by Dawn Wilder
I leaned down and kissed her.
Her lips were soft and warm under mine, her taste as delicate as her scent, both wrapping around my senses.
I jolt went through me as her mouth moved under mine and she kissed me back.
I needed more.
I pulled her in closer with an arm around her waist. Her breasts flattened against my chest and I realized she wasn't wearing a bra under that loose dress.
Groaning, I moved my hands lower, cupping that luscious ass that had been driving me wild for what seemed like forever. I squeezed it, kneaded it, before using my grip to haul her up so her legs could wrap around my back.
I wanted more leverage.
Turning, I pushed her up against the wall so I could grind against the soft place between her legs. I could smell her arousal, the unmistakable smell of it ratcheting me up even higher.
I smoothed my hand up the inside of her thigh, her dress hiked up almost to her hips.
To find that she wasn't wearing any panties either.
Groaning, I skimmed my fingers up and down her wet furrow, her back arching as I rubbed her little clit.
Moving down farther, I pushed two fingers into the melting heat of her.
She cried out against my mouth as she squeezed down on the intrusion, her silky walls snug around me.
I needed more than my fingers inside her.
I kept her pinned to the wall with my weight and my fingers, using the other hand to rip open my pants. Pushing down my underwear, I released my erection.
I broke the kiss so I could stare into her wide eyes as I lined up the head of my cock, her wet heat dripping on the sensitive head.
“You're mine,” I gritted out, pushing into her slowly but firmly.
She was tight, her body giving way almost reluctantly as her neck arched back and she pushed her hips toward mine.
I stared down at the tops of her breasts, the v of her dress gaping open.
I pulled the stretchy material down as I hiked her body up, closing my mouth over the pert, pale pink nipple that popped out.
She pulled me in closer with her fingers on my head, moving against me as I sucked hard. Releasing it with a pop, I gave the other one the same treatment.
She'd relaxed a little around me.
I needed to move.
Straightening, I buried my face against her neck and cushioned her back with my arm before I started thrusting. I hiked her back up as she started to slide down.
Frustrated, I pulled her away from the wall and took us to the couch.
Setting her down on her back, I pulled one of her legs over the back of the couch and thrust back in.
“Come here.” She took a fistful of my hair and pulled me down for a kiss.
Yes, ma'am.
The kiss was hot, wet, messy, just like the sex we were having.
She made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat.
Sliding a hand down between us, I rubbed at her throbbing clitoris, thrusting into her hard.
Her nails dug into my biceps as her whole body arched in a silent orgasm.
I kept the stimulation up until she relaxed back down onto the couch.
My turn.
Reggie
I felt like I was floating, my whole body tingling with the aftermath.
But Evan didn't stop there.
He slid out of me and then flipped me around with his hands on my hips.
“On your knees,” he snarled, obviously on edge.
Feeling myself heating up again, I got up on my knees, pushing my head into the cushions. He pulled up on my hips until I felt completely exposed.
And then he slid back in deeper than before.
I let out a gasp as he growled, his hands tightening on me.
And then he let go completely.
I braced myself against the arm of the couch as he hammered into me, tilting my hips until he was hitting a spot inside me that almost hurt it felt so good.
My cries were muffled against the cushions as I came again, this orgasm completely different, deeper.
I went limp again, breathing hard as Evan kept going.
With one last grunt, he burrowed in so deep I could almost feel him in my throat, and then he was coming, the heat of his release deep inside me.
He bent over me, his chest sliding against my sweat slick back, pushing in and out in shallow thrusts as he finished.
He sighed, turning us so we could both lie on the couch with him spooning me.
Sleep came up and engulfed me.
Evan
I held Reggie close.
My spent cock slipped out of her and I immediately wanted to be back inside.
I was already sure, but the sex had just confirmed it. I didn't even want to think of it as sex. It felt like so much more.
Primal, deeper, more connected than anything I'd ever experienced before.
If she thought she could just blow me off after this, she was going to be sorely disappointed.
Pulling her in even closer, I buried my face in her hair and let myself join her in sleep.
When I woke up again, Reggie was inching away from me, trying to slide off the couch.
I pulled her back in against me.
“We need to talk,” I said, keeping her firmly pressed to my front.
She stiffened.
“I-”
We were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Growling in frustration, I let her go.
She hurried to what I assumed was the bedroom and pulled on a robe before going to the door.
But then she stopped in front of it and didn't open it.
Frowning, I pulled my pants on and went over to her. She let me move her back from the door.
My hackles went up when I took in a deep breath.
Rio. And an unfamiliar wolf.
I opened the door.
Reggie
I stayed back as Roth opened the door.
Stephan had come back with Brian, my ex-Alpha.
I was a little startled to realize Brian was actually a couple of inches shorter than Roth. He didn't look quite so intimidating when he had to look up.
First my father and then my brother had tried to unseat him from his position. He was one of those types that got drunk on power.
Not a good personality type for an Alpha.
“Yes?” Roth asked, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing his arms nonchalantly. His shirt was nowhere in site, so his position nicely displayed the hard muscle of his torso and his bulging biceps.
Maybe I should be focusing on the situation at hand instead of those bulging biceps. Or any of his other bulges for that matter.
Brian sized him up and looked over at Stephan with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, hello Mr. Roth. I just wanted to speak with Ms. Dean...” Sttephan trailed off. I couldn't see Roth's face, but it must not have been very welcoming.
“This is pack business,” Brian interjected smoothly. “I'm sure you understand.”
“No, no I don't. Since Reggie is no longer a part of your pack, there can no longer be any pack business you need to discuss with her.”
Brian looked over Roth's shoulder at me, his anger apparent.
“She betrayed her pack. Which, as far as I'm concerned, means we still have unfinished business.”
Betrayed the pack? Sure, I left it, but I doubted anyone could blame me. I had no family left there and too many bad memories. The only other thing I could think of was that I hadn't given in to Stephan's blackmail attempts and unethically fed him inside information.
I refused to feel guilty for either of those.
Roth straightened up slowly.
“I see. Well, since Reggie's now a part of our pack, I would suggest you take it up with my Alpha. Since going after one of our pack members could be seen as an act of aggression against our pack.” He paused, letting that sink in. “I'm sure you understand.”
Brian looked up at Roth, his frustration palpable.
> But he wasn't stupid enough to try to barrel through Roth to get to me. It might have made sense emotionally, but it would be an idiotic move politically and practically.
I'm sure the outcome would have been different had I been alone. I could maybe take Stephan when I was high on anger, but there was no scenario in which I could hope to match Brian.
Brian gave Roth a sharp nod and turned to leave, Stephan trailing after him.
Roth closed the door and locked it before turning back to me.
“Now, we can talk.”
I nodded.
We did need to talk about this, even if I didn't want to.
“You shouldn't have pawned them off on Andre. Doesn't seem right.”
He shook his head, closing the distance between us.
“No, he'd want you to do just that. He doesn't like people preying on the vulnerable any more than I do.”
It still didn't feel right, but that wasn't anything I could change.
“Reggie.” He took my hand in his, sandwiching it with the other. “You're it for me. I can feel it in my bones.” He frowned, looking down at our hands. “If you don't want me, it's going to hurt, but I can take it.”
He looked back up to meet my eyes, his heart in his as he laid himself bare, left himself deliberately open to any pain I might inflict.
And I couldn't do it.
I couldn't hurt him.
Especially not when I felt exactly what he was feeling.
Could I move on without him?
Yes. I could. If I had to, I could start over again. I'd done it before.
But did I want to?
No. These last few weeks had been the happiest I'd ever been. And I knew it was because of him.
Yes, he would make my life messier and more complicated. But look where I'd still ended up when I'd been trying to simplify.
And though he hadn't used the term mate, it hung heavily in the air between us.
Evan
I almost held my breath as Reggie took her time responding.
It was a lie that I could take it if she didn't want me. I would try my hardest to convince her she was wrong.
But I was hoping she felt at least a little of what I did.
“I want to live in the city,” she blurted out.
“Done,” I said without hesitation.
“I'm not the greatest cook.”
“I'm not looking for a caretaker. I'm looking for a partner.”
“OK.” She gripped my hand tight. “OK. Let's give it a try.”
I'd take it.
I grinned at her.
“You've been able to handle me at my worst. I have no doubt you'll slap me back into line if something isn't working for you.”
“Yeah, you better watch yourself, buddy,” she grumbled, leaning her head against my chest, silently asking for a hug.
I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed.
She'd be keeping me on my toes. And I knew I'd enjoy every minute of it.
Chapter 8
Three weeks later
I went back to my apartment alone.
Evan had to go away on a business trip, but we were in the middle of another deal that he needed me to stay back here for.
And I was already miserable.
Despite myself, I'd gotten used to having him in my space, there to yell at, laugh with, cuddle on. And coming home to an empty apartment alone in the first time in three weeks was...depressing.
No getting around it.
I'd fallen for Evan Roth.
Falling back on the bed, I stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the dread to hit me.
But it never did.
I liked him too much. I trusted him too much.
And, like it or not, I loved him too much.
When my phone buzzed with an incoming text, I fumbled for it embarrassingly quickly.
Miss you already xxx
Aw.
I texted him back little hearts.
It was sickeningly sweet, but I didn't care.
It was time to own up to the fact.
Evan Roth was my mate. And I loved him.
I woke up to his phone call in the morning. Checking the time, I realized he must have just landed.
“Hey,” I said, burrowing under the covers.
“Hey, babe. Just wanted to hear your voice before we both got to work.”
He told me about his flight and I told him about what had happened in the office after he'd left.
“I have to go, but I'll call you tonight, OK?”
“Sure. I love you.”
It came out of my mouth before I could stop it, before it even registered that I wanted to say it to him. It felt so natural.
I heard him growl on the other end of the line and I smiled as I imagined people in the airport giving him a wide berth.
“Say it again.”
Heart in my throat, I said it again.
“I love you.”
He cursed.
“I wish I was there right now. I'd take you to bed and not let you out the whole day.”
I laughed at that, my voice husky from just thinking about it.
“Well, hurry home.”
“Don't worry. This is going to be the hardest and fastest negotiation I've ever been a part of.”
We said our goodbyes and I went to work almost floating.
But the next two days were excruciating.
I spent my days throwing myself into work and my nights wishing Evan was there after hanging up the phone.
Two more days and he'd be back.
I was practically counting the hours as I got back home the next night.
But when I opened the door, the light was already on.
“Hey, babe.”
With a cry of happiness, I rushed into Evan's arms, peppering his face with kisses as I climbed his body, wrapping my arms and legs around him.
He laughed, trying to catch my mouth with his as he walked over to the door to close and lock it with me hanging on to him.
He wasted no time taking us into the bedroom.
Tossing me on the bed, he stripped me before he took his own clothes off, his eyes on my bare body.
His eyes were hot as he lay down on top of me, lowering his head to kiss me softly.
Raising up on his arms so he could see my eyes in the dim light, he just looked at me for a moment.
“I love you too.”
I'd known it, even though he hadn't said it to me before. But the words still made my heart swell.
“I know,” I said smugly.
He laughed, sinking down to kiss me again.
After I felt well and truly drugged on those long, deep kisses, he started moving down my body, kissing and licking every inch.
But when he got to the place between my legs, he went around to kiss down my legs.
I made a frustrated sound and he chuckled against my skin.
Finally, he kissed his way back up my leg, pushing it up and back so I was open to him.
Then he lavished kisses on my most sensitive place.
I closed my eyes, sinking my fingers into his soft hair as I tried to get closer to that knowing mouth. But he kept going at his own pace, bringing me up to the edge and keeping me there until I was covered in a fine layer of sweat.
The he slowly pushed two fingers inside me and curled them to rub inside me.
I came with a cry, pushing up against his face shamelessly, the orgasm blinding me to any sense of embarrassment.
When I came down, he kissed me one last time and climbed up my body.
Aiming himself, he sank his cock deep inside in one thrust.
We both gasped as I stretched around him, the fit tight and perfect.
He'd apparently used up all his patience and I didn't mind a bit. He rode me hard and fast, kissing and biting my neck, my slick skin sliding against his as we moved together.
He came hard, his body rigid above me as he emptied himself. I could feel every jerk and spasm, the heat of h
is release.
I reveled in the closeness, in seeing him at his most vulnerable.
I wrapped my arms around him as he sank down on top of me with a shudder.
“I love you,” I whispered, kissing his ear.
“I know,” he whispered back.
I laughed, kissing his smiling mouth.
Yes. I'd definitely made the right choice.
Evan
I held Reggie in my arms and decided there would be no more business trips for a good while.
At least none that I couldn't take her with me on.
I didn't want to waste any time that I could be spending with her. I'd found my mate and I wanted to enjoy every minute of it.
Breathing in her scent, I inched even closer before relaxing.
I couldn't imagine anyone more perfect for me. She was my partner in every way. And home was wherever she was.
*****
Connect with Dawn Wilder
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Connect
