversation started becoming heavier.

“One shelf.” Luca replied as his smile returned. “I showed remarkable restraint.” I laughed, and some of the tension left his shoulders with the sound.

“You did all that because you thought I might spend more time here eventually?” I asked Luca as I traced one finger absently along the front of his shirt.

“Maybe.” Luca answered, lifting one shoulder carefully beneath me. “Maybe longer eventually. Maybe not. You travel. You work. You have a life outside this forest.”

“And you’re okay with that?” I asked Luca, watching his face for any hesitation.

“I’m figuring out how it fits.” Luca replied as he brushed a loose strand of hair away from my cheek. “I’m not asking you to stop doing it.”

For once, I didn’t feel the need to immediately defend my work or explain why I wouldn’t give it up. Luca had already started from the assumption that I wouldn’t. He hadn’t asked how much I planned to travel less or whether I could do something easier from the station. He had asked about batteries, storage, backups, and what I needed to keep doing the job exactly as I already did it.

I slid my hand against the side of his neck.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked Luca, resting my thumb beneath his jaw.

“Yes.” Luca answered softly, his purr strengthening beneath my palm before I closed the distance.

I kissed him slowly. Luca met me without hurrying, one hand settling around my waist while the other slid behind my head, his fingers working into my hair as his mouth moved against mine. When I leaned closer, he followed, and sandalwood and fresh herbs grew stronger beneath the mixed scents already surrounding the bed.

His mouth left mine and followed the line of my jaw. I tipped my head, and Luca kissed beneath my ear before rubbing his cheek lightly over my gland, leaving more of his scent there.

My breathing changed when his lips returned to the sensitive spot. Luca noticed, but instead of saying anything about it, he kissed me again while his hand slipped beneath the hem of my shirt and spread over my bare waist.

I shifted closer and let my leg slide between his, pressing my thigh against him while our mouths met again. Luca drew in a sharper breath, and the hard line of him through his pants pressed against my leg.

“More.” I whispered to Luca as I curled my fingers into the front of his shirt and tugged him closer. Luca caught the hem of mine and waited until I lifted my arms before pulling it over my head. His own shirt followed a moment later, leaving warm skin beneath my hands when I ran them over his shoulders and chest. He touched me more slowly, one palm following the curve of my waist before cupping my breast, his thumb brushing over my nipple until the firmer pressure made my back lift from the mattress.

“There.” Luca murmured as he watched the reaction, repeating the touch. “You like that.” I tightened my fingers in his hair when his mouth replaced his hand. Luca’s purr vibrated against my skin while his tongue moved over the sensitive peak, his other palm traveling down my side and along the inside of my thigh until my body had already started anticipating where he was going next.

“Luca.” I gasped his name when his hand stopped frustratingly close to where I wanted it.

“I know.” Luca murmured against my breast, amusement slipping into his voice. “I’m getting there.”

“You are taking your time.” I accused Luca as I shifted my hips beneath him when his fingers traced the edge of my sleep shorts.

“I thought you liked patient.” Luca replied as he lifted his head enough to look at me, his purr continuing beneath my hand.

“I like patient.” I answered Luca as I hooked my thumbs into the waistband and pushed it down slightly. “I also like these off.”

“That I can fix.” Luca replied with a quiet laugh before moving lower. He slid my shorts and underwear down together, easing them over my hips and legs before setting them beside the sleeping platform instead of throwing them somewhere we would have to hunt for them later. By the time he settled beside me again, I was already reaching for the fastening of his pants.

“Your turn.” I told Luca as I worked the button loose.

“Yes, ma’am.” Luca murmured, and the unexpected answer made me pause long enough to stare at him.

“Did Tavian teach you that?” I asked Luca suspiciously, my fingers still hooked in his waistband.

“No.” Luca answered as he shook his head, failing to hide the amusement around his mouth. “But now I regret saying it.”

“You should.” I told Luca as I pushed his pants lower and let him finish removing them. Once nothing remained between us, Luca lay beside me again rather than immediately moving over me. His hand traveled from my knee along the inside of my thigh, slowing as it moved higher until his fingers slipped through the slick already gathered there. A rougher breath left him against my mouth, and the brief loss of composure made me smile.

“That good?” I asked Luca, brushing my lips against his when his fingers paused.