Skyler stroked her fingers over the blanket of vines. “We’re very lucky to have such help when we need it. Both of us were pretty banged up.”

His heart contracted. He never wanted to relive those first few moments when she had flung her body in front of his to prevent the silver bullets from hitting him. His arms tightened around her, nearly crushing her, but she didn’t struggle, just accepted his need to hold her close.

“Don’t ever do that again, Skyler. Can you imagine what it was like for me thinking you were dead?”

She turned her head to look up at him. “Yes, Dimitri.” Her voice was very firm. “I can imagine, seeing as how I did think it was possible you were dead.”

“I’m sorry, csitri.” He brushed another kiss over the top of her head. “I didn’t want you to connect with me because I knew you’d feel my pain.”

“Rather that than believe you were dead,” she said very soberly. She waved her hand and the blanket over them retreated. “I know I have to face my father and his disappointment in me for lying to them. I’d rather just get it over with.”

“You know I planned a wedding for you. A human one. The kind you talked about with your friends, with Gabriel walking you down the aisle. I wanted to bind you to me in front of them, and make that ritual special for you,” Dimtri reiterated. “It was important to you to include your family and I did want that for you.”

She got to her knees, wincing, as her body protested, telling her she wasn’t anywhere near healed. Kneeling up beside him, she leaned over him, framing his face, her hair falling around her like a silken cape. “Our ritual was special to me. I asked you, Dimitri. It was important to me that we be bound together. You didn’t dismiss me as a child. You listened to what I had to say. You told me your concerns and trusted me to listen to you. In the end, in spite of your reluctance, you did as I asked. That made our binding special for me.”

He frowned at her. “Has it been difficult to have so many people telling you that you’re too young for everything?”

She bent her head to his, brushing her mouth carefully over the chain loops burned into his forehead. “You have no idea how annoying it can be. Actually, it was Josef who made it easier for me. He finds it amusing that everyone around him dismisses him as a child. I developed a sense of humor about it—most of the time.”

She frowned, studying the perfect image of a chain burned so deep into his skin. She brushed a fingertip over it, tracing the chain completely around his head in a circle. She could feel where the chain had burned into his skull.

I call to you, Mother, bring forth your might,

As I seal these paths that would bring pain and blight.

I call to aloe, so green and cool,

Bring forth your life’s blood again to heal.

Each line I trace, may it fade day to day,

Taking all that causes pain away.

Her soft voice faded and she leaned forward to trail more kisses around the chain loops, and use the healing saliva as she traced the link with the tip of her tongue.

Dimitri found her ministrations not only soothing, and extremely intimate, but sexy as well. She had actually straddled his body, kneeling up, his h*ps between her thighs, her br**sts pressed close to his face as she administered to him.

He brought his hands up to gently cup the soft weight of her br**sts in his hands. He felt her quick intake of breath. She went still, but she didn’t move. Her heart fluttered beneath his hand. She leaned in again, pressing her br**sts deeper into his palms as she kissed his eyes and down his nose.

She took her time to find his mouth, using a tantalizing roundabout path that included his ears and his jaw before moving back to his lips. He brushed his thumb over her nipple. Featherlight. Immediately he felt her reaction, the shiver, the heat, the flush of her body, her startled eyes jumping to meet his gaze.

“Kiss me, sívamet. I want to get to know your body. I’m not asking anything of you, this is not the time or the place,” he whispered, “but you are mine. This beautiful body is in my keeping. I need to see every wound. I need to know every curve. Everything that makes you gasp with pleasure and wince with fear.”

Her eyes searched his for what seemed an eternity, although she hadn’t stiffened or gone tense. She slowly linked her fingers at the nape of his neck and leaned forward to take possession of his mouth.

He kissed her deeply while sensations poured into him, igniting a flash fire in his every nerve ending. Kissing her over and over, wanting her lost in those same sensations, he began to explore her body with his hands. He mapped out every inch of her gently, the pads of his fingers going over her skin as if he was reading braille. The long line of her back. Her small rib cage. That tucked-in waist and those flaring hips. Her firm bottom that seemed to fit perfectly in his hands. Her thighs, and calves. Even her feet.

Dimitri took his time, exploring her body, careful not to make a single demand, simply familiarizing himself with her. Her br**sts were very sensitive. She gasped each time he tugged or rolled her ni**les. He licked at them, using a broad flat stroke of his tongue, as his hand slipped up her thigh to the growing heat between her legs.

She made a small sound that was somewhere between fear and excitement. He lifted his head to look into her eyes, keeping his hand pressed tight against her mound.

“Kiss me again,” he whispered. “Just let yourself feel. I’m not going to do anything but learn your body.”

She obeyed him instantly, finding his mouth again, kissing him a little frantically. He kept his hand still as he kissed her over and over waiting for her to relax into him again.

That’s my girl, he whispered into her mind. I meant what I said about taking your body into my keeping. You’ll always be safe with me. Just let yourself feel, not think. You’re with me, and I’ll cherish and protect you for all time.

He felt her settle, her body warm against his. The junction between her legs had grown hot and gone damp. He moved one finger in a slow, lazy circle, kissing her mouth and then her chin, down her throat, back to that soft swell of her breast. Every movement he made was gentle and nonthreatening, but designed to heighten her senses.

His tongue teased her left nipple, stroked and licked. His teeth grazed her and then he drew her nipple into the heat of his mouth. She gasped, arched, pushed deeper into him. At the same time, he pushed his finger into her tight, scorching hot sheath. Her muscles clamped down tightly around him, as if she grasped him with a tight fist. He nearly groaned aloud at the feel of her body’s reaction to his small invasion.

You’re all right. Just feel how good it feels when you’re with someone who really loves you. You’re my world. My everything. For me, you’ll always be the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world. I love you and I love your body. I want to make you feel like this, but more.

I’m not certain I can take more. She sounded frightened.

What is it?

I feel a little out of control.

That’s exactly what you should be feeling. When we do make love, csitri, we both will be a little out of control, but we’ll be safe with each other.

Slowly, reluctantly, he withdrew his finger, took another gentle pull on her breast and then lifted his head. She was wide-eyed, a little dazed, her breathing just a bit ragged, and her body was totally flushed. He kissed her again, this time long and slow.

“You’re so beautiful, Skyler. Just like this. I don’t think there will ever come a day that I’ll be able to resist you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close to her. “You surprise me all the time, Dimitri. You always seem to know exactly what to do. You make me feel beautiful and special.” She paused, squirming a little.

“What is it, sívamet?” Dimitri coaxed gently. “We’ve always been able to tell each other everything.”

“It’s a little harder, face-to-face with no clothes on,” she admitted. She pulled back just enough so their eyes could meet, blushing a deep shade of red. “I really wanted you. I was afraid, but I didn’t want you to stop.”

“I didn’t want to stop either,” he confessed, “but even though no one can see or hear us, I don’t want half the Carpathian population around either.”

“You even made me forget about them,” Skyler acknowledged. “My mind took off and went somewhere else.”

Dimitri laughed softly. “Lie back and let me take a look at these bullet holes. They’re still pretty raw looking. Do you hurt?”

“A little,” she conceded.

His hands were on her body, a little possessively, forcing her to lie back while he inspected the damage done to her. “These injuries are going to take some time to heal. Between getting shot and the conversion, I think your body needs to spend some time in the ground.”

“But not here,” Skyler said. “I don’t know how long this shelter will last. I’ve never tried such a thing before. Tatijana might be able to tell us.” She smoothed back his hair with loving fingers. “I’m not the only one who needs a lot more time to heal.”

He brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth, kissing her knuckles tenderly. “I’m just fine. A little blood and I’ll be up and running.”

She rolled her eyes. “I see. That manly man thing you’ve mentioned in the past. I guess I just haven’t gotten the concept. Worse, Paul and Josef now say the same thing.”

He grinned. “See? Even they know.”

Skyler shook her head. “I hate to burst your manly bubble, but they say it about themselves.”

Dimitri did his best to look deflated, just to get a smile out of her. Tension was beginning to wear on her—the thought of facing her father and uncle. She was worried about her mother and younger sister as well.

“Let’s go face the music and see if anyone has any ideas on where we can go and how we’re going to get there,” he suggested.

Skyler pressed her lips together and gave a small nod. “I’ll need clothes.”