shouldn't have helped my mother clean up."
Before she could answer, River swept her up in his arms. She didn't protest as he carried her up the stairs then down a hall and into a large spacious bedroom. He set her down on the bed.
"Are you okay?" he asked in evident concern. His fingers moved to her blouse as he started to undress her. His touch gentle, tender, no sexual overtone to his actions. She understood he was just a man taking care of his woman.
"Yes, I'm fine, just tired." Emotionally and physically, she was exhausted.
Storm was tired of fighting him, tired of saying no; she wanted a happy forever after with him. Was it insane to keep him at a distance? To guard her heart from a man who obviously loved her? None of her previous men had ever gone to such lengths to secure her affections; mind you, she had never become pregnant to any of them, thank goodness.
"Will you really never leave me?" Her whispered question was out before she could stop it.
He glanced up from where he knelt by the bed taking off her shoes. He held her gaze with his. "Words do not seem adequate enough to tell you, yes. Only death could drag me away from you, cookie."
He set her shoes down and rose up to sit beside her on the bed, taking her hand into both of his. "I know you have a very human perception of what passes for relationships. Shifters have a deeper bond that simply can never be broken. I can show you this--the other mates in the town--tomorrow, if you need reassurance."
"What if I really don't want to leave my grandmother's house? She was the only good thing in my life, well…" Until you .
"You are my mate. I have enough money to start somewhere else. I don't care what I have to give up as long as we're together."
He would give everything up for her? Storm swallowed down the lump in her throat.
"What if you grow tired of me, what if we fight? I don't want to put our children through the pain of seeing their parents fight."
"I can't promise you we won't have disagreements; it's simply a part of life, but I can promise you whatever it is, we will work it through together. It's more than just love, Storm. It's a partnership, working together."
Storm liked how easy he made it sound. Still, she couldn't bring herself to take that small leap of faith.
"Don't make any decisions tonight. It's been a trying day, and I've put a lot of stress on you. Sleep, and your mind will feel clearer tomorrow."
She nodded and stood up to prepare for bed. When she returned from the bathroom in her plain white night gown, River lay propped against the pillows, looking sinfully dark and sexy. His heated gaze roamed over her, making her feel like a wanton sex goddess, despite how tired she felt.
Climbing into bed, River pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.
"I have another confession to make." She breathed in his wonderful scent, loving his heat against her skin. She glanced up, seeing his curious expression.
"What's that, cookie?"
"Before you found me, I was about to come looking for you, and tell you about, this." She took his arm and laid it over her tummy. "I was going mad with guilt for what I did to you. And there was something else, just an overwhelming need to be with you somehow. I didn't understand it."
"It's the pull of the mate, even as a human you still feel it. When we are separated, we feel each other's absence keenly. Those two weeks I spent searching for you almost tore me apart. Hawk will readily attest to my crazed state."
She felt a soft chuckle rumble through his chest. "I need you as much I need to breathe, my sweet little cookie, think about that, but sleep now."
He reached over and turned off the lamp. The room fell into shadow as the waxing moon cast a faint light. As tired as her body was, her mind gave her no rest. River was so unlike any man she'd ever known.
"I can hear you thinking, cookie." His deep voice penetrated the serene silence of their bedroom.
"Then help me to stop
Before she could answer, River swept her up in his arms. She didn't protest as he carried her up the stairs then down a hall and into a large spacious bedroom. He set her down on the bed.
"Are you okay?" he asked in evident concern. His fingers moved to her blouse as he started to undress her. His touch gentle, tender, no sexual overtone to his actions. She understood he was just a man taking care of his woman.
"Yes, I'm fine, just tired." Emotionally and physically, she was exhausted.
Storm was tired of fighting him, tired of saying no; she wanted a happy forever after with him. Was it insane to keep him at a distance? To guard her heart from a man who obviously loved her? None of her previous men had ever gone to such lengths to secure her affections; mind you, she had never become pregnant to any of them, thank goodness.
"Will you really never leave me?" Her whispered question was out before she could stop it.
He glanced up from where he knelt by the bed taking off her shoes. He held her gaze with his. "Words do not seem adequate enough to tell you, yes. Only death could drag me away from you, cookie."
He set her shoes down and rose up to sit beside her on the bed, taking her hand into both of his. "I know you have a very human perception of what passes for relationships. Shifters have a deeper bond that simply can never be broken. I can show you this--the other mates in the town--tomorrow, if you need reassurance."
"What if I really don't want to leave my grandmother's house? She was the only good thing in my life, well…" Until you .
"You are my mate. I have enough money to start somewhere else. I don't care what I have to give up as long as we're together."
He would give everything up for her? Storm swallowed down the lump in her throat.
"What if you grow tired of me, what if we fight? I don't want to put our children through the pain of seeing their parents fight."
"I can't promise you we won't have disagreements; it's simply a part of life, but I can promise you whatever it is, we will work it through together. It's more than just love, Storm. It's a partnership, working together."
Storm liked how easy he made it sound. Still, she couldn't bring herself to take that small leap of faith.
"Don't make any decisions tonight. It's been a trying day, and I've put a lot of stress on you. Sleep, and your mind will feel clearer tomorrow."
She nodded and stood up to prepare for bed. When she returned from the bathroom in her plain white night gown, River lay propped against the pillows, looking sinfully dark and sexy. His heated gaze roamed over her, making her feel like a wanton sex goddess, despite how tired she felt.
Climbing into bed, River pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.
"I have another confession to make." She breathed in his wonderful scent, loving his heat against her skin. She glanced up, seeing his curious expression.
"What's that, cookie?"
"Before you found me, I was about to come looking for you, and tell you about, this." She took his arm and laid it over her tummy. "I was going mad with guilt for what I did to you. And there was something else, just an overwhelming need to be with you somehow. I didn't understand it."
"It's the pull of the mate, even as a human you still feel it. When we are separated, we feel each other's absence keenly. Those two weeks I spent searching for you almost tore me apart. Hawk will readily attest to my crazed state."
She felt a soft chuckle rumble through his chest. "I need you as much I need to breathe, my sweet little cookie, think about that, but sleep now."
He reached over and turned off the lamp. The room fell into shadow as the waxing moon cast a faint light. As tired as her body was, her mind gave her no rest. River was so unlike any man she'd ever known.
"I can hear you thinking, cookie." His deep voice penetrated the serene silence of their bedroom.
"Then help me to stop
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