Ginger was grateful for the servant that helped her get Khazaara to the room and to the bed, even more grateful when he left them alone. She helped him out of his boots then considered her clothes.
She definitely took off her vest. She'd need to change her patch soon anyway. She kept her apple-green eyes on his as she took off her boots and socks then stripped off her torn pants. She licked her lips briefly then pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her in a tank top and her underwear.
In her defense, her pants were bloody and ripped. Her shirt had blood on it too. She should probably shower and rinse the rest of the blood off...
But she didn't want to walk away from him.
"Do you want Khazaara or Noah? Or something else? They're both you, but neither is all of you," she asked him softly.
She stepped into him, sucking in a sharp breath as his hand slid over her hip and thigh where she'd just been operated on. The only reason she was nervous about taking off the rest of her clothes was because she was covered in freckles. They were everywhere. And she'd gotten some nasty comments in the past about them.
But his fingers moving over her new scar had her skin tingling and made her wonder what it would feel like if he touched her more.
She put her hands on his shoulders and slowly leaned in to his neck, inhaling his blackberry scent and found more to it. It made her give a pleased rumble as she nosed at his fur until she found the skin underneath, finding more to his scent. There was even a hint of gunpowder to it. But she liked it...
"My own Blackberry..." she whispered more to herself, not really realizing that she'd said it out loud.
She made a pleased sound when she felt his hands moving around her, felt him nuzzling at her neck and pulling a shiver from her with a soft gasp at the sensation that raised goosebumps on her skin.
But she still pulled up enough to look into his eyes and licked her lips nervously, "Do.... Do you still..." she wanted to ask if he still wanted her but she couldn't get the words out.
She knew what would happen if he didn't. But she'd accept it. She wouldn't force him to claim her if he didn't want her now.
So much had tried to break her. Her own Mate hadn't wanted her and had tried to kill her. The Hunters had tried as well. She'd fought for a place in the Den. She'd been rejected in other ways. She'd been outcast. She'd been been through a lot.
This? If he didn't want her?
Well...
She hoped he still did...
She reached up to cup his cheek but she hesitated, not sure if he wanted her to. She caught her lip in her teeth as she searched his eyes.
She felt his fingers still tracing over that new scar and wondered what he was thinking, why that was what he was concentrating on.
Then his other arm tightened around her waist to pull her in tight against him, making her pull in a sharp breath then a soft gasp when he gave a deep growl that she could feel everywhere they were touching. Her hands moved to his shoulders, her body pliant to him even as his possessive hold had her scent nearly flooding the room.
Did she really dare hope that he wanted her?
