Such trust and honesty it was almost too much to bear. What had he done in his life to deserve someone as vibrant and beautiful as the woman in his arms? He didn’t know and he wasn’t going to question it. He might have a thick skull sometimes and take a while to reach the right decision but when he did he never wavered from it.
“So no more talk of leaving me?”
Lily frowned and looked down before tilting her head back up. “I do need to go home, Mac. I need to talk to my father so I can understand a bit more about who I am as a person. My mom is worrying about me too, as is the rest of the pack.
With everything coming out in the open, it’s best if I’m home when it does. It will soothe my father and hopefully mean he’ll be more accepting of things. He understands the importance of my mate to me now, so his reaction should be a lot more restrained.”
Mac could understand her logic but he wasn’t happy about letting her go. He knew the pack would be informed tonight about everything but he wanted one night with Lily before they had to face her parents and the pack.
“Tomorrow,” he finally said brushing her lips tenderly with his finger, halting any objections she might have. “Give me tonight, Lily, and then I’ll take you home myself and we’ll face the music together.”
She smiled shyly at him, a faint tremor running through her at the heat in his eyes and the silken promise in his voice. She wanted this night with him too even if the thought scared her witless. “Tomorrow,” she promised accepting his kiss eagerly.
*****
She should have known Mac’s definition of ‘night’ was different to everyone else’s. It was barely six o’clock when she sensed his eyes on her as she washed up the dishes she’d used after Kallum had cooked dinner.
Her brother had vanished somewhere with Brandon and she was on her own for the first time since Mac had come home. Since their time in the study the rest of the day had been spent with training which Kal had decided to join.
The sparring match he’d had with Karn had been a thing of sheer beauty as the two males spun, kicked and lashed out at each other. She knew her brother was tempering his speed and strength but not as much as he usually had to. She could see he was thrilled that he could let go of his restraint a bit more than normal.
Even then she’d felt Mac’s eyes following her. There was no sign of him when she’d turned, but his presence was unmistakable. It was thrilling even when it was irritating. Kal had caught a dull blow on her shoulder when they’d sparred with staffs, an event which had all the watching Praetorians transfixed as they witnessed just what the Vârcolac were capable of when they didn’t need to temper their abilities.
Lily could have sworn she’d heard Mac chuckle when Kal scored the point against her, as if he’d known his presence was distracting her. She’d decided then she’d be having words with him about it when she caught up with him. Now it looked like he had finally finished his game of hide and go seek.
Drying her hands, Lily walked out of the kitchen to find Mac lounging against the wall with his arms across his chest. His long hair was loose around his shoulders a faint smile teasing his sensual lips giving him a playful look. It was a side to him she’d never seen before.
“You are in trouble.” She was trying to keep a straight face and not grin back at him like an idiot. He looked entirely too pleased with himself and too gorgeous for words. He didn’t need her simpering like a swooning female.
“What was my first lesson?” he asked arching an eyebrow as he pushed off the wall to come and stand in front of her. She could see the muscles of his thighs flexing in his tight fitting black jeans, his white T-shirt so form fitting she could make out his nipples. It was enough to make her swallow hard.
Despite being tall herself, Mac always seemed to dwarf her. Lily tried to keep a stern expression on her face, but her heart was starting to speed up as his body heat washed over her.
“Don’t become distracted,” she sighed in resignation.
Mac reached out and traced a finger along the curve of her jaw until he tilted her chin up as he lowered his head. “I never gave a stipulation about what was construed as a distraction,” he growled softly before his lips feathered across hers in the briefest of touches.
“Mac…” Was that really her voice, all soft and breathy, his name a soft moan of need?
“Lily…” he mimicked his hands sliding down her arms in a slow caress until he captured hers with his. He stepped back and tugged her with him, heading for the stairs.
She followed him knowing she would go wherever Mac led her… within reason. She wasn’t about to follow him blindly, but in this one thing she would bow to his experience until she was confident she could hold her own against her vampire.
She allowed Mac to lead her past her bedroom and up the final set of stairs which led to his private space.
Lily gasped as she took in the furnished living room they entered. Unlike the rest of the house this part was decorated in plush rich furnishings, brown and cream sofas, muted wooden bookcases and a thick sumptuous carpet beneath her feet.
“The rest of us have been short-changed,” she said, a hint of reproof in her voice as well as amusement.
“The rest of you don’t live here almost permanently,” he countered, coming to stand behind her his hands resting lightly on her hips. “This is my home.”
“Not the apartment?” Her words came out sounding tart as she remembered the bedroom there and the way it had made her feel.
His hands tightened on her hips, his breath warm as he leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. “I won’t apologise for my past, Liliana,” he breathed softly. “But I will apologise for being insensitive and not considering how you’d feel when I told Karn to take you there. I should have realised it would upset you and for that I am sorry.”
Mac waited quietly to see if she’d accept his apology. When she leaned back and rested her head against his shoulder he brushed his lips against her tempting flesh once more, circling his arms around her front to fit her soft curves to his aching body. He groaned as he pressed against her back, unable to stop himself from moving against her.
“Red or white?” he whispered against her skin, his tongue snaking out to brush erotically against the pulse in the side of her neck. He could scent the sweet flow of her blood and it was as intoxicating as her heady scent of lilac and the deep musk of her arousal.
“What?” Her voice came out sounding dazed and his lips curved in a smile as they travelled up to her ear.
“Wine. Would you like red or white?” He nibbled at her earlobe feeling a tremor run through her body as she sucked in a deep breath.
“Red,” she whispered turning her head to try and capture his mouth with hers.
He ached to taste her lips again but he forced himself to step back and release her. There was nothing he wanted more than to strip off her clothes and ravish every delicious inch of her body but he needed to exercise some self-control, needed to make this first time special so she would always remember it.
Mac poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Lily, his eyes greedily drinking in her flushed cheeks and the swirling gold in the depth of hers. He could see excitement and a slight touch of uncertainty on her face. He could scent her hunger and had to fight the urge to let his need answer hers.