Abel sucked in a breath. “I understand,” he pressed out from between clenched teeth.

“I didn’t mean to lead you on,” she said quickly. “Just give me a little more time. Until the wedding.”

Abel wasn’t a man to be denied what he wanted. He didn’t speak for seconds that seemed to stretch to minutes. She heard her own heart pound in her chest.

“Very well. Until the wedding then.”

He turned abruptly and left her room, shutting the door behind him with a loud bang.

She’d bought herself a few more days until she would have to give into his sexual demands. A few more days during which she could remain faithful to Cain. Faithful to his memory.

If only that night she hadn’t let him go, if only she’d bonded with him then, maybe he would still be alive.

One year earlier

A hot breath blew against her nape, causing a pleasant shiver to run down her spine. Faye turned in the silk sheets, her naked body sliding against hard muscle and soft skin.

She ran her eyes over her lover. Cain’s skin was bronzed and flawless, his chest nearly hairless, his hair cropped short. He sported a permanent stubble, one that he shaved occasionally, but which returned after each restorative sleep cycle. His eyes were a golden brown, but often when they were together his eye color would change to a glowing red, a sign of the passion that raged between them.

Faye put her hand on his chest, tracing the ridges of his pectorals with her fingernails, before sliding down to his abdomen.

He hissed in a breath, but didn’t stop her descent.

“You’re quite insatiable today,” Cain said.

She met his gaze and saw the color of his eyes change, evidence enough that he wasn’t going to deny her.

“I’m only adapting to your appetite,” she responded and wrapped her hand around his erection.

She’d already felt his cock inside her several times during the past hours. They’d barely slept since they’d gone to bed just before sunrise. It was almost sunset again, and soon they would have to leave the privacy of his suite and deal with clan matters. But before he’d be all business again, she wanted to feel him once more.

Faye brought her lips to his mouth. “Make love to me.”

“Again?” he murmured back.

“Are you getting tired of it?”

Cain threw his head back and laughed. Two rows of brilliantly white teeth flashed. “Tired?” His eyes sparkled when he looked at her. “My love, I’ll never get tired of making love to you. That’s why I want you as my blood-bonded mate.”

He pressed her back in the soft mattress, making her lose her grip on his cock. His knee pushed her legs apart, making room for him. He slid into the space, bringing himself above her. Before she could take another breath, his cock thrust into her, until he was seated to the hilt.

His hand pushed a strand of her long hair to the side, exposing her neck.

“Why don’t you bond with me now?” Cain asked.

Her heart stopped, but she knew she couldn’t accept the offer. “Because you need to be sure that you love me.” There were moments when she knew he hesitated between her and his kingdom. Whenever she saw him torn between love and duty, she knew he wasn’t ready. But she would patiently wait until he was. It was also the reason why she hadn’t let him pin her down on a wedding date even though she’d accepted his proposal.

“But I am,” he insisted, caressing her neck and making her tremble in the process.

She smiled at him and shook her head. “I’ve loved you from afar for so long, ever since you saved me. But you never even noticed me until two months ago. You—”

He put a finger on her lips, stopping her. “I noticed you. But I had no right to make you mine. You’d gone through so much. You were vulnerable and trusted nobody. Had I shown my love for you then, you would not only have been scared but also become the object of everybody’s dislike. Nobody would have accepted you as the king’s mate. That’s why I had to wait. To give you a chance to heal the wounds of your past and make my subjects love you for yourself. And they do love you.”

Her heart melted at his confession. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His fingers traced the vein along her neck, and farther below, his cock pulled out, only to slowly slide back into her.

She sighed contentedly.

“Tell you that I loved you?” Cain smiled. “It was enough that I suffered every day that I had to spend alone in my bed. Besides, I didn’t know you felt anything for me. You weren’t exactly very demonstrative with your feelings toward me. In fact, there were moments when I thought you disliked me profusely.”