He stiffened. “That’s good.”
“He was older, and we were good friends. It’s different with you.” She placed a hand over his chest. “You’re young and exciting, and you see me as an equal.” And not weak. Not once, even when he was being all enforcer-esque with her, had he treated her differently than he would any other woman. Of course, he was an overprotective enforcer with any woman he cared about.
He reached under her hair to knead her nape.
Pleasure relaxed her muscles.
“Go to sleep, Felicity,” he whispered. Then he smiled against her forehead. “I’m not young. In fact, considering how young you are, I just robbed the cradle.”
She chuckled. Everything in her wanted to ask if his feelings for her were strong enough to explore, but for the first time, she hesitated to speak her mind. What if he didn’t know? What if he said no? What if, and this was the worst one, he lied to spare her feelings? It wasn’t as if she’d dated anyone . . . ever. She had no clue how to read the signs. If there were signs. Maybe there weren’t any signs.
His grip tightened. “The pain rolling off you is increasing in intensity. I promise we have tons of time to talk before we reach Seattle. Right now, I need you to fall asleep and let your body finish the healing process.”
Bossy. Her new mate was a bit bossy. And handsome, exhilarating, and sexy. A part of her, one she would never admit to, wondered if she would’ve stopped herself from marking him if she hadn’t been so caught up in the moment. Daire Dunne was everything she had ever wanted in a man, and he was strong enough to handle her boys and any problems they might have with him. She could handle them as well.
Her body tingled as the mating brand took effect, and it was different from when she’d mated a vampire. The tingles held a pop of fire, and her limbs loosened naturally. Daire Dunne’s energy was dark and strong, and it flowed through her as her body adapted to the mating. She wasn’t a big believer in destiny, especially considering her past, but ever since Daire had first kissed her, she’d tasted him on her lips. His scent surrounded her, and when she closed her eyes, his face filled her mind.
Was it love, or was this her first real crush?
Either way, the queen had assured her that the mutated virus that had negated her earlier mating bond would fade from her system and not affect any future bond. If she wanted to stay mated to Daire, she could.
Her mind was mushy and her body exhausted, so even though she didn’t care for his bossiness, he was correct that she needed to rest. Even so, it took a while for her to drop into dreamland. Life had always been difficult, and she’d learned young that if any happiness stormed her way, she should grab on to it with both hands.
Daire made her happy when he wasn’t driving her crazy. If she could just get a handle on his overprotectiveness, and if she could just get him to see her as an equal, even in battle, then they stood a chance.
If he wanted a chance.
Maybe he didn’t.
That thought made her heart hurt again, almost competing with the pain pounding in her shoulder. She’d never force him to stay with her, and she should probably get some sleep before trying to figure everything out.
She tried to open her eyes, but they remained shut. “When we awaken, we really need to talk,” she mumbled.
His hand tightened on her nape and then quickly released. “Oh, baby, you can count on it.”
Chapter 21
The plane turned and then leveled off again. Daire read through the many manila files he’d stolen from the vault, his mind spinning and his gut churning. Felicity slept on the fold-out couch running the length of one side of the airplane, and he sat at a table working across from her. He’d slept a few hours and had awakened in Miami, where they refueled.
He’d mated her.