He looked up, his big amber eyes staring into hers. She leaned forward and kissed him on his nose, and then slipped her hands around his neck and hugged him. He rested his giant head on her shoulder, and they stayed like this for a long while, until at last he moved away, and she hoped this meant he was ready.
“Imagine you are human, that you walk on two legs, feel the beat of your heart, the way your fingers feel when they touch things, how that skin is different to your fur.” She watched, his lion face frowning as he tried. “Once you feel that, let yourself become the man, let go of your lion, feel his hide slipping from your body. It’s a chemical reaction that starts in your brain, once you get the hang of it, you will be able to trigger it in an instant.”
The lion in front of her began to shift, going out of focus and then returning to normal. She waited patiently but could see the frustration building up in the lion. But he kept trying, and then at last, something clicked and the fur disappeared, the tail shortening until it was gone and before her eyes a man appeared, kneeling on the ground, looking exhausted.
“You did it!” she cried out, and went to him, hugging him close and kissing his lips.
15
Nothing had ever felt so good as having Amara in his arms. Now his lion was back in his head, the mate bond hit him. She was his woman, destined to be the mother of his children and to lead the pride with him, if he ever had the nerve to confront Serrif and take it back.
He didn’t want to think about that now, though. In this moment it was just the two of them, in a cave in the middle of nowhere. They could stay here and make love on the cold stone floor; his body would warm hers, his hands and mouth drawing pleasure from her.
“Here,” she said, passing him his clothes. “You might want to put these on.”
“No, I don’t.” He pulled her closer, his mouth finding hers. They kissed, and she threaded her arms around his neck, stroking his hair and his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
“I thought the change had weakened you,” she whispered against his ear.
“It left me a little disorientated, but having you near has kind of brought me back to my senses. I feel it now,” he said.
“Feel what?” she asked, her hands stroking his back, feeling his muscles flex as he tensed. Damn, he wanted to be inside her.
“This bond you told me about. And I aim to satisfy myself right now.” He threw his clothes on the floor, and laid her down on them. “Unless you have somewhere else you would rather be?”
“Well, now you mention it,” she teased. “There is this big old bear out there.”
“I saw him, but he has nothing to do with this. Unless he wants to watch,” Kane said, his fingers going to her shirt and undoing the buttons. For the first time since this whole thing had started, since his old life had ended and this one had begun, he felt himself; he felt strong, powerful. This body was the one he had grown up in, it was not the gangly-legged lion who tied himself in knots.
And this body knew how to satisfy a woman.
Her shirt undone, he pushed it back off her shoulders, and his eyes feasted on her voluptuous breasts. “Magnificent,” he breathed, his head dipping to kiss the swell of her flesh, while his hands sought out the clasp to her bra.
She groaned as he undid it, her breasts freed from their confines, only to be held by his hands. Kane cupped each one in turn, kissing them, kneading them, and then lowering his head to suck in a nipple. He rolled his tongue over the taut bud, until Amara writhed beneath him, begging him to touch her.
Kane slipped his hand between her thighs and felt the moist heat there. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her, and he wanted to satisfy their need. His thumb pressed against her clit, while his fingers pushed against her entrance, the fabric of her clothes a barrier to what he wanted to do, but this was all about teasing her. Making her want him, beg him to make love to her.
Amara must have had the same idea, her hand wrapped around his erect cock, stroking him up and down. He thought he would explode right then, the need to be inside her too much. Kane had made love to women before, but never had he wanted, needed, a woman as much as he needed Amara in this moment.
“Damn it, I want you, Amara.” His hands went to her pants, undoing the buttons and dragging her clothes from her body. She lay down, lifting her bottom off the ground to help him. At last, she was naked, and he wanted to suspend time, to gaze on her body, to kiss every soft, silky inch of her skin. But the intensity of the moment wouldn’t allow it.
Amara eased her thighs apart as he came towards her, his body nestling between her legs. Supporting his weight on his elbow, he guided himself towards her, but before he entered her, he hesitated. Was she ready for him? Or should he spend more time on foreplay?
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
“I wanted to make sure you’re OK with this.”
She laughed, a sound that bubbled out of her mouth. “I’m a sure thing, Kane. And although it’s very sweet of you to be concerned, if you don’t make love to me, I think I am going to explode.”