9781618854704HolidayGemBeckNC (4 page)

“I
should feed you,” Seamus spoke in a huskier voice than she’d heard before.

“Yes.
You should.” Gemma thought she might have a different idea of their meal than
he did.

Seamus
grinned at her tone.
“Dinner first, Snow White.
Then
we’ll see about dessert.” He tugged on her arm and walked out of the room and
into the kitchen.

“My
mother always let me have a sampling of dessert before dinner,” Gemma teased.
She followed him but the kitchen wasn’t the room she wanted to go to.

“A
sampling?”
Seamus asked the question just before
he reached around and without warning, swung her up onto the counter. She
squealed and grabbed his waist with her legs to hold him to her. Gemma needed
this more than food.

“I
like you here,” Seamus agreed, “You’re just my height now. It’s the perfect
height to…” Instead of finishing his sentence, Seamus brought his lips gently
to hers. Despite a brief spark, the touch was soft. He explored her lips with
his tongue until she opened to him and their tongues danced. It was a moment
she would never likely forget and then it was over too soon. “A sampling,”
Seamus said before trying to move from her.

Gemma
locked her legs around him, not wanting to let him go. “I want more.”

“Yes,
I was warned of your soul sin,” he teased.

“That’s
right. Until we’re mated, I can’t fight the greed. You’ll just need to claim me
so we can be done with this nastiness of my soul sin.” Gemma taunted him by
undoing a few of the buttons on her oversized men’s shirt. She loved to wear
these shirts with leggings whenever she was at home but now it seemed more
convenient than ever.

Realizing
what she was doing, Seamus tried to cover her hands to stop her from
unbuttoning the next one. “You stop right there. You need food. Don’t deny it.”
He shook his head and then continued, “Let me make you dinner. Then I promise
to spend the rest of the night claiming you.” Seamus raised his eyebrows and
then winked.

Laughing,
Gemma released her legs and acquiesced. She was hungry. And the food would give
her strength to last through the night he promised.

 
As it turned out, Seamus was a remarkably good
cook. He made her a pasta dish with whatever he found in the refrigerator.
Since she’d cleaned it out for her visit to the US, there wasn’t much there.
That fact made his meal even more incredible though she worked alongside him to
clean as he cooked. It seemed Seamus made a mess wherever he went.

“You
don’t like to clean, do you?” Gemma inquired.

“I
clean when I’m done with my task.” Seamus shrugged.

“You
realize this is going to drive me crazy? I need order, neatness, and organization.
Are you familiar with any of those things?” Gemma was only half-joking. What
would she do about his messy habits?

“You’ll
get used to me,” Seamus shrugged again seeming unconcerned. “Look, you’re
already doing it. We’re working great together here.”

Gemma
sighed. He was right.

While
they ate dinner, she discovered Seamus was Anthony
Bonmarito’s
son. It was no wonder then that he knew what would heal Gemma. She’d worked
with Anthony on a few occasions and his knowledge of his field was nothing
short of remarkable. A flash of her and Anthony working more closely in the
future went through her mind. The Goddess worked in miraculous ways to ensure
mates were perfectly paired.

* * * *

Leaning
across the table as she finished her meal, Seamus brushed his lips against hers.
He was slow to deepen the kiss so they could savor the moment. Gemma sighed and
opened to him when she felt his tongue swipe along her lips. He was completely
taken in by her.

As
part of the Valendite Breed, Seamus was raised by his parents to know the
prophecy and to appreciate the significance of claiming a mate. He planned to
treasure Gemma just as they had taught him until the day he died. The sharing
of blood was so sacred that nothing could tear them apart. Not only would their
blood bond them together, but it would also sustain Seamus and prolong Gemma’s
life so she could live as long as he did.

Slowly
drawing out of the kiss, Seamus framed her face with his gentle hands. Gemma
immediately looked up at him and he shivered at the depth of emotions he read
in her light brown eyes. He knew he wouldn’t ever get used to this feeling.

“Do
you know what to do?” Seamus asked her expectantly.

“Of
course.
I’ve spent years researching our race,” Gemma
smiled up at him. He felt foolish for asking, realizing his mistake. Of course
she knew about the blood exchange. She likely knew more than he did. That
thought stopped him in his tracks. Oh fuck, she definitely knew more than he
did. Seamus allowed himself to be intimidated for one moment before he focused
back in on the Claiming.

“Let
our blood exchange bind us now and forever,” Seamus whispered against her lips
before drawing on her again, nipping along her lips and seeking entrance.

Such
gentleness he had never known until Gemma was the woman before him. He sucked
on her tongue and then nipped as gently as he could while still drawing out her
precious, life-giving blood. She responded by nipping his lip as he tried to
pull away.

With
the first drop of blood into his mouth, Seamus lost some control. Their blood blended
and his head spun. Seamus growled out his pleasure and knew all gentleness
would be washed away and all playing would be left behind. He feared
frightening her even as his chest rumbled with his desire for her. Gemma tensed
ever so slightly before she relaxed again into his warmth.

“I
want you just as you are. You will never hurt me,” she assured him, already
able to feel his emotions. Seamus could feel her desire now as if it were his
own. Together their desire was near explosive as everything they were-every
particle of their beings-wrapped around one another now.

“Oh
Goddess, Seamus, please. I know you won’t hurt me and I need to feel more. I’m
greedy for more still,” Gemma’s breathless voice came across his skin like a
whisper.

“Me
too, beautiful.”
In one quick movement, Seamus had Gemma
in his arms. His long legs carried them to her bedroom. There was no stopping
this now and certainly no more slowing it down. With a focused intensity,
Seamus set Gemma down and willed both their clothes from their bodies. “No use
in wasting time when I can do it so much faster,” he grinned and winked at
Gemma who smiled right back.

Holy
fuck, she was absolute perfection in all her naked glory.

“We’re
fully bonded now. I can feel your emotions,” Gemma spoke in awe. “Oh Goddess, I
can really feel your emotions.”

 
“
It’s
way more
powerful than I’d imagined it would be. I feel like you are inside of me.”
Seamus spoke while he took in his fill of her body. She was a petite little
thing, likely not more than five feet four or so, and she had flawless skin
everywhere. There wasn’t a blemish or freckle on her tiny body. Seamus shivered
at the thought of how small she was, how breakable she might be.

“What
was that?” Gemma asked when she sensed his emotions shift.

Seamus
knew then there were no more hiding feelings from his mate and he sighed. “You
are so tiny. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Are
you bragging about your size, stud?” Gemma batted her eyelashes and beamed up
at him. As he stood gaping at her comment, she moved forward, wrapped her arms
around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

“You
little tease, you know what I meant. I am so large-my whole body-that you seem
all the more fragile,” Seamus lowered his voice and dipped his head to smell
her hair. “You’re a breakable as the porcelain your skin reminds me of.”

“And
now you’re just sweet talking.”

“Okay.
I can see you aren’t going to be serious.” Seamus ran his hands along the sides
of her torso to find the ticklish places. Along the way, Seamus was able to
learn some of the landscape of her body as his hands trailed her curves. Then
finally, Gemma’s laugh was the reward for finding her sweet ticklish spots.

“Stop.
Stop, Seamus. I’ll be serious,” Gemma was breathless from the tickling. “The
Goddess placed us together as mates. She is all knowing. I have to believe that
we will fit-in every way- perfectly.” Gemma winked at him and turned out of his
arms to pull the bed linens down.

 
When he saw Gemma climb onto the bed on her
hands and knees, nothing could hold him back. Seamus came up behind her so that
her bottom was firmly against his abdomen. He could smell her arousal as he
arched his back over her.

“Seamus,
I was fixing the pillows for us so we could get comfortable. Now let me turn
around.”

“Not
on your life. I’m comfortable right here.” Seamus added a few thrusts as
explanation.

“So
you’re an ass man?”

“Yes,
ma’m
, I am,” Seamus answered
her while running his hands along her lightly flared hips and beautifully
curved ass. If only she knew the truth. Since all his other experiences with
women had been alongside Donovan, being an ass man was a necessity. Those days
were now long gone and he didn’t have a regret in the world.

“I’m
going to touch you now,” Seamus spoke into her ear, bent over her body to feel
the warmth spread across him. He just needed to make love to her, to claim her
as his mate. Warmth radiated out from each spot he touched along her skin.
There was
an energy
between them whenever they
touched.

“I
thought you already were.”

“But
now, Snow White, I plan to touch you right here,” Seamus spoke the words as he
wrapped his right arm around her leg and placed his fingers in the juncture of
her thighs. It was wet and he could smell her arousal. His nostrils flared as
he took deep breaths and allowed his eyes to flutter closed. Fuck, he could nearly
taste her arousal. Never before had his senses been this sharp, this intense.

With
a grin, he flipped her and laughed at her shriek of surprise. Seamus leaned
right over her again, boxing her in with his arms on either side of her head.
His body lightly touched hers from knees to chest. He spoke softly into her ear
so she’d have to strain to listen. He wanted her full attention. “You do
realize that our blood bond will make the sex we are about to have even hotter
than anything you’ve ever experienced.”

“I’m
looking forward to the first-hand knowledge of that.” Gemma took Seamus off
guard by replying so coyly, but then she gasped as he licked a path from her
ear and down her throat. Seamus wanted to play with her.

Chapter Three

Gemma
brushed her hands along the contours of his back as Seamus lay on top of her.
His muscles rippled with raw power as he held himself just above her. Each
muscle tightened slightly as she stroked over it. Seamus exuded a sexy strength;
the vibrations emanating from him flared Gemma’s desire until a glowing aura of
light surrounded them.

“My
powers,” she said with awe as she looked around them. Gemma felt small as she
contemplated her powers and moved her arms around Seamus, only to realize they
didn’t meet in the back. He was massive compared to her smaller frame. He was
power and she felt a frisson of safe refuge in his arms. He would protect her.
She would never have to be afraid again. An image of her panic attacks leaving
her body sent a shiver through her and she looked up at him as he brought his
head up from her chest.

“Did
you feel that?” Seamus asked.

“My
anxiety; it was as if it just left me,” Gemma couldn’t hold back the awe in her
voice. Her relief was so great. A giant burden had been lifted and Seamus did
that for her. She reached up to him and sucked on his lower lip.

Seamus
ran his tongue along her mouth until Gemma let go of his lip and stroked his
tongue with her own. Her fingers still clung to the muscles bulging along his
arms as he held himself above her, but she lost herself in their kiss. A heat
inside of her grew intense. Gemma couldn’t stop her need to touch every part of
this miraculous man. She yearned to know him intimately, needing him to belong
to her in every possible way. Gemma gasped as she pulled away from his mouth to
run her tongue along the curve of his shoulder. Seamus was salty and complete
male deliciousness. His skin was smooth but the muscle just below was firm.
Everywhere she touched, he was hard.

Gemma
squealed when Seamus flipped her so she was now lying on top of him. Since she
wasn’t prepared for the movement and hadn’t put out her hands, her body was
flat against him. It was delicious as she felt her softer body melt into his
muscle. Seamus’s rock hard cock rested between them.