His body shuddered with excitement, anticipation, hardening more, his blood thickening. Dayan took a deep, steadying breath. “You mean the same way I have left you? Aching and unfulfilled? I think we will be partners, Corinne. When I am able to take care of your needs, you will take care of mine.” He brushed a kiss along her temple. “We are in this together.”
She pulled back to look into his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
Dayan nodded. “I am no saint, Corinne. You are looking at me with stars in your eyes. I want to devour you right now. I think the safest thing for us to do is pack up your things and Lisa’s and go back where we will no longer be alone.”
Corinne leaned closer, pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I hate to tell you this, but my things are in the bedroom.” She laughed softly, teasingly, and stepped away from him, knowing she was perfectly safe with him. Her legs weren’t completely steady but. she managed to walk without falling. He followed her into her bedroom, watching her with dark, intense eyes. She felt the weight of his gaze on her as she moved about the room, and it did nothing to calm her own storm of desire. Resolutely she gathered her things without looking at him. He robbed her of good sense, and for both their sakes, she needed to be responsible. Corinne continued into Lisa’s room, pausing for a moment to place her hand over the baby. Dayan had protected both of them.
“Is she kicking?” Dayan asked softly, managing to make the question sinfully intimate.
Corinne nodded, afraid to look at him, afraid she would lose herself in his terrible hunger. In his poet’s soul. Dayan moved up behind her, as silent as any jungle cat, and wrapped his arms around her, his palm over the small mound of her belly. He bent his head so his mouth was dangerously close to her frantically pounding pulse. “She is very strong. Such a miracle. All around the world people are finding out they are having babies, yet they do not appreciate what a miracle it is. Perhaps if they had no women, no babies, they would understand what is supposed to be treasured. As I treasure you, so do I treasure this child.”
Corinne closed her eyes and allowed his words to seep through the pores of her skin. How could he say such beautiful things? How could his words always be so perfect? Why had she found him now, when she had so little time left? For a moment she leaned against his hard strength, inhaled his wild, untamed scent, was grateful for his enormous strength and poet’s words and the way he made her feel that her child was a part of him too. Totally accepted. Without reservation.
“I want you to feel that way,” he said softly, his breath warm, inviting, “because it is the simple truth.”
“You are temptation personified,” Corinne scolded, but her voice gave away her pleasure, and she covered his hand with her own. “You could have any woman, Dayan. Why in the world are you with me?” Her heart ached for him. She didn’t want him to be hurt.
“There is only you. I can see no other, nor will I,” he answered, completely certain. “You are everything.”
Corinne pulled away from him gently, regretfully. “And what if I don’t feel the same way? What would you do then?” There was a wealth of interest as well as humor in her voice.
He reached around her to pick up both suitcases. “You forget I read minds. If you truly did not want me, then of course I would have to accept such a thing, but you are my lifemate. There is no mistake. I see in color. I feel emotion. I look at you and there is meaning to my existence. You look back at me.”
Corinne smiled then – she couldn’t help herself. “I definitely look at you, I can’t very well deny that. And I want to be with you. I knew John practically my entire life. I loved him, yet I couldn’t give him passion, I couldn’t give him my soul. I look at you and everything in me wants you, wants to be everything you’ve ever needed.”