Cutting off the thought, she grabbed her brush and began dragging it through her wet hair. Her wolf hunkered down, thoroughly annoyed with her mate for even suggesting the unacceptable. Makenna felt Ryan’s energy beating against her skin before his warm, solid chest pressed to her back. She gave him a sidelong glance. “Are you done talking about morbid shit?”
Ryan took her brush and placed it on the bedside cabinet. “We could instead talk about how it would be better if you stayed inside the caves during the battle.”
“You’re not cutting me out of the fight.” They’d already discussed that. She would not sit here, twiddling her thumbs, while he was in danger.
He curled his arms around her. “We need people to stay inside and protect the others.”
“People have already been assigned to do that.”
“The pups will feel better if you stay with them.”
She snorted. “That’s not going to work, Ryan. Look, I understand you don’t want me risking myself. I’m not crazy about you doing it. But I wouldn’t ask you to stay out of the battle. It’s not who you are.”
He growled, exasperated by how fair she was being. It made it hard to argue his point. “You’re not trained in combat.”
“No, but I can still fight. My wolf can fight.”
He didn’t doubt that. Her wolf was wild even when she played. Still . . . “You’ve never been in a battle before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
“If I’m worrying about you, I won’t be able to focus.”
“You’ll be able to focus if you don’t pointlessly worry.”
Ryan nipped her throat. “Stubborn.”
“Yes. Now can we drop this? You’re missing the bigger picture: I’m naked, you’re naked, and there are much more interesting things to do when naked.”
She did have a point. And honestly, talking about the battle was the last way he wanted to spend the night. “Turn around, Kenna.” Once she was facing him, he fingered one of her wet locks. “Drop the towel.”
Well. It would seem that the battle talk was indeed over. Makenna let the towel puddle at her feet. Her skin burned under the intensity and heat of his gaze as it drank her in. His rarely expressive eyes glittered with possessiveness and a predatory hunger that made her mouth dry up. She bit her lower lip, but his thumb tugged it free.
“Only I get to bite this mouth. It belongs to me.” Tangling a hand in her hair, Ryan angled her head how he wanted it and lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips parted, and he swept his tongue inside. He tasted her. Feasted on her. Demanded everything she had . . . because it was his to take.
He snatched her head back, exposing her neck and making her spine arch. She ground against him as he licked and sucked at her claiming bite. Her little throaty moans made his cock jerk. He closed his hand possessively around her breast, squeezing and plumping. How the fuck did she get her skin this soft?
Needing to touch him, Makenna tugged off his towel and then fisted his cock—it was hot and hard and pulsed in her hand. He grunted into her neck as she pumped him, keeping her grip firm just the way he liked it. But she needed more than just to touch him.
Ryan watched as she dropped to her knees—something she hadn’t done since that time when she’d tried to take control and he’d refused to allow it. There was no calculation in her gaze this time. “Are you trying to take control again, Kenna?” He didn’t think so, but he had to be sure.
“No. I want to taste you.”
“Then do it.” Without any preamble, she took him into her mouth. No teasing licks. No nibbling or stroking. She just deep-throated him. And it was fucking amazing. Ryan had never much liked having the whole thing drawn out. He didn’t have the patience for it. His mate obviously sensed that about him.
“Suck harder, Kenna. That’s it.” The sight of her gorgeous mouth wrapped around his cock, the scent of her need, and the feel of her sucking him deep over and over . . . fuck. Wrapping her hair around both fists, he took over. He needed this. Needed to fuck her mouth and come down her throat—another way to mark her as his. Soon enough, his balls tightened and he felt the telling tingle in his spine. “Swallow it.” He thrust hard and came with a growl—and she swallowed it all. Masculine satisfaction settled deep in his gut. She was getting a reward for that.
He jerked his chin at the bed. “On your back, legs spread.” For once, there was no defiance in her as she obeyed him. “Good girl.” Ryan took a moment to just look at her, taking in her flushed face, gorgeous breasts, pebbled nipples, delicate curves, navel piercing, and her glistening *.
Kneeling on the bed between her thighs, he met her eyes; they were glazed over with the vicious need that he could feel coursing through her. That need was feeding his, making it hard to stay in control. “You’re the most perfect fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The gruffly spoken compliment made her smile. “So you can say pretty words.”