Chapter 45. Every Part of Him

He reached up and lightly tugged at my bottom lip, coaxing me gently to hear him out. My instinct was still to pull away, to deny him the vulnerability he craved, but beneath my resistance I felt the truth of his words pressing insistently against my heart. He was my other half—my mate—and no matter how hard I tried, I could not turn him away completely. With a soft sigh, I let go of my defenses and allowed him to guide me down until we were both seated on the soft earth, backs leaning against the mossy roots of a great tree.

I settled into a cross-legged position, my hands resting loosely in my lap. He kneeled before me, one leg folded under him, the other braced on the ground so that his feet flanked my hips protectively. His posture was open and steady; his gaze locked on mine. He reached for my hands, his long fingers warming my skin as he began to massage my palms and the spaces between my fingers.

Around us, the waterfall’s steady roar created a comforting rhythm