His body temperature kicked up, and he wished he could somehow channel that to her.

She was still shivering as he pulled into the driveway of the Gerai house. The porch light was on, and there were three other houses’ lights visible in the distance. This area was heavily farmed, and the homes were spread out, leaving plenty of room for crops and grazing cattle.

Iain killed the wheezing engine, and lifted Jackie out of the car. The fact that she didn’t tell him to put her down spoke volumes about how bad off she really was.

He lowered her feet to the porch, and found the key taped to the underside of the porch light.

The heat inside was on, but set low in the absence of people. He laid Jackie on the couch and turned the thermostat up.

There was no fireplace here—no way to get her warm fast enough to suit him. Except for the shower.

He went into the hall bathroom and started the water running. He made quick work of stripping off her coat and shoes, toeing off his own before he picked her up and carried her right into the tub, under the spray of hot water.

Jackie gasped and sputtered, clinging to him in shock. A moment later, she moaned in pleasure and leaned toward him, going limp against his chest.

A deep sense of satisfaction filled him, making him feel stronger and more like the man he hadn’t been in a long, long time. It was the same kind of feeling he’d had when she’d first taken his luceria—a kind of rightness, as if the universal order was all set straight.

It was only a trick of the mind, or of his biology. He knew that. There was no happily ever after for a man with no soul. It was best if he accepted his fate and simply enjoyed each moment for what it offered, rather than thinking of the future.

That was a bleak place for him, and one he was going to be visiting sooner than he wanted.

Jackie’s fingers shifted along his skin. “Thank you.”

“Better?” he asked.

He felt her nod. “Still cold, but I don’t feel frozen solid anymore.”

“Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

He set her feet down, keeping a firm hold on her in case she was weaker than she thought. The water hit her head, cascading down over her body more fully now. Her dark hair went nearly black, and a pink flush began to replace the waxen paleness she’d had only moments ago. She turned inside his grip, facing away from him. He wrapped his arms around her, gripping her waist, enjoying the feel of her against his palms. Her head fell back on his chest, and as the water drops hit, he could see faint blue flickers of the shield over her wound.

“We can wash away the blood now. Turn around, and I’ll tell you when to drop the shield.”

She did as he asked, looking up at him, waiting for him to tell her when to act. Her gray eyes were so pretty up close. He could see pale silvery chips surrounding her pupils, which disappeared as her eyes dilated.

“Now?” she asked.

Iain forced himself to pay attention to where the water sprayed, guiding her head so that all the blood would be washed away as fast as possible. “Now.”

She winced as the hot water hit her head. Most of the blood had dried, closing the wound, but some of it had worked its way into her hair.

“We should wash it, just to be sure.”

She sagged at the idea, but leaned over to reach for a bottle of shampoo. Iain snatched it from her hands. “You stay under the water and get warm. I can do this.”

The truth was he wanted to. He had no idea why, but the thought of tending her like this gave him a deep sense of satisfaction. He liked taking care of her.

It had been so long since he’d really cared one way or another about much of anything, finding enjoyment was as peculiar as it was welcome. He wasn’t sure what it was about being connected to Jackie that had restored some of the man he used to be, but he was glad to be along for the ride, for however long it lasted.

He lathered her hair, being careful of her wound, while taking his time, stroking her scalp and down the tight cords at the back of her neck. The collar of her shirt irritated him, so he loosened a button and tugged it down in back so he could better feel her skin.

His fingers slid over her, lingering about the task, as he watched the minute changes in her expression to tell him what she liked most. The little frown at her mouth said he was hitting a tender spot, while the lifting of her brows and fluttering of her eyelids said he was doing it just right.

He rinsed the suds away, making sure they were all gone so none would get in her eyes. She looked up at him, opening her mouth to say something. The words seemed to die on her lips as she continued to stare. Her eyelashes were wet and spiky. Her hands were flat against his chest to hold herself steady. They began to creep up over his shoulders and around his neck. Her breasts rubbed along his chest, making his muscles clench with the need to shove her back against the shower wall and hold her there while his hands roamed her body. He could just imagine the feel of her hard little nipples beading up against his palm, or, better yet, his tongue.

He didn’t know what she was doing, but with her body pressed flush against him, he knew she had to feel the stiff length of his erection against her stomach.

Honor dictated that he step back and flee this situation before he forgot himself.

Iain commanded his muscles to move, but they all stayed locked in place, rigid and unyielding. The monster inside of him salivated, dying for a chance to get loose and take what Iain’s honor dictated did not belong to him.

Jackie would choose another man soon, and as much as he hated the idea, as much as it made his monster scream in rage, he knew she’d be grateful to him later for not giving in to his baser urges. She could go to her real mate—the one she should have been with now—with no guilt or regrets.

Before he had time to find the strength to take that long step back, she went up on tiptoe, and kissed him.

Iain’s breath left his body in a surprised rush. Of all the things she could have said or done, that was not something he’d expected. Still, his reaction was visceral, swift, and uncontrollable. Everything inside of him, both man and monster, stood up and cheered as he gave in to her kiss. His hands slid around her, cupping her ass and pulling her up closer to his mouth. He flicked his tongue across her lips, begging to be let inside. She opened for him easily, as if eager for his taste.

Her sweet sigh of pleasure filled his mouth. He tilted her head back, taking as much from her kiss as she let him. The taste of her went to his head, casting out thoughts and concerns. All that mattered now was the feel of her in his arms and the scent of her skin, hot from the shower.

For the first time he could remember, both parts of him were in complete accord, working together toward a common goal.

Her fingers snaked beneath the soggy hem of his shirt. They were shaking, but whether from cold, fatigue, or something else, he couldn’t tell. He knew he should stop and ask, stop and make sure she was well, but he couldn’t seem to find the strength to pull away from her soft, sweet mouth.

She tugged on his shirt, making a faint noise of irritation. It took him a minute to figure out that she was trying to pull it off, but he wasn’t cooperating, and the fabric was clinging to his skin, making the task impossible for her.

Iain stripped it off and went right back to kissing her. His earlier connection to her mind flared to life again, burning bright in his thoughts. He could feel her frenetic need, feel the empty ache low in her belly, and the swollen heat of her breasts. There was a franticness within her that went beyond lust. It was deeper than that, more desperate. She was barely holding on to her control, on the verge of collapsing into an emotional heap of despair and self-doubt. She’d been through too much, was holding too much emotion in. She’d decided to let it out, and he was going to help her.

If that’s what she needed, he was powerless to stop himself from giving it to her.

In a heartbeat, he shifted gears, discarding his good intentions for better ones. He was going to give her everything she wanted, and then some. The fact that it was exactly what he wanted only made the task that much sweeter.

Jackie had worked the buttons of her shirt free, and slipped her arms out of the straps of her bra to bare her breasts. She rubbed herself against his chest, and the feel of her bare skin on his made his spine light up with sensation.

He let out a noise that was more monster than man and pinned her shoulders against the wall. He held her there so he could look his fill, watching as the water trickled over her flushed skin.

Her nipples were tightly beaded, her breasts swollen and begging for his mouth. He didn’t even try to resist, lowering his head to flick his tongue over first one nipple, then the other. She sucked in a breath, and when he covered the tip of her breast with his mouth and suckled her, she let it out again on a long sigh of pleasure.

Her fingernails dug into his scalp, and the monster growled out his approval.

The water began to feel cool on his heated skin, and his protective instincts broke through the haze of lust long enough to remind him to keep her warm. He wanted her hot and relaxed for what he was going to do to her, not huddled up and shivering.

Iain turned off the water and unbuttoned her pants. The wet fabric clung to her legs, but he had her gloriously naked in seconds, then made quick work of shedding what was left of his own soggy clothing.

He wrapped her up in a towel and carried her into the closest bedroom. She kissed his neck as he walked, her tongue sliding over the skin where his luceria used to lie. It was ultrasensitive to the touch, making his whole body clench in desire. He barely had the sense to toss back the covers before laying her on the bed.

Jackie’s gaze roamed over his naked body, her eyes darkening with lust as she worked her way down to his cock. He was harder than he’d ever been, aching with the need to slide inside of her.

A momentary flash of doubt flickered through him, but he couldn’t tell if it was his or hers. He was too closely linked to her, too distracted by the sight of her glorious body, to separate the two.

She was so fucking pretty, all sleek, feminine lines and sweet, flowing curves. Her breasts were just the perfect size to fill his hands. Her narrow waist flared to womanly hips, and the damp patch of curls between her thighs made him want to spread her legs wide so he could see all of her, taste her. She wouldn’t always be his, but for now, in this moment, she was, and he was going to make sure she knew it.

Iain slipped into the bed beside her. His cock rubbed against her hip, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from losing control. She turned toward him, shoving him back onto the bed. Her arms trembled with effort, but she held herself over him, staring down into his eyes. “It’s been a long time for me. I may be out of practice.”

“Don’t fucking care,” he managed to say, his voice rough with unsated lust. He could guarantee it had been even longer for him, since he hadn’t been with a woman since long before she was born. Hadn’t even thought about it.

“Good,” she said, and then she kissed him, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth.

If the lightning storm going off in his brain was any indication, she hadn’t forgotten what to do. His cock bucked against her stomach, and he could feel slick wetness gathering at the tip.