Page 95 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

Her eyes wanted to roll back. She closed them instead.

His fingertips moved down her spine. Slowly, one vertebra at a time, tracing each before he moved to the next, as if her back were a line on a screen and he did not want to miss a letter.

"Kiss me," she said.

He kissed her shoulder first, and she felt the scrape of his fangs when he did it.

She shivered, and it was not one of those dainty things. It was violent. She had missed the feel of those fangs for far too long. They were only partially elongated, the tips gently pressing against her skin, and she knew he was just teasing her and was not going to bite.

The arousal was there, but the body was not ready yet.

It was physiological, she reminded herself. His body simply was not ready for more, and she should respect that.

She could feel his erection against her thigh, and her body answered predictably.

His nostrils flared.

"You smell incredible." His voice had dropped. "What perfume is that?"

She laughed. "That is not perfume, my love. That is the scent of my desire. You are going to be smelling it a great deal from now on. I find you very arousing."

A slow smile turned up one side of his mouth.

"You do?"

"I do." She traced his lower lip with her finger. "And I love this particular smile of yours. I missed it."

"What smile?"

"That one. The satisfied smile of a male who knows he pleases his mate."

"I am glad you can be pleased with so little."

She lifted her chin and kissed him.

"This is not little, Khiann," she said against his mouth. "This means everything to me. The rest is extra, and I can wait for it."

He laughed and pulled her closer.

The caresses went on, unhurried, his hands learning her shape and hers learning his new one, until his breathing slowed and lengthened, his hand went still on the small of her back, and he lost the fight with his eyelids.

Annani did not move.

She lay with his arm across her and his breath on her hair, thinking about the wedding. Not the first one. The second one.

Tomorrow, she would call her son and daughters and set things in motion. In a day or two, most of the community would know, here in the village, in Scotland, and in the sanctuary, and she could only imagine the excited buzz it would create.

The entire community would prepare to celebrate the miracle of her mate's return.

34

KHIANN

Annani was still asleep when Khiann woke.

That had not happened before while he had been sleeping in the guest bedroom, and not because his sleep had been more peaceful there.

Apparently, the impetus to become fully awake had been missing.