Choosing Theo: The Clecanian Series Book 1 Victoria Aveline (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📖

submit to him, but she’d also soothed him when he’d feared she was in pain.

He looked down at her resting without fear in his arms. Bits of leaves were scattered throughout her wild red hair. Her nipples were light pink and swollen from his ministrations.

There would be no female in the universe more perfect for him than this one. For as long as he could remember, even before he’d been scarred, he’d been taught to hide his Traxian tendencies. His temper and animalistic aggression were all Traxian qualities and were therefore unwelcome by the pure Lignas females of Tremanta.

Jade seemed to crave that side of him. Tonight, for the first time in his life, he’d felt truly free and accepted. If only mates still existed. If she were his true mate, they’d never be parted. Laws of matehood outweighed all others.

Sadness and shame washed over him once more. He didn’t deserve her as a mate. Hadn’t treated her as such thus far. Only a few days ago, she’d told him she wanted to enjoy herself while she was here. That meant she was still intent on leaving him after the three-month marriage ended.

When he reached her room, he shooed a sprawled sleeping Cebo from the bed then laid her gently under the covers. Retrieving a cloth covered in cleansing foam from the bathroom, he set about cleaning the dirt and his seed from her.

She let out a small hiss when he pressed the cloth to her sex.

“Sorry,” he said, quickly moving away. Maybe she’d see this as an invasion.

Rising to her elbows, she looked at him sleepily. “That’s okay. Just a little sore.” A sexy smile curved her lips. “You aren’t exactly small.” Yawning, she cuddled down into her blankets. “I’ll just clean up tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”

“Sleep well, Jade.” Theo lingered at her bedside, not wanting to leave.

“You’re not staying?” A hurt expression crossed her face.

She wanted him to stay? To share her bed in sleep? He remembered that his parents had done that, but they’d been unusual. Clecanian women tended to prefer separate sleeping quarters.

Theo had always longed to know how it felt to hold a female in his arms as he slept but he’d resigned himself to the fact that he never would.

“I assumed you wanted me to leave. Sleeping together is…” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Well, it’s just not done.”

“You guys don’t cuddle? Weird.” She yawned. “Would you prefer to sleep in your room?”

Would I rather sleep alone in my room or in bed with a beautiful naked female?

Theo snorted, and Jade laughed sweetly. “Well then, come on in,” she said, lifting the covers for him.

Still he didn’t join her. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some space from me? After what I did to you…I thought you might not want to see me for a time.”

Jade let out a frustrated breath and then sat up in the bed. The covers fell to her waist, uncovering her supple breasts, and he felt himself growing hard again.

She snapped in front of him and covered herself. “Theo, I’m not Clecanian. I enjoyed what we did in the woods. A lot. And in case you’ve forgotten, I’m the one who pushed you to do it in the first place. I knew what would happen. I even fought back to get you riled up. If I weren’t super tired and sore, I’d jump your bones right here and now. I’d like to spoon with you if you want to.”

The words she used didn’t make much sense, but he gleaned her meaning, and pride swelled in his chest.

“Try and think about it this way,” she began. “Forget about what normal Clecanians do, and just trust your instincts. I’ll tell you if I don’t want you to do something. Unless I specifically say no, then do whatever you want to do.”

Whatever he wanted? Could he touch her and kiss her whenever he wanted? Hold her the way most females hated?

“What is ‘to spoon?’” he asked moving to lay beside her.

She smiled brightly at him and rolled to her side. “It’s when we lay on our sides with my back to your front or vice versa.”

Doing as she said, he lay on his side so he was facing her back. Pleasant, but he would’ve preferred to look at her face.

Jade glanced over her shoulder and chuckled. “I’m going to have to teach you everything, aren’t I?”

She scooted back until her naked back was pressed to him, and his now-hard erection was pressed against her bottom. She guided his arms so one curled underneath her neck and the other wrapped around her stomach.

She wants to sleep like this? So close to me?

Testing his limits, he curled his body into hers and tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her more firmly against him.

“Are you comfortable?” she said softly.

Theo had never felt more comfortable in his entire life. He nuzzled her hair and neck, breathing in her scent. When he began to purr contentedly, she laughed.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Do you always purr? Do all Clecanians do that? Do you just do it during sexy time?”

“So many questions, wife. I thought you were tired.”

“Tired, but also curious.”

“Many Clecanians do. Before you, I hadn’t purred in a very long time.” He wasn’t sure how to answer her last question. “We purr when we feel…happiness without effort. When we are content.”

When we feel whole, he said to himself.

“Mmm,” Jade mumbled, half asleep.

Theo didn’t know how long he laid there with her, listening to her sleep. Her slow, even breaths and her steady heartbeat lulled him, but he struggled to stay awake, to enjoy holding her this way.

He kissed her ear softly, and his chest clenched when she moaned and in sleep, turned her head toward his touch.

Was this how she’d be with him? Trusting and sweet? Would she choose to be close to him throughout the day and then give herself to him