“If you weren’t still recovering I’d say … hell, I’d say no either way.”

“Connor, I’m your mate.”

“Exactly.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve got to meet the rest of the males, but I want you to stay here until I come back. I’ll probably take this first watch to patrol the property.”

She wanted to argue with him but she was in no shape to do any sort of patrolling or even defend herself very well. And even if she wanted to fight, she wasn’t part of the warrior class. She knew she could hold her own to an extent or even outrun most wolves, but what was the point in that if she’d only slow Connor down? “Fine, but first I’m cleaning your wound.” She clasped one of his hands and tugged him toward the bathroom but he resisted.

“Forget this scratch.” His voice was low. Before she could respond he captured her mouth in a hungry, dominating kiss. His lips moved against hers with a hot urgency. Despite everything going on around them, her abdomen clenched and the area between her legs dampened. Moaning into his mouth, she clutched his unhurt shoulder and dug her fingers into his tight skin. The feel of him grounded her, reminded her he was real.

Connor took her face in his wide palms and stepped away. His eyes were dangerously dark and his breathing erratic. “Hold that thought for a couple hours,” he rasped out.

“Please take care of yourself.” As he left she fought the ache building inside her. Her body might still be healing but it had nothing to do with that. She hated seeing him hurt. Worse, he wouldn’t let her take care of him. She understood that he’d been taking care of himself for well over a century but it didn’t diminish her need to comfort him. It was probably better this way. She shouldn’t get used to taking care of him anyway. With the way things were between them, she wasn’t sure what kind of future they had.

Once Connor had gone, she checked on everyone else, then collapsed onto her old bed, where both her sisters and Vivian were already curled up and sleeping. It was a little crowded but she didn’t mind. Though she was lonely without Connor. More than she wanted to admit.

Her cousins had taken up her sisters’ rooms and the guest rooms. No one wanted to sleep in their homes tonight and she didn’t blame them. In the morning, once everyone knew what was going on, Ana figured things would return to normal and they’d all feel safer going home.

There was strength in numbers, and if she were honest with herself, she was thankful she had her sisters and cousins to support her while Connor was out patrolling.

Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and with that thought she allowed the blackness of sleep to take over.

Ana opened her eyes as the world shifted underneath her. She found Connor staring at her as he carried her down the stairs. “What are you doing?” she mumbled, and cuddled into his hard body. It was hard to think when he felt so good. So warm.

“It’s almost dawn. I just got back in.” His voice was a whisper.

She blinked a couple times as they neared their house. “You didn’t have to come get me.”

He grunted softly. “I don’t think I can sleep without you next to me, Ana.”

A pleasurable warmth spread through her until his words settled in. Why does he say things like that when he can’t even talk to me? She rubbed her eyes and stretched as he opened the door to their house. “You can put me down.”

He ignored her. Instead he walked to their room, pulled the comforter and sheet back from the bed and laid her gently against the pillow. “How are you feeling?”

“Almost as good as new.” She stretched out her legs and lifted her wounded arm to show him there was only a light scar. As if she’d been simply cut, not shot. It would fade by the end of the day. All she felt now was an uncomfortable soreness. Like she’d lifted weights or gone jogging without stretching.

“Good.” The word was a low growl as he reached for the button of her pants.

With slow and measured movements he pulled her black pants down her legs to reveal lacy black panties. Before Connor, she’d never thought much about her undergarments. She smiled when his eyes narrowed on the sheer scrap of material covering her. Then she wanted to curse herself for caring that he liked it.

“Lift your arms,” he commanded.

Instead of doing as he said, she crossed her arms over her chest. He leaned in close so that their noses were almost touching.

“Lift. Your. Arms.”

She wanted to balk at being ordered around but she was too tired to fight. And if she were honest, the dominating note in his voice turned her on. When she lifted her arms, Connor ran his hands up over her hips and snagged the hem of her sweater before lifting it over her head. She had to sit up a little so he could take it off before she fell back against the fluffy pillow. Ana started to close her eyes when Connor stripped off his own shirt.

When he was bared to her she sucked in an involuntary breath. Her original plan to work him out of her system was obviously not going to happen. Every time she saw him without clothes on she wondered if her attraction to him would ever get old. The tight lines and planes of his stomach tensed under her gaze.

Dipping lower, her eyes trailed down the V of his muscles. She swallowed hard as she looked at the bulge underneath his pants, but he didn’t make a move to remove them. Instead, he grasped the slim straps of her panties and dragged them down her legs. The feel of his fingers rolling against her skin sent another shiver through her. She felt so exposed in front of him. He hadn’t bothered with the lights, but the sun peeked through the windows, bathing the room in a soft orange glow.

“Spread your legs wider.” Again with that deep voice.

Her inner walls clenched and she did as he said. Whatever he had planned, she just wanted him to kiss and touch her. To wipe away everything that was going on. At least for a little while. Even though deep inside she feared he’d never open up to her the way she needed or possibly even leave again, right now she just wanted to feel.

Connor stared at the juncture between Ana’s spread legs and fought to breathe. He might have already had her but it would never be enough. And he hadn’t gotten to taste her the way he wanted yet. That was about to change.

He traced his finger up her slit but didn’t penetrate. She jerked under his touch, and the scent of arousal she emanated was almost intoxicating. It reminded him of how much he’d grown to need her in the past couple days and how he’d almost lost her.

Shame filled him at the way he’d brushed off her earlier attempts to get him to open up and then to comfort him. She’d reached out to him and he’d acted like an idiot. It was no excuse but he didn’t want her taking care of him; he wanted to take care of her. And the thought of opening up to her even on the most basic level terrified him. He’d been without a pack for so long and Taggart’s comment about his father not being able to protect his family’s pack had struck deeper than he’d imagined. Connor wanted to be strong for Ana all the time, and dwelling on the past or admitting he wasn’t good enough for her wouldn’t help either of them. He didn’t understand why she needed to talk about anything when they were so right for each other. Still, he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

Ana scooted down a couple inches, as if she were trying to force his hand. He bit back a smile at her impatience. Shifting positions, he moved so that he knelt between her legs.

Her scent wound around him as she spread her legs farther. Leaning down, he lightly kissed her inner thigh. She trembled under the contact and he didn’t bother to hide his groan. When he swept his tongue over her clit she fisted the sheets beneath her.

She was wet and obviously aroused and he wanted to push her over that edge. Seeing gratification on her face was a bigger turn-on than anything else she could do to him. Part of it was selfish, because it turned him on that he’d been the one to put that expression there. He dipped one finger inside her and was rewarded when she clenched around him.

“That feel good?” he murmured.

“Faster,” she breathed out in a familiar, demanding tone.

She didn’t have to tell him twice. Ana was too good for him, and the longer he was around her the more he realized it. It had been unfair to demand that she mate with him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some part of him that had demanded it because her father had told him he wasn’t good enough for her. Hell, maybe the old man was right. What kind of man would place stipulations on his protection? When she arched her back, he focused on the here and now and her pleasure.

Ana’s inner walls tightened around Connor’s finger. When he smoothly slid another one inside her, she thought he understood her body better than she did. With a steady rhythm he moved them in and out of her, using just the right amount of pressure to drive her mad.

Though it wasn’t hot in the room she felt as if her temperature had risen a hundred degrees. What he was doing felt incredible but she wanted more.

Needed more.

Through heavy-lidded eyes she watched as Connor leaned down between her legs. Reaching between them, she grabbed on to his head and held tight as he swiped his tongue over her clit.

The abrupt action had her nearly vaulting off the bed. It was quick and erotic. Continuing the steady pace with his fingers, he began a new one with his tongue. He flicked and teased the sensitive bundle of nerves with such precision, her stomach muscles bunched as she prepared to climax. She was almost there. For some reason she couldn’t let go of her control.

She knew he wanted her physically but there was so much more she wanted from him. It became clearer to her every second they spent together. She needed to hear him say how much she meant to him. What she meant to him. If anything. But he still said nothing. Her idea to get him out of her system had been stupid. She could see that now. She’d let him into her body and life, and if things didn’t change between them or, worse, if he left again, it was going to rip her apart.

She closed her eyes and tried to block out those thoughts. After tonight she had to lay down some ground rules for herself. But right now none of that mattered.