by Liv Brywood
“I did. But not anymore. I’m going to be the best mother a child could ever have. I’ve saved up plenty from my bigger wins over the years. My savings is enough to buy a small house. It won’t be fancy, but I’ll make it work.”
He sat there, dumbfounded. How could she think that he’d let her take off with his son? Did she really have so little faith in him? The answer crushed his soul. She didn’t believe in him. After all these years, after all the time they’d spent together, she didn’t know him at all.
“You’re wrong,” he said as he slid off the bed.
“I’m not saying any of this to be mean,” she said. “I just know that you’ll hate me if I ask you for anything else.”
“How can you make that assumption? You didn’t even give me a chance to offer,” he said.
The corners of her mouth drooped. Her brow furrowed.
“I’m tired, Jax. I think we should talk about this later,” she said. “You haven’t even known for twenty-four hours.”
“Because you didn’t tell me.” He yanked on his pants.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I needed time to process all of this.”
“So now you’ve got it all figured out?” he asked. “You’ve completely decided on a plan for my son before you even told me you’re pregnant. I mean, you didn’t even tell me. I had to come up here and sniff you. When were you going to tell me?”
“I don’t know.”
“I guess you don’t have it all figured out,” he snapped. After pulling his T-shirt over his head, he stalked toward the door. “I’m not letting you take my son.”
“I’m not taking him from you,” she said.
“You’re goddamn right you’re not.”
He opened the door and stalked out, slamming it behind him. Instead of waiting for the elevator, he headed into the escape stairwell and started down thirty-five flights of stairs. He needed to work off his anger before he said something he’d regret. Not matter how furious she’d made him, she was still the mother of his child and she deserved some semblance of respect.
By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, sweat soaked his shirt. He ignored people’s stares as he wove a path through rows of slot machines. When he burst out into the sweltering midday heat, it didn’t take more than a moment for his wolf to burst free. As he shifted, he shredded his clothes.
He spent the rest of the day running through the desert. Hours passed. He panted and needed water, but when he looked back at the casino, his heart pounded with fear. What was he going to do about Riley? How could he convince her that she was his mate?
His mate. He’d finally accepted what his wolf had known all along. No wonder none of the other women had held any interest for him. They couldn’t compare to his beautiful, joyful, smart, sassy Riley. She was his mate and he needed to get his shit together and convince her that they belonged together.
An overwhelming rush of love filled his heart. It had taken years for him to admit what he should have known all along: He was completely in love with her. Looking back, everything seemed so clear. How could he have been so blind?
As he padded through the desert, the sun set and night crawled across the valley. He found a fresh spring next to a thorny red barrel cactus. As he drank, a bright full moon rose over the mountain to cast the desert landscape in a silvery glow. And it was in the moon’s reflection on the water that he found the answer to his dilemma. Now he knew exactly how to win her back.
Chapter 6
Riley waited all afternoon and evening for Jax to return. She tried to call him several times, but the calls kept going to voicemail. He’d run off. She wasn’t surprised, but it hurt. From the moment she’d discovered that she was pregnant, she knew she’d have to raise her child alone. But her heart still held out hope that Jax would change his mind and suddenly become a responsible family man.
She ate dinner in bed in her hotel room. The baby only wanted super salty food, so she plowed through a bag of potato chips before moving on to devour half a pizza. She’d weigh more than a house if she kept it up, but she wouldn’t have to impress anyone for another eighteen years. No one wanted her before, so why would someone suddenly want her now that she was going to have a child?
With these thoughts weighing hard on her mind, she shoved chip crumbs off of the sheets and rolled onto her side. A heavy silence permeated the room. She couldn’t stand yet another reminder that she was all alone, so she switched on the TV. She fell asleep to the evening news.
The next morning, she woke to the sound of water running. She groaned and rolled onto her back. The scent of roses tickled her nose. Roses?
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Dozens of red roses decorated the room. Vases of various shapes, colors, and sizes sat on every flat surface, from the nightstand, to the dresser, to the floor. Her eyes widened. What was going on?
After slipping out of bed into a robe, she padded toward the bathroom. The splash of water against tile sounded as if it were coming from the shower.
As she pushed open the door, steam rolled out of the room. In the misty haze, the shower shut off and the door opened. Jax, in all his naked glory, stepped out of the shower. Rivulets of water cascaded down his chest. Droplets dripped from his hair onto his firm, muscular shoulders. And his cock, good God, it was just as hard and thick as it had been the last time she’d seen him.
“Jax,” she whispered.
“Hi, honey.” He grabbed a fluffy white towel and began to dry off as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping I’d be cleaned up before you woke up.”
“Are you leaving again?” she asked softly.
“No.” He wrapped the towel around his waist before walking toward her. “I’m never leaving you again.”
“What?” Her heart fluttered with hope.
“Come on, sweetie. Let’s go sit down and talk. It’s hot as hell in here.”
Yes, it was. But not because of the steam.
“Did you do all of this?” She swept her hand around the room.
“Yes. I hope you like it.”
“Why? I mean, I love it. I’m just… I’m so confused right now.”
“I did it all for you.” He guided her toward an overstuffed chair. After he sat down, he pulled her into his lap. “I’d do anything for you. I know you think I’m unfit to be a father—”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You did. Maybe not in so many words, but you implied it, and that hurt,” he said.
“I never meant to hurt you,” she whispered as tears formed in her eyes. She cried all the time now. Every emotion seemed amplified tenfold. Damn hormones.
“Don’t cry, honey.” He brushed his thumb across her wet cheek before leaning down to give her a soft kiss. “I promise I won’t let you go through this alone.”
Relief flooded through her as tears continued to fall.
“I love you, Riley,” he whispered.
“What?” she choked.
“I love you. I think I always have, but I was too afraid of ruining our friendship. So I tried to find happiness with other people, but it never worked. That’s why I jumped from woman to woman. None of them could compare to you.”
“Jax… Please don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“Have I ever lied to you?” he asked.
“No.”
“I’ll never lie to you. I’ll never do anything to hurt you. I love you and I want us to be a family.”
“A family?” Fresh tears trickled down her face.
“Yes. And I want to show you how serious I am.”
He scooped her up and stood. After setting her down gently, he crossed the room to a grab a small black bag she hadn’t noticed until now.
When he returned, he got down on one knee. Her eyes went wide as he pulled a small black velvet box out.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
“I love you and I want you to be
my wife. I never thought I’d meet a woman who was beautiful, and smart, and funny, and sexy as hell. Baby, you’re hot,” he said with a grin.
She laughed and reached for him. He gave her a slow sensual kiss before sitting back on his heel.
“I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. So Riley, if you’ll have me, I’d be honored to be your mate. Will you marry me?”
He whipped open the box to reveal a huge sparkling diamond solitaire set in white gold. Stunned, she stared at the ring for a second before dragging her gaze up to his face. A powerful expression of true love radiated from his eyes.
“Are you sure?” she whispered.
“Positive.”
When she could finally catch her breath, she blurted, “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you. Or mate you. Or whatever.”
He laughed as he slid the ring onto her trembling finger. As he pulled her down into his arms, she wrapped her hands around his broad shoulders. He kissed away all of the frustration, fear, and pain she’d been holding onto for the last month. And when he was finished, the only thing left was love.
She melted into him, deepening the kiss until his lips parted. As she swirled her tongue into his mouth, his hands slid up her thighs. She pushed him down and straddled him. When she ground her pussy against his towel-covered cock, he reached up and pulled open her robe. He caressed her breasts before palming them in his hands.
“So there’s one more thing I need to talk to you about,” he whispered.
“Not now,” she murmured. “Later.”
“It’s important.”
“Can we be naked for this discussion?” she asked.
“You can get naked any time you want.”
She slid the robe down over her shoulders before letting it fall to the floor. When heat blazed in his eyes, she grinned and untucked the edges of his towel. She scooted back to gaze at his rigid cock. His perfection stole her breath. Every hard inch of him belonged to her. She’d literally be able to make love to him whenever she wanted, forever. So why not start now?
“Wait.” He grabbed her wrists. “Wait. Just, let me tell you one thing and then you can do whatever you want with me.”
“Oh I intend to,” she said.
“I want to mate you.”
“You can mate me every day of the week.” She grinned.
“What I mean is, I want to bite you.”
“I love it when you get all growly,” she said.
“No. God, I’m not explaining this right.”
“That’s because all of the blood is down in your little head now.”
“Little?” He arched a brow.
“Okay, huge!”
He laughed for a moment before turning serious. “Shifters mate for life. When I asked you to marry me, I was really asking to mate with you.”
“Aren’t mating and marriage the same thing?” she asked.
“Essentially. But with shifters, once we mate, we’ll be completely connected. You’ll become a shifter too.”
“Really?”
She wasn’t sure if she liked the sound of that. What would it be like to turn into a big, hairy beast who howled at the moon and hunted in a pack?
“I’ll take care of you through the first shift, but I have to warn you. A small percentage of humans don’t survive. The transformation is radical and will tax even the healthiest human.”
“What about our baby?” she asked as she laid a protective hand over her belly.
“He’ll be safe as long as you’re able to shift.”
“And he’ll be a shifter too?”
“He already is.”
“Will it hurt?” she asked.
“Yes, but the pain is only temporary. You’re going to love being a shifter.”
“You sound pretty convinced.”
“I know you,” he said. “You’re just as wild as I am inside. You hide it better than I do, but we have the same need for freedom. I wouldn’t ask you to marry me, to mate with me, if I wasn’t convinced you could handle it. I know you can.”
His faith in her made her heart swell with joy. Although her belly quivered with nerves, she knew he’d never do anything to hurt her.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I’ve loved you for a long time, but I never wanted to admit my feelings. I didn’t want to scare you away. I spent a lot of years being afraid of ruining our friendship. But I’m not afraid anymore. I want you to change me. Do it.”
He leaned up to brush a searing kiss across her lips. As his tongue parted her lips, she groaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. Pressed skin to skin, she reached between them and stroked his cock. He hissed a breath and slid one finger into her slick pussy. She gasped as he filled her with another and another until he’d stuffed her full.
The slow glide of his fingers against her walls inflamed her desire. She desperately needed him inside her, so she lifted up and pushed his hand away.
“Now,” she whispered. “I need you.”
He guided her down toward his thick cock as he surged up to fill her. She tossed her head back and grabbed her bouncing breasts. Heavy and sensitive, they bounced against her hands until he brushed them away. He took possession of her breasts, stroking and kneading them lightly until she wanted to scream from the pleasure.
When he lightly pinched her nipples, her pussy gripped him like a vise. He moaned and dropped his hands to her hips. He pulled and pushed and thrust deeper, as if to mark her from the inside out. She was so lost in the heady sensation that she missed his cue to roll onto her back.
She flipped over like a rag doll and gasped when he pushed in deep, grinding her back into the carpet. She was sure as hell going to get rug burns, but she didn’t care. His mouth hung open as his teeth sharpened. Fur spouted on his hands, but he didn’t shift. The animal lurked just under the surface, ready, waiting to claim her as his mate.
He plunged into her pussy, driving deep before pulling almost completely out. The rough brush of his cock against her clit had her arching against him. Her hips tilted forward as she strained for more contact, for more friction, for more of everything.
“Roll over,” he growled.
She scrambled to her knees and rolled over onto all fours. She loved it this way. He’d been wild the last time they’d made love like this, and he didn’t show any signs of slowing down.
As he sunk into her from behind, she gripped the carpet. She tore little pieces from the floor as he pounded her pussy harder and harder. Tension wound tighter in her pussy until it coiled like a spring, waiting to explode. She teetered on the edge of total ecstasy, just seconds away from bursting when he leaned over and snarled in her ear.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he growled.
“I’m yours,” she gasped.
“Mine!”
“God, yes.”
He licked her shoulder with his long, curved tongue. The contact sent bolts of electricity to her core.
“Say it,” he growled. “Say that you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” she gasped. “I’ll always be yours.”
He sunk his razor-sharp teeth into her shoulder. She screamed as pleasure and pain combusted into the most intense orgasm of her life. She shrieked like a wild beast, jerking back to take every inch of him. Her pussy rippled and clenched, milking his cock, begging him to fill her. And he did.
Hot spurts of cum exploded inside her, sealing their love for all eternity. He gripped her shoulder with his mouth, refusing to release her until the last, quivering pulse left her body.
With his cock still firmly wedged in her pussy, he rolled them onto their sides. He wrapped his arms around her and gently lapped at her shoulder. She barely registered the searing pain. The slow slide of his tongue captivated her.
He traced a line across her shoulder with the tip of his finger.
“You’re mine now,” he murmured. “I don’t know how I got this lucky, but I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”
She turned over to fac
e him.
“We’re both lucky. It’s hard for people to find each other these days. The world is so crazy, but it’s not impossible. The man I’d been waiting for my entire life was right under my nose and I was too blind to see it,” she said.
“All it took was a leap of faith.”
“And a baby,” she laughed.
“And a baby. Our baby.” He caressed her belly softly. “We can live anywhere in the world. I have enough money that we can live on a vineyard in France, or in a home in Italy. I’ve always wanted to take a gondola ride with you.”
“Really?”
“Yep,” he said. “Every time we played in Monaco, I wanted to take you on a train to Venice. I have this vision of us sitting in the gondola, the gondolier serenading us with his baritone voice…”
“That sounds like one of my fantasies,” she said.
“I hope I was the one in the boat with you.”
“Of course you were,” she said. “It’s always been you. I think that’s why I never really put myself out there. I was waiting for you, or for me, to realize what we should have known all along.”
He nuzzled her neck before spreading hot kisses across her skin.
“So after we choose where we live, what next?” she asked.
“We don’t have to plan everything right now. But we’ll figure everything out. Together, we can do anything,” he said in a dreamy tone.
“I never knew you were such a romantic inside,” she said playfully.
“The roses didn’t tip you off?”
She looked around the room at the dozens of vases. “Okay, maybe I should have seen that coming.”
“We don’t have to hold back anything anymore,” he said. “We can just be ourselves now.”
“I can’t believe I’m marrying my best friend,” she murmured. “I love you so much, Jax.”
“I love you too, honey.”
Chapter 7
Riley stood on a hill overlooking the glittering lights of Las Vegas. A full moon illuminated the cactus-studded landscape. Heat rolled up from the valley floor to warm her cheeks. Jax stood by her side, his hand in hers.
“I’m nervous,” she said.
“The first shift is always the worst. But I’m here for you,” he said. “I’ll make sure nothing bad happens. Trust me, sweetie.”
