She’d heard it in dreams, but never in reality. It demanded her attention, her obedience, and without thought she started to comply. He leaned down and blew on the side of her neck, right where the hickey was. She shivered in response, his smile tickling her skin. “You are my mate. The only woman I dream about is you.” She could feel his arousal, the sensation heightening her own. She could also feel his determination and his possessiveness. Instead of smothering her, she felt cocooned by it, a warm blanket she could cuddle under for the rest of her life. He licked her neck. “Did you know that the dreams we share aren’t normal?” He caressed her ass, moving her in time to the music, his fingers brushing the bottom curve of her ass. “Most people only dream of making love to their future mate.” He lifted his head from her throat, catching her chin on the edge of his hand and turning her face up to his. “You and I actually make love.”

“Why?” When he frowned down at her, she added, “Why did we wind up connected that way?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it was because we didn’t speak for so long, or maybe because you’re the Omega.”

That reminder was all she needed to pull back from him and the warm seduction he was tempting her with. “Or maybe it’s because you didn’t really want me.”

“Damn it, Sarah.” His long-suffering sigh was music to her ears.

“So you turned to Chloe.”

His eyes narrowed, determination filling his features. “I’m not going to explain myself again. Listen carefully. You are my mate. The thought of touching anyone other than you is disgusting. Do you understand me?”

She lowered her lashes, hiding her gaze from his. He might think they were done with the topic, but she was far from done. “What happens when you leave again?”

He sighed and pulled her in close, cradling her head against his shoulder. “Don’t worry, baby. Right now wild gorillas couldn’t drag me away from you.”

She sniffed, resisting the temptation to snuggle into his warmth. Damn, he smells so good. “What about wild waitresses?”

His chest rumbled as he growled. “That’s seven.”

He still wasn’t sure why he’d allowed her to stop him from marking her right there on the dance floor, but he had to admit just the freedom to hold her in his arms was incredible. No more doubts, no worries, just him and his mate caressing each other with their bodies as the music seduced them. He buried his face in her hair, wallowing in her scent, imbedding it into his memory. He wanted to cover himself in that scent, to have her covered in his until he couldn’t tell where one of them ended and the other began. And despite his words he knew he had a lot to make up for.

She tripped, almost pulling them to the floor. He caught her easily.

“Sorry.” She buried her flaming cheeks against his chest again after granting him one glance full of embarrassment.

“I know how to keep you safe from falling.”

She eyed him warily. “How?”

He smiled and lifted her so that her feet were dangling, enjoying her shocked gasp.

“Put me down, Gabe!”

“Look at me, Sarah.” He used the same tone he used during their scenes, knowing what her instinctive response would be. He smiled gently when her head lifted, her face turning up to his. “Trust me.” The uncertainty there tore at his heart, but it was his own fault, damn it. He’d do whatever it took to get her to believe in him again. “I will never let you fall.”

“Don’t you mean never again?”

“Hmm?” He rocked her gently to the music, her toes barely brushing the tops of his feet. He barely felt her weight. He frowned, studying her. Damn . She was thinner. Why hadn’t he noticed before? He’d have to make sure to fix that, too. He couldn’t let his baby get sick.

“You’ll never let me fall again.” She lowered her lashes, once again hiding her expression from him, but not before he saw the disbelief in her face and knew it wasn’t a physical fall she referred to.

“Stop it.” He set her down on her feet but kept her close. “I’m going to prove to you that you can trust me.”

She stopped dancing. “I begged for you. I cried for you. And you turned away from me. Do you know how that feels?”

“No. Sarah–”

“It feels like this! ”

Sharp, cutting pain, deep despair, rejection, jealousy, Gabe felt it all. Got savaged by what he’d done to his mate. He’d stayed away from her, tried to protect her from their separation. Instead, in refusing to claim her he’d nearly destroyed her. He damn near dropped to his knees, the agony ripping through him almost more than he could bear.

“Now all of a sudden you want to claim me? How can I trust that?”

The feelings, her feelings, shut off abruptly, but lingered in his heart, mingling with his own until he couldn’t tell where his left off and hers began.

The tears in her eyes clawed at him. He wanted to lift his face and scream from the pain he’d inflicted on his sweet Sarah. “What do you want me to do, Sarah? Beg? Cry?” Because he’d do both just to get that look off her face, those emotions from her heart.

“No.”

“Then what?”

Determination filled her face. “I want the same treatment you gave Chloe.”

What? “What, exactly, do you mean by that?” Gabe was starting to get seriously pissed off. The fact that Sarah still believed he’d somehow been with Chloe rankled. How could she continue to think he’d do that to her?

Easy, dickhead. Your friend went out of her way to make Sarah think it. He needed to sit Chloe down and find out what the hell had been going through her head. She knew how important Sarah was to him. Gabe almost growled in frustration but contained it. Sarah deserved her pound of flesh, but damn if he’d let her take too much or too long.

“I want to be asked out .” Gabe blinked in surprise at her fierce tone. “I want dinner. I want dancing. I want to know that I’m the only one you want to be with. I want a fucking bracelet for Christmas.” He winced. She didn’t know it, but he’d gotten her something much better than a bracelet, but since she hadn’t been home he’d held on to it. It wasn’t the kind of gift he wanted her opening by herself. She blew out her breath, running her hands through her soft, shining hair. “I may submit to you in the bedroom, but I will be damned if you treat me like an unwanted toy outside of it.” Her eyes narrowed. “When you’ve proven that to me, then I’ll claim you.”