* * *
If she smelled at all of sweat, he wasn’t fazed. His movements became passionate and so did hers as they bumped up against the bed. They dropped to the fluffy mattress in a tangle of limbs and saucy laughter. She felt her heart beating wildly as his hands went to trace the curves of her body, up and down her sides. Every touch felt like a moment of worship from his strong, powerful hands. He nibbled her neck, earning a pleased moan that seemed to irresistibly fall from her own lips.
* * *
She sighed as he continued his kisses, dropping down to her collarbone and used his tongue to tease the hard edge. His hands slipped beneath her tank top, untucked now from her shorts. Her own fingertips teased beneath the elastic band of his sweatpants hung loosely around his sculpted body. She bit her lip as her hands moved over the hard muscles, admiring the results of all his hard work.
* * *
“I know you like to watch me when I work out,” he teased. She blushed and playfully swatted him. He was right. Those workouts had been the lustful inspiration of a few steamy dreams. She tugged at his pants.
* * *
“I’d love to see more.”
* * *
A wicked grin flashed on his face. She began tugging her own tank top off as he yanked off the pants. There was nothing between the fabric and his skin. Her mouth fell open, not on purpose. He smirked and licked his lips. She rolled her eyes but pulled him towards anyways. His fingers looped between the belt loops of her shorts, pressing her closer into him. He groaned in pleasure as she grinded against him.
* * *
“Something the matter?” she asked innocently. He said nothing, only grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her lips onto his in a searing kiss. She moaned into the kiss as his free hand went to undo the zipper of her shorts. She wiggled out of the denim as they kissed, tongues battling for dominance in a fit of passion.
* * *
“Human underwear is quite sexy,” he informed her as he spotted the red lace thong that she was wearing. She giggled, but it turned into a sharp inhale when his rough fingertips traced over her sensitive area. Only a thin scrap of fabric was in the way of her ultimate pleasure. She moaned with impatience, and he chuckled, a dark and delicious sound that rumbled through his chest. She shimmied out of her underwear as he helped her.
* * *
“Gorgeous,” he told her. “Utterly gorgeous.” His gaze locked onto her. His eyes, brilliant and shining, were serious in a way that she’d never seen before. “Are you ready?”
* * *
“Of course,” she told him and sent him a playful smirk, something that she’d perfected in her time around him. And she was ready. God, he was beautiful. The powerful muscles in the incoming daylight from the window. She groaned, goosebumps popping up all over her skin, as his fingernails raked down her thighs. He was certainly gifted down below, but she was ready. “You have no idea how much I want this,” she said with a seductive smile.
* * *
She was wound tight, she discovered, as he began his assault. His first entry was part pain, and then it exploded into pleasure. It’d been a while since she’d been with someone and now, she was graced with the gifts of a Shifter, a beast of a man. His hands dug into her hips, and she moaned out his name over and over as he increased his rhythm. Pure pleasure pooled between them. Their movements were frantic, needy for one another. She craned her head upward to capture his lips and felt the vibrations in all the right places.
* * *
How much hot-coil of pleasure moving closer and closer to release. Finally, he moaned her name as she cried out with his. They reached the final plane of ecstasy together.
* * *
He collapsed beside her, sweat rolling off his muscles. She ran her fingers over the hardened edges, unable to get enough, unable to feel the heat from his skin. He grinned as she buried her face into his powerful chest, enjoying the sensation of hearing his heartbeat against her face.
* * *
And then, a tiny cry rang out. They both lifted their heads and glanced at one another. Falon had awoken.
* * *
“At least he waited for us to finish,” Edward said and then winked. “I have a few ideas for his afternoon nap if you wanted to know.”
Edward
The man on the other line was speechless. After a moment, he repeated himself: “Did you just say thank you? Edward, young Edward, is saying those words to me?”
Edward threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, I did.”
The chief of his clan whistled into the phone, but the teasing was without malice. “I didn’t expect you to do this well on your quest, I’ll be honest. I wanted a challenge for you.”
“Oh, it challenged me alright,” Edward remarked as he glanced through the front window to see Gabriella admiring the blooming flowers with Falon. “I actually have something important to announce to you.”
“What’s that?” the chief asked, but Edward could sense there was a smile on the other end.
“I think you may have a suspicion.”
“Are you bringing them here or staying there?” his chief asked. Edward laughed.
“Haven’t decided. Need to talk to Gabriella about that.”
“Gabriella, ah…That’s her name then. Your father mentioned a human woman. I’m assuming you’ve asked her to be your mate?” he asked.
“I’ll be asking her tonight,” Edward explained. “Humans have a fascinating mating ritual called marriage that they seem to like. I told her mother, and she almost started crying, but she promised not to tell Gabriella. They take precious gems and put them on rings to offer to their mates.”
“Fascinating,” his chief said and then chuckled. “We’ll be happy to finally meet her.”
“She’s amazing,” Edward promised, and he meant every word of it. They exchanged goodbyes, and he walked outside to join his favorite duo.
“Falon loves the tulips,” Gabriella informed Edward as he walked out. He smiled, admiring her gorgeous smile and the sundress that she was wearing. How odd that he would’ve never seen himself in such a position just a few months ago.
“My year is ending soon,” he told her. She frowned, looking sad as she glanced at Falon. Edward fought hard to hide his sneaky grin. “I’d like to take you to dinner tonight. Somewhere special.”
Her lips quirked upward. The sadness was still present, but she was changing back into the old Gabriella. She met his gaze. “It’s a date.”
“Your mother has agreed to watch Falon until tomorrow.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Lucky us.”
He kissed her, and she nearly gasped at the sudden movement. He didn’t care that they were standing outside for all the neighbors to see their flirting. He didn’t care about anything but his new family.
The weight of the ring box sat heavy in his back pocket. He smirked. Tonight was going to be fun.
He had a new mate and a new life.
And right alongside that box, he’d hand her the official clan adoption papers for Falon.
His perfect family.
Their perfect family.
He kissed her again.
Together, forever.
Also by Becca Fanning
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In addition to novellas, I try to release at least one new shifter romance novel each month and here are some fan favorites:
* * *
Montana Howling:
Desperation
Desolation
Trouble
* * *
Mountain Bears:
Push
* * *
Pride (Lion Shifter Reverse Harem Romance!):
Finding Luna
In Heat
* * *
Bear Sheriff (if you’re a fan of Longmire or Justified, this series is for you!):
Blood Moon
Fate’s Reaping
Mate’s Harvest<
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* * *
MC Bear Mates (think Sons of Anarchy but Bear Shifters) :
MARS (Free!)
MUNDO
KIKO
Justiss And Graver
MAJOR
CHRIS
SPYDER
JARVIS
JAYDEN
* * *
Big Easy Bears (politics and Fated Mates all tangled together in New Orleans) :
Brock
Jules
Jane
Remy
Phillipe
* * *
Shifter Royal Dynasty (House of Cards meets Game of Thrones in this modern Roma Royalty saga):
Legacy
Prophecy
Destiny
The Baby Shift- Michigan Page 4
