Hunter chuckled. He never had to doubt that Jesse would let him know when he was being a pain in the ass, either. That is another part of her that fascinated him. While others, with the exception of Saber and Dagger, feared expressing their views or opinions at times around him, Jesse never did. She was small and fierce and protective. She was a mixture of strength and gentleness. She was his Amate and he would never take for granted that he had been gifted with his strange and unusual mate.
He ignored the smirks on the faces of the warriors as he guided the chair he and Jesse were sitting in down the corridors. He paused outside the living quarters he had been given on the same floor as the medical unit. A swift command had the doors silently opening. He paused once he was through just long enough to seal it behind them.
He reluctantly released Jesse as she slid from his lap and stood to the side. Gripping the sides of the chair, he rose on shaky legs. He locked his knees and focused on making it to the bed.
He looked down at Jesse as she slid her arm around him when he stumbled. Instead of feeling the overwhelming rage that had swept through him time after time over the past week, he felt a sense of calm determination. He nodded his appreciation as she helped steady him as he walked. It was slow but with each step he felt a tiny bit stronger.
“Thank you,” he breathed out as he turned and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“You would do the same for me,” she responded. “There are times when we’ll take turns being strong.”
He watched as Jesse knelt in front of him and pulled his boots off. He cupped her chin and tilted it so he could brush a kiss along her lips. He loved the taste of her.
“You are an incredibly smart and beautiful female,” Hunter whispered.
Chapter 25
Jesse blushed at the heartfelt emotion in Hunter’s voice. She rose up until she was standing in front of him. Grabbing the edge of her tunic, she pulled it over her head and tossed it across a nearby chair. Her breasts were beginning to grow fuller. She wasn’t wearing a bra but knew she would have to before too much longer.
She had begun to show more though the loose tunics covered that fact. The leggings were perfect as they stretched over her growing abdomen. She kicked off the soft ballerina type shoes she liked to wear and started to push off her leggings when Hunter reached out and stilled her hands.
“Let me,” he murmured, drawing her closer. “I want to look at you.”
“I’m beginning to show pretty good now,” she laughed nervously. “Before you know it, I’ll look like I’ve swallowed a watermelon.”
“You will be beautiful,” Hunter whispered in awe as his hands cupped the slight swell. “Your breasts are fuller.”
“Yes,” she choked out breathlessly as he leaned forward and drew one of her swollen nipples into his mouth. “I’m… oh god, that feels so good,” she gasped. “I’m going to have to start wearing a bra soon.”
“Why?” Hunter asked, cupping the heavy globes in his hands. “I like them free.”
“You… you aren’t the one carrying them around,” Jesse stated in a dazed voice as he continued to massage them. He nipped at the tips making them swell until they were almost painful. “Besides, when I nurse I’ll have to wear one because they’ll be full of milk.”
“Until then, keep them free,” Hunter ordered. “I swear your scent is going to drive me insane if I don’t have you soon.”
Jesse’s fingers moved to the buttons of his loose fitting black shirt. She undid each one slowly, taking her time as she explored him again as he explored her. Her fingers slid under the soft material to run along his shoulders before she pushed it off.
“You are so beautiful,” she murmured. “I was terrified when that man came to the house and told us that you were missing. Our father used to have to go visit the homes of people and tell them that their loves ones had died in some accident or another. It always hit him hard as he remembered what it felt like when he found mom.”
“What happened to your father?” Hunter asked, pushing her leggings down so he could lean forward and kiss her over the swell of their babe. “Both of your parents no longer live?”
Jesse nodded, winding her hands through his hair and drawing his lips to her stomach. She gently massaged his scalp, loving the soft moans he emitted when she did. She was surprised she could think of her parents without the familiar ache of sorrow.
“My mom was killed in a car accident when I was ten,” she whispered, staring down at the top of his head. “My father was killed the first day your people came to our world. Riots had broken out. He called us to warn us about what was happening. A few hours later, one of our neighbors who worked with dad came by to check on his family. He told us that dad was killed when he was hit by a car trying to get away from rioters,” she said sadly. “That night, looters overran our neighborhood. Jordan, Taylor and I escaped out of the upstairs window, climbed down the tree and hid in the old storage cellar hidden out back.”