His heartfelt words brought more tears to Lily’s eyes but they were happy tears as she read the sincerity in his expression. He was laying himself fully open to her, taking down all the last barriers so she could see deep within his soul. What she saw filled her heart with so much joy, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, knowing from this point on, no matter what happened, they would lean on each other to get through it.
“I love you too, Jonah Mackenzie.” The words were heartfelt though a small giggle escaped her. “Jonah… what a fabulous name. The grey eyes are going to take a little getting used to but they are so beautiful.”
Mac smiled, feeling the last of his anxiety begin to melt away. “I guess I finally let go of the past. It was a long time in coming.” He was surprised at the change in eye colour. It would be irritating not having his dark glare to intimidate people with but he was sure he’d manage to do the same with his natural eye colour. He didn’t want anyone thinking he’d gone soft.
Lily nestled close and he tightened his hold on her, breathing in her sweet scent and luxuriating in her touch. Okay… maybe when it came to Lily and their children he’d be a bit of a pushover but just for his family, no one else. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, sugar. I want to check every single inch of your skin to make sure there isn’t a mark on you.”
Lily heard the lightness in his tone and knew he was unwinding, putting the past behind him so they could move forward. Her own tension eased and she glanced up at her mate with a saucy smile. “Every single inch…?”
She saw the flash of excitement in his eyes before Mac stifled it with a rueful smile crossing his lips. “Don’t get too excited. You’ve have a difficult day and there’s the baby to consider too. Are you still feeling nauseous? Should we talk to your mother?”
“Mac, I’m pregnant not an invalid.” Lily sighed, amusement in her eyes but secretly pleased at his concern. He was probably going to be like her father, overdoing the protectiveness thing during pregnancy. She would have to talk to her mother about ways to knock that out of him if she couldn’t come up with a solution herself.
She began to strip off her clothes, watching his eyes narrow as she slowly revealed her body to his avid gaze. With a strangled groan, he spun away, turning the shower on and setting the temperature. He was obviously determined to be good but good wasn’t what she wanted.
“Can you help me in, Mac?” Lily deliberately schooled her features to an uncertain expression, watching her mate become solicitous. In no time, he had removed his clothes and it was all she could do not to rub her hands together with glee.
“Are you feeling okay, sugar?” Mac manoeuvred them both under the spray, rinsing the blood from her face and hair. His eyes traced every feature, his fingertips gentle as they stroked down her cheeks, her neck, coming to stop at the swell of her breasts.
Lily sighed with pleasure, feeling her passion ignite instantly and craving more of her mate’s touch. She could feel Mac’s excitement pressing against her stomach and knew he wasn’t immune the situation. “I feel a bit achy, Mac.” Her voice came out on a breathless sigh.
“Where do you ache, sugar?” Mackenzie wasn’t oblivious to what his mate was up to. He told himself that now wasn’t the time to make love to her but she was so damned sexy he couldn’t stop his body from reacting to her closeness. For an answer, Lily guided his hands to her breasts that felt so tight and swollen and needed to be touched. “Here.”
Mackenzie threw his head back and laughed loudly, cupping the succulent flesh in the palm of his hands, flicking his thumbs over the hard tips begging for his touch. He growled low in his throat as Lily moaned and pressed into his hands.
“Let me see how I can ease that ache.” He lowered his head, enclosing one taut nipple in his mouth and suckling gently. His reward was another throaty moan and he suckled again, harder this time, grazing her tender flesh with his teeth. His fangs wanted to bite into her breast but he was concerned about the impact that may have on the baby. He would wait until they knew it was safe before he dined on his mate’s mouth-watering life’s essence.
Mac raised his head to look into Lily’s flushed face. She was lost in her passion, her hands greedy as they roamed down his back to cup his backside and pull him tighter to her body. “Lily, are you sure…”
Her eyes opened and the need he saw in their depths was his undoing. How was he supposed to deny his woman when her need was that great? “Love me, Mac, please love me.”
He didn’t need any more urging. He pressed Lily to the shower wall, taking her mouth in a hard, searing kiss. All of his fear and relief was in the meeting of their lips, desperation warring with tenderness as he sipped at the sweetness that was his Lily. His tongue demanded immediate entry, she granted it, moaning and holding his head to hers as their tongues duelled.
There was nothing quite like kissing Lily. It was love and lust, tenderness and passion all rolled into one. Losing himself in her mouth made his head swim and his heart race, his body hard and aching for the warmth waiting for him. He had to be gentle with her though, he had to consider her condition and keep a level head. He could wait to take his pleasure until he knew it was safe but he could never deny Lily hers.
Mackenzie eased back, smiling as his mate pouted and rumbled her displeasure. “Come on, out of the shower.” He tugged at her, uncaring they were dripping water over the floor. Wrapping his mate in a large, fluffy towel, Mac dried her briskly, taking most of the moisture out of her hair before turning the towel on himself. They were going to get the bed wet but to hell with that, he didn’t care.
Lily ached for Mac. It was torture watching him run the towel over his body. She wanted to be pressed against him, to feel his heat and hardness covering her body and driving hard into her. Her mate was being too considerate though. She would have to find a way to break his iron self-control. He was so glorious to look at, all sleek muscles signalling barely restrained power. Her mate was a beautiful specimen of maleness and she wanted him now. Lily shrieked as he suddenly threw the towel away and scooped her up into his arms.
“Stop looking at me like that, sugar, or you’re going to get the two of us in a lot of trouble.” The strain in his voice told her he was almost at breaking point. It would only take a little push further…
She shrieked again, when he tipped her onto the bed, towering over her and running his heated gaze slowly down her body. “I don’t know what part of you I love best, my Lily.” He reached down and rolled a nipple between his finger and thumb, a very male smile crossing his face as she moaned loudly.
“I love these,” he sighed. “They’re so sensitive to my touch.” He trailed his fingers lower, watching with narrowed eyes as her abdomen constricted under his touch. Her skin was so soft, so silky and inviting.
He reached her lower abdomen, halting as she sucked in a deep breath and held it. Mac met her gaze as he brushed his fingers lightly over her sex. “I love this,” he growled low in his throat. “So hot and wet for me. I can scent your excitement. It makes my mouth water because I know how succulent you taste here. I want to lick and kiss you until you scream out your pleasure.”
Lily squirmed under his touch, desperate for him to stop talking and do what he was promising. He made her so hot and needy for him, she needed a firmer touch, and she needed to feel his mouth on her body. “Mac, please…”