Chapter 240 - Love above all else (2/2)

The corner of his lip turned up into a half-grin. He tugged her toward him and gently grabbed ahold of the hem of her shirt. ”Do you have anything under this?”

Jos nodded. ”I have the same lace u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r as earlier and a pair of stretchy shorts.”

His smile widened. ”Good.” He tugged the shirt up over her head and tossed it to the side. He let his hands trail down her sides as he admired her pert b.r.e.a.s.ts pressed against the thin lace. Stopping his hands at the top of her shorts, he nudged them away from her h.i.p.s. ”Remove these.” He whispered holding her now heated gaze. ”That way you'll have dry clothes to put on for the trip back.” He added as he took a step back. He held her gaze as he unfastened the thick belt he wore and slowly pulled it out of the loops of his slacks. He tossed it to the ground beside her shirt before he began his slow workings of the button and zipper. He bit his full bottom lip as he pushed the pants past his h.i.p.s and let them pool around his feet.

Jos couldn't pull her gaze away from the tight spandex boxer b.r.i.e.f.s that squeezed every outline of his h.i.p.s, t.h.i.g.hs... and everything in between. She forced her gaze away as a deep blush spread across her cheeks. ”If you're trying to take things slow... this is kinda a bad way of going about that.” She peeked back over at him.

Arei laughed as he walked over to the water's edge and began walking into the cool waters. ”We've swum together in similar things just a week ago, why should now be different?” He teased as he lowered himself down into the depths of the stream. ”It definitely won't be the last time, especially if you're wanting to explore the submerged portions of the palace while we are here.”

Jos could feel her cheeks heat more as she pushed her shorts down and tossed them toward the other clothes. ”Well, I'd planned on wearing at least my bikini for that adventure...” She sent him a skeptical look. ”I would have assumed you'd wear trunks...” She made her way to the water's edge but didn't step into it as she watched him carefully. The beautiful glow of the waters shimmered brighter with each slight movement of his body, casting a magical blue glow to his thick torso and arms visible from where she stood.

Arei sent her a wide smile. ”I'm in shorts right now. They cover more than a speedo. Besides, your bikini covers way less than that u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. I'm not even going to deny, the day at the springs it was everything in me not to pull those tiny strings and watch it fall.”

She arched a brow as she began to step into the water. ”And then what? Pull back? Run? Push me away? Run hot and cold just as you accuse me of doing?”

Arei frowned as his eyes trailed her movements. ”You know I wouldn't, and I don't think you run 'hot and cold'. I understand your current withdraws just as I understand you're a very s.e.x.u.a.l person once that fire is lit.” He looked away as thoughts of the torturous nights spent in Maine came rushing back. ”I'm simply trying to meet you in the middle, give you... the both of us... what we want without taking it too far. I'm not doing these things to torment you, I just... I want you... that should be obvious enough...”

Jos glared at him. ”So, how did meeting me in the middle work for you last time? All you're doing is repeating the same things as before. I wasn't as experienced or understanding of emotions and relationsh.i.p.s back then. Your constant edging of our relationship drove me insane! I never knew if it was something I'd done wrong or if you were simply unattracted and only giving in to a warm, willing body...” She shrugged as she came nearer. ”I'll admit now that all my memories have returned, your words should have been enough to satisfy that self-doubting part of me, but it wasn't.”

Arei nodded as he swam closer to her and took her hands pulling her closer to him. He cupped her face as he studied her expression and the many different emotions swirling around her beautiful eyes. He held her gaze as he lowered his lips to hers for a deep kiss. He intentionally slid his hand down over her backside and pressed her into him. When she gasped against his lips, he released her. ”See, you're not ready. Let it happen organically. Until then let me show you who I really am... Let me win your full heart as the real me right here, right now.” He stroked his hand over her cheek. ”I want you to be the only person who knows the whole me... not just the ghost of a memory that you're constantly having to decern whether it was me or Ry... Not the me that has been with you since Florida.” He placed another light lingering kiss to her lips as he held her close. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered. ”I've never wanted anyone to know the things I want you to know... to see about me. I want you to know and love the parts of myself that I've hidden away all this time... the parts that I despised at one point... just as I love the parts of you that you hide from the world.”

Jos could feel a tugging in her heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her head against his shoulder. ”I would like that very much... though I can't understand why you've ever felt like hiding your other forms. They're all so beautiful.” She let one hand slide free off his neck and began tracing the pattern tattooed across both collar bones.

He spun her around in a slow circle in the water causing the waters to glow around them as he moved. ”Very much for the same reasons you can't see your own shifted forms as beautiful. Do you know that the first night I saw you shift, I thought you were the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen?”

She laughed doubtful of his words. ”I doubt that with all the beautiful creatures here at this palace.”

He stopped their slow spin. Cupping her face and gently turning her gaze up to meet his, he whispered. ”I promise you; I'd never seen anything quite as captivating.” He placed another kiss to her lips. ”It may be selfish of me, but I hope that one day you can look back and appreciate this part of our time together.”

Jos let out a heavy sigh. ”I do appreciate it, and I understand where you're coming from. I realize I'm not one hundred percent ready for a giant leap forward. I just want your word that when I am ready... when we are ready, you'll not hold back like last time.” She held his gaze as she waited for his answer.

Arei nodded. ”I promise I'll not hold back. I only held back before because of the circ.u.mstances around our being together.”

Jos frowned. ”And what has changed with that? It seems that all and all, we are back in a very similar predicament.”

Arei stroked her cheek. ”The difference is, I don't have to worry about whether you're thinking of my brother while you're kissing me. I don't have to worry about the pain I'd cause taking your maidenhead in a night of uncontrollable passion...” He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face. ”But I do still worry about messing up again and having to go through the pain of you running away from me again... or the pain that would come if you learned all there is to know about the darker aspects of my past and decide I'm not what you want... Or if for some reason you decide there's someone else you'd rather be with...”

Jos understood fully what he was trying to say. She nodded bringing her lips down to the top of his shoulder. It took a brave man to admit such things. ”I understand what you're saying, but I promise as long as you continue to be honest with me and don't try to hide things or lie to me, I'll not run away from you again. And I know what you are thinking as far as someone else, but I assure you, I only want him to be happy. I want him to find someone he really loves that free to love him back in return and able to give him all the things in life he wants and needs.” She let out a heavy sigh. ”As I'd told him, only another wolf could give him those things.”

Arei's shimmering eyes held hers. ”I promise, no more lies or half-truths, and I believe you on everything else.” He shifted her in his arms and began walking back toward the shore. He smiled when her eyes widened as he set her down on her feet beside their discarded clothes. ”Though it's beautiful out here tonight, and this is one of my favorite spots, we should probably be getting back.” He let his hand trail down over her h.i.p.s as he released her, ”Besides if we don't head back now, I may try going against my own words.”

Jos rolled her eyes as a smile covered her lips. ”You're so full of it. I bet there's nothing I could do short of... last time... that would cause you to lose your, always present, perfect composure.”