“Mitch, despite my experiences with the coven, there are still many things I am completely innocent of. I have never been kissed. I’ve never been touched in a loving manner or been made love to. I have never enjoyed sex, much less had an orgasm. I’ve never wanted to have those things done to me outside of daydreams about my smutty books until I met you. I’ve also never experienced physical attraction. I’ve never felt the need to touch someone else the way I need to touch you. I want to explore your body and discover what gives you pleasure. I’ve never wanted to give someone pleasure before. I can’t wait to touch and taste you all over.” Miranda’s face continued to burn as she shared her thoughts, though she was able to raise her eyes when she heard him moan.

“Oh, Miranda. You’re burning me alive with your words. I’ve never wanted someone the way I want you. I promise you, I will not do anything you do not want. You will set the pace.” Once again, Mitch brushed his hands across Miranda’s face gently, almost lovingly. The soft look on his face held a hint of sadness to it. “There’s something else we need to talk about, Miranda. How much do you know about how Gifted Ones are mated?”

“I didn’t know there was something specific about it. I just assumed it was like regular people. They meet, fall in love, get married. Why?”

Mitch sighed before answering, “It’s nothing like that for Gifted Ones. Our lifemates are chosen by the fates. When a pair is mated, a ring of flesh rises around their necks. The crest is unique to each pair. The process is quite painful, so there is no doubt as to their mating.”

“So, how does a GO find their lifemate?”

“The mating takes place only during sex. To find one’s lifemate, a GO must, essentially, sleep around, testing each possibility. And because it happens during the first time a pair is together, if it doesn’t happen, there is no need for the pair to continue relations. That is why the Merlin made the rule about not having sex with a person more than once. So people don’t become too attached to someone they cannot permanently mate with.” Miranda’s face showed her confusion regarding the rule he’d just stated. “You’ve never heard of the rule?” Miranda shook her head. “There are rules that govern all Gifted Ones. One of those rules forbids having sex with a person more than once unless mated. It’s a rule that really isn’t enforced that often because people do fall in love and decide to stay together, even if it’s against fate’s dictation. They simply stop looking for their intended. Of course, it’s not exactly fair to their intended, since they no longer have the opportunity to mate and have children. The parties involved in a non-mated union have to accept they will not be able to have children of their own and may be ostracized by their coven. It doesn’t happen often, the ostracizing, but it has happened.”

Miranda caught onto what he was saying quickly. “That is not an option for you, is it?”

“No. Not as second-in-command and heir apparent. It doesn’t matter how much I might love someone, I will still have to continue searching for my intended. And I don’t see how any woman could stand by while their husband is forced to go “testing” as many other females as possible. Plus, I couldn’t do that to someone I loved anyway. I could never hurt them like that.”

“Where does that leave us? Is there an ‘us’?”

“I don’t know. It leaves me conflicted. On the one hand, I have never craved a woman more than I crave you. I’ve never felt for anyone else what I feel for you, even after so short a time. I feel I could easily love you, if I don’t already. On the other hand, I am scared if we should make love, it would fail the mating test. After that, I could never be anything more than a friend to you, and I already want to be so much more. As it stands, there really isn’t anything we can do about it. I know you need time to heal, emotionally and physically, so we can put off a decision until after that.”

“I understand what you’re saying. I’m just afraid something will happen to split us up, and if we put off being together, it will be too late. Do I understand correctly it is only during intercourse that the test occurs? So we could please each other physically as long as we didn’t become one?” Mitch nodded. Miranda stood up from her chair, indicating she wanted Mitch to stand up as well. “What about here? Can we be fully intimate in our dreams?” Miranda tugged Mitch’s hand, leading him back toward the house.

Mitch thought deeply for several moments, almost unaware of where Miranda was leading him. “Yes, I think we can be intimate without triggering the mating test or disobeying the law. We wouldn’t physically be doing anything, just loving each other with our minds. Are you sure you want to explore that, though?”

“Absolutely. I want you to show me how it feels to be loved, Mitch. Emotionally and physically. Can you do that for me?” Miranda whispered, pulling herself onto the bed before widening her knees enough to allow Mitch to step between them.

Mitch stroked his hands over her hair before bringing them forward to cup her face in his hands. “Yes, Miranda. I can do that for you. But if at any time you begin to feel uncomfortable, you must stop me immediately. Like I said earlier, you are in charge here. We will only do what you want, when you want it. Okay?”

Miranda looked up into Mitch’s eyes, seeing the gentleness there, along with an emotion she couldn’t place, wouldn’t place, but which she suspected was shining from her own eyes. Miranda nodded her agreement. Her heart was thundering in her chest in excitement and anticipation. There was no fear. Miranda knew that she had nothing to fear from Mitch, other than the possibility of losing him. She had no idea how she could have come to care so much for another person so quickly, but she had. She wasn’t about to waste time on what-ifs, not when they might not have much time.

Miranda reached up, running her hands up Mitch’s bare chest. She’d been dying to touch it since she first saw him in the river. She could feel Mitch’s chest rumble in a low moan, which set off her own. Miranda continued the path upward, finally reaching his neck to pull him the last few inches toward her. Mitch’s lips met hers hesitantly, softly. There was nothing gentle about the thrill that went through her, though. Miranda moaned deep in her throat again, desire burning through her every thought until all she could feel was Mitch and what he was doing to her.

Mitch’s reaction to their chaste kiss took him by surprise. His body blazed for her, aching to feel every inch of her pressed against him. He somehow managed to keep the kisses gentle and slow, not wanting to scare her. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this enflamed over something as simple as a kiss. Finally, he couldn’t stop himself from pushing for something more. He slid his tongue out, lightly licking her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Immediately, Miranda groaned deep in her chest, opening her mouth and melding herself to him. Their tongues dueled, exploring each other’s mouths, sharing their breath. Mitch wasn’t sure how it happened, but he became aware that he’d pushed Miranda back onto the bed and half-covered her body with his own. He could feel her breasts pushing into his chest, and her hip pressed against his thigh. He thought he might combust from the feel of her body pressed against his own. Miranda pulled her outer leg up, her foot dragging along his leg before hooking her ankle around his knee and pulling him even tighter against her wet heat and his hard cock into her hip. He’d been trying to keep his hardness from touching her, fearing it would trigger bad memories, but she only moaned again, pressing herself even harder against him.

Miranda couldn’t believe the heat rushing through her veins. She felt like her body was on fire, and she was desperate to feel Mitch’s hard body pressed even tighter against her own. She could not get him close enough, not even if she unzipped his skin and crawled in. She allowed her hands to roam his chiseled chest and shoulders, lightly caressing each ridge and bulge of muscle and sinew. The man’s body was sinful, and Miranda couldn’t wait to explore it further. She pushed against Mitch’s shoulder gently, meaning for him to turn them over, but instead he froze before beginning to carefully pull away. Miranda clutched at his shoulders, not allowing him to move further away.

“No, baby, it’s okay. I just wanted us to roll over so I could be on top. I didn’t mean for you to stop.” Mitch hesitated a moment longer, looking into her eyes to assure himself she really was okay. He also took a moment to revel in her use of a loving pet name. No one had ever called him that except during the throes of passion, and even then, he’d always wondered if it was because they’d forgotten his name. Mitch smiled at Miranda before rolling them over so he was now on his back and she was sprawled on top of him. It felt really good to have her slight weight resting on him, like he’d been crafted to hold her. Unsure of where to allow his hands to settle, he finally placed them on the bed beside them. Miranda was apparently not content with that, however, as she pulled both hands up to clasp her hips as she moved to straddle his. They both moaned loudly at the feel of their groins pressed against each other.

Miranda enjoyed the feeling of control being on top gave her, and she fully intended to take advantage of it. She leaned back down to continue their kisses, her hardened nipples brushing across the sparse hair on his chest, before she began trailing her lips across his chiseled jaw to the delicate flesh below his ear. She licked the spot, causing Mitch to moan and shift under her. She continued her explorations, licking her way down his neck, stopping periodically to nip and suck at a particularly sensitive area, often causing him to gasp or twitch. She could feel Mitch’s breathing become heavy and fast and his body grow even harder beneath her. She pressed her dripping pussy down along his length, shuddering at the feel of having him pressed so intimately against her.

She continued her kisses down his chest, stopping to lick and nibble at his flat nipple, teasing it to a hard little point. Mitch shuddered beneath her when she gently bit down on it, before blowing cool across the wetness left behind. His moans were nearly continuous now, coming with each exhale. His hands on her hips, despite his efforts at keeping them gentle, held tightly to her, helping her grind her wet heat down onto his hard cock. She could feel him as she ground her throbbing pussy against him rhythmically, the length and breadth of his still-covered member making her body beg for more. Her own body was trembling, the tension within her coiling.

“Mitch,” Miranda gasped out between kisses. “Is it possible to have an orgasm with what we’re doing?”