“Do you mind if I dive into the river first? We’ll sit and talk while I dry. I itch from the sweat.”

“Go ahead.”

“Move away from the edge. I don’t want you falling in. I won’t be long. I just need to rinse off.”

She took a few steps forward and heard water splashing behind her. Her gaze drifted around her surroundings until she found a warm patch of grass in the setting sun. Darkness would come soon. She hoped Drantos wouldn’t freeze when it became dark and colder. He didn’t have any clothes with him.

She fingered her skirt. She could give it to him. She still had his shirt and the jacket

that fell to her mid-thigh. It kept her covered. It would be preferable talking to a guy in a skirt over a sexy, tempting, naked one. Focus, she demanded. You need answers before you drool over his bod.

He’d won serious honor points by risking his life and facing Aveoth to get her away from him. Drantos didn’t have to come after her, yet he had. She’d insulted him by renouncing him in front of some of his people, whatever that meant in his world. It boiled down to her embarrassing him. She’d figured that much out. Most guys would sulk or just have nothing to do with a woman after that.

She couldn’t prevent her gaze from seeking him out when she heard him get out of the water.

He shook his entire body, his hair sending water in all directions, and her gaze lingered on the drops coating his tan, muscular chest. Drool worthy, she silently admitted. Best damn bod…ever. His entire form appeared sculpted to perfection, from his masculine facial features, to his broad shoulders, to that muscled flat belly.

Her attention halted on his slightly hardened cock. It amazed her that he could have so much blood in that area despite the freezing water he’d just been in. A human guy would be cursing the cold, his parts shriveled, and definitely not be looking so tempting. She forced her focus to the grass in front of her so he didn’t catch her studying him when he stopped trying to dry his body as best as he could.

“Do you want my sarong?”

“No. I’d just get it wet. Perhaps I’ll accept it when I’m dry.” He closed the distance between them until he sat just feet in front of her.

She noticed he positioned his body in a way that hid his lap, his knees drawn up, but it did nothing to hide the curve of his beefy ass when he turned slightly. His gaze met hers when she stopped gawking at him again. He had a slight grin on his lips that told her he’d noticed her interest.

“Um, yeah. Yonda. Talk.”

He drew in a deep breath, didn’t look away from her, and spoke. “I’ve had sex with her over the years but we weren’t in a committed relationship. I’ve also had sex with other women. We’re not human, Dusti. We don’t have attachments to sexual partners in the way you’d identify with or label them. It wasn’t cheating when I touched you. It would imply Yonda and I had an understanding of monogamy, which we did not.”

It hurt to imagine him with the tall long-haired woman. She didn’t want to know how many other women he’d slept with. “So you really don’t have feelings for her?”

“No. We have had sex without emotional ties.”

“I would say she had feelings. You saw how she reacted to me. I’d have died if looks could kill. She was upset.”

“That surprised me, but I think mainly her objection is because you are so human.” He blew out a breath. “She’s more of a friend than anything. I mentioned we have harsh winters. I’ve spent weeks at a time at her home, but again, we weren’t in a relationship as you’d understand it. It’s about sex and survival.”

“You have to have sex or you’ll die?” She hoped he heard the mockery laced in her voice. “Gee, I’ve never heard a guy say that before.”

“No. It was about not freezing to death during a blizzard by being stupid enough to travel from her home to mine.” He looked annoyed. “I am sorry you believed she was important to me. She isn’t. It was just sex. I was single, she lost her mate to death, and we hooked up from time to time. Does that clarify it enough for you? There wasn’t a woman in my life that I had any emotional attachments to until I met you.”

Dusti let all he’d said sink in. It really helped her understand, even though she knew she’d never want Yonda anywhere near Drantos ever again.

“I should have told you that you were my mate.”

“What does that mean?”

His beautiful eyes softened as he watched her. “It means there’s a very strong bond between us. I’d like to make it permanent.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Mates are for life. It means I’m offering to care for you, share everything that I have with you, and will protect you. I’d even die for you.”

He meant it. The sincerity in his gaze left no question.

“You don’t love me.”

An eyebrow arched. “Don’t I?”

“We just met.”

“Do you feel bonded to me?”

She did. The guy always made her feel. He pissed her off, made her so turned-on she actually hurt with a need to touch him, and when she had thought he’d cheated it had nearly ripped her guts out. “But love? I’m not sure about that.”

“I am.”

He always surprised her. “You love me?”

His jaw clenched. “I do.”

“But we just—”

“It’s a VampLycan trait, sweetheart. We fall hard and fast. I liked your spirit and the way you stood up to me. I had a taste of your blood and I knew the first time I scented your arousal that you were mine.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“It’s difficult to explain. Finding a mate doesn’t easily happen. You don’t want to know my actual age but I’ve looked for a long time for mine. You are it. We know after tasting the blood. If a woman is mate compatible it changes things inside our bodies. The first scent of arousal from that female affects us so greatly, it’s undeniable. My body knew you belonged to me. It’s as if for the first time in my life, I truly became alive.”

She had no words. Her mind tried to understand what he’d said but she had to admit she just couldn’t grasp the concept. He loved her. That part hadn’t gone unnoticed, but she couldn’t really believe it. They’d been together for such a short time. A lot had happened…but love?