To listen to my July Author Q & A, go to YouTube and search

"Author AimeeLynn.

" There you'll find a voice-acted recording of

"Reth

" reading Chapter 2 of this book, along with my recent author Q & A about the Anima world, tribes, and history! All for FREE! Enjoy!

*****

KALLE

She'd never in her life had a man look at her—really look at her—the way Gahrye did. After they'd made love, something inside him cracked open. It touched her to her soul. And then, as they talked and kissed and the night got later, they ended up laying side by side, staring at each other.

When he smiled, the room got lighter.

She struggled to believe this was really happening. She put her hand to his strong shoulder and her eyes snagged on the ring now nestled on her left ring finger. Had he really proposed? Did he even know what that meant? Oh, he knew. She suspected he understood it far better than any of the men she'd known before.

She trailed her fingers along his shoulder, down to his collarbone, then his pec. She flattened her palm there, feeling his steel strength covered in velvet skin and her breath caught. Every line of him was divine—flowing, masculine strength. How was it possible he saw her as a prize?

Then she met his eyes and couldn't decide whether to laugh, or weep.

He looked at her as if he was asking the same question. She could feel it in him through the matebond.

How was this even possible.

He brought a hand up to her cheek, stroking with his thumb as he murmured,

"So beautiful.

"

She rolled her eyes to break the moment, squirming with discomfort. It felt like a lie to let him believe that.

She wasn't unattractive, she knew. She was not someone who dismissed themselves to encourage others to build them up. She was just stupidly outmatched, and she knew it. And he didn't. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but he really, truly, didn't know how gorgeous and good he was.

So, as they lay there together, staring and drinking each other in, she vowed to be the one who would make him see it.

She would tell him every day, until he believed it. And then pray he didn't leave her when it became clear to him just how wide the chasm was between them.

He shivered under her hand and she suddenly realized she'd been stroking him this whole time, her hands trailing up and down his chest. And his body was already coming back to life.

Again with the amazing man. Male, she reminded herself. Anima didn't refer to themselves as men very often. They usually used the term

"male.

"

Looking at him, she could understand why.

Her mind flashed on one of the moments when they'd finally joined, when he'd filled his hands with her, taking her in deep, rhythmic thrusts, his head thrown back—

She blinked and stifled the curling heat in her belly. But Gahrye's eyes lit up and he scooted closer, pushing up on one elbow to loom over her, stroking her hair back off her face.

"What did you think about just then?

" he asked quietly, his fingers drawing down her scalp, creating a delicious, tingling wave that washed down her shoulders and back.

She wanted to arch into it like a cat.

"You,

" she breathed.

Gahrye hummed with approval and dropped his chin to kiss her neck. She wrapped her arounds around his neck and pulled him in, desire exploding in her.

It was embarrassing the way she wanted this man. He barely had to look at her and she was already aching for him. When he kissed her… it was like her stomach exploded with light and heat.

"What do you think about, mate? I can smell you wanting me,

" he groaned. But before she could answer he rolled over, gathering her into his chest and pulling her over to straddle him.

Kalle's breath caught when they came together so simply, and he rubbed himself against her.

"You,

" she repeated, bracing herself on his chest and pressing against him until they both sighed and she dropped her head back.

"Just you, Gahrye. You are… you're all I have to think about. When you touch me…

" she trailed off as he brought his hands up to cup her breasts, then grunted and curled his body so he could latch onto one, gripping her at her lower back and rocking into her.

The change in angle, the pressure he brought against her made her breath stop and her mouth fall open. She dropped her head back to arch more fully into his mouth and he moaned.

"Can I have you again, Kalle? Please?

"

"Yes,

" she breathed, curling a hand around the back of his head pulling him in as he rolled against her again.

"Yes.

"

"Hold on,

" he whispered and sat up. He was tall enough to still look down on her even though she sat on his lap. His eyes were hot and flashing and his lower jaw already slack.

"Hold on, mate.

"

She bit her lip as he grasped her hips and shifted her, plunging into her in a single, demanding thrust.

"Gahrye!

" she sucked in and clung to his shoulders as he wrapped his arms at her lower back and tipped her backwards over them, shifting the angle again.

"Fuck you're beautiful. I can't believe it, Kalle,

" he said, thrusting into her hard enough that her breasts jiggled.

"I have ached for you my entire life. I've prayed to find you. I… I struggle to believe you're real,

" he rasped, and thrust again.

She'd meant to answer him, she really had. But then he slid one hand into her hair, but kept the other at her hip as he took her mouth again. A tiny whimper broke in her throat when he pulled back and leaned away, looking down to where they were joined. He cursed under his breath and held her tighter.

She should have been embarrassed. She should have worried about whether her stomach was making rolls, or whether she was hairier than he was used to—or maybe, not hairy enough? These things usually occurred to her. But the way he stroked her skin, the way his lips played along the side of her neck, the groan he gave when she deepened the kiss and nipped his lower lip…

All she could think about was that she was the one who'd been looking for him her whole life. He was right, this seemed impossible. And if he was right, there was a good chance she'd lose him. At least for a time.

But she couldn't focus on any of those things. As he began to roll, making their bodies sing together, and his hands stroked and teased and adored, his whispered love pelted her heart, all she could do was what he'd told her at the beginning.

Hold on.

Just hold on.

****

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