“And you stayed?” He was angry again. “Why the hell didn’t you run?”
“I couldn’t. The shifters I let go didn’t trust me so they forced me inside one of the cages before they left.” She skimmed her fingertips over Emory’s jaw, directly over the area where the muscles were drawn tight. Drudging up events they couldn’t change wouldn’t do either of them any favors. She needed to soothe Emory, not provoke his anger. “It’s over and done. I’ll never go back. I did what I had to do and I got out.”
“I want to bloodbond to you—tonight.” Emory’s intense stare warned her he meant exactly what he said. She tried not to tremble at the determination in his face. “I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to take any risks. I want to know that nothing can harm you. That you’ll be safe.”
He must have sensed the apprehension she felt because he lowered his voice and leaned in so his breath caressed her face. “I’ll give you everything I am. I swear it. If you trust me you’ll never have any reason to regret it. Start a life with me, Mary. Let’s leave the past behind and create a new future together.” Fingers twined in the wet hair at her nape so that she had to tilt her chin to maintain eye contact. “Let me love you, angel eyes.”
Love you. Angel eyes.
Four simple words that carried so much weight.
All her reservations, all her doubts, all her fears and uncertainties disappeared. There was nothing aside from Emory with his glowing irises, shadowed chin and an open look of hope on his face. A look she was responsible for. A look that—if Ava was telling the truth—he would never give to any other woman for the rest of his life.
Her heart fluttered in her chest. Memories of the time they had spent together long ago surfaced. Of his gentle nature, of how attentive he was at all times, of the way he’d looked at her as though she was something precious to be sheltered and protected. She’d thought it was because he was chivalrous, a gentleman existing among assholes.
Now she knew better.
All of it was for her—only for her.
Isn’t that what she’d always longed for? A family like the one she’d lost? A chance to start over? Yes, there were sacrifices to be made, changes she’d have to accept. But sometimes a person had to take a chance and have faith that the risk was worth the reward.
She moved as close to him as she could, until her breasts pressed against the tub, and put her hands on his shoulders. Her family would never stop searching for her, but they’d never stop searching for shifters either. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt. But with Emory at her side, nothing seemed impossible.
Double the danger, double the fun.
“Love me.”
Water sloshed all over the floor when he lifted her from the tub, soaking his shirt in the process. She opened her mouth to protest and he silenced her with a deep kiss, possessing her mouth as if putting it to memory. Slowly he lowered her to the ground, breaking their kiss just long enough to grab a nearby towel and pat her down. Starting with her hair, he ventured lower until he kneeled at her feet. His gaze roamed over her breasts and her stomach and hovered on her pussy.
“I’m going to start here,” he said and palmed her mound, sending her on her toes. “And work my way up. I’m going to make you feel so good, sweetheart. So fucking good.”
He lifted his gaze, meeting her eyes as he stood. He was so tall, so intimidating. Yet she’d never felt safer in her life. Placing hands at her knees and back, he swept her into his arms. Burying her face into his chest, she breathed him in, holding on tight as he took her from the bathroom into the bedroom.
The time for thinking things over had passed. Emory was going to take her, claim her as his mate and show her the pleasures she’d long dreamed about.
And she was going to let him.
Take it slow. Take what she’s offering like the gift it is. Don’t fuck this up.
Emory was shaking by the time he placed Mary on the bed. His cock had been hard from the moment he saw her lithe, naked body in the bathtub, making him envious of the water that cradled her. He knew he had to take things slow, to get her ready. But the wolf had other ideas. The primal part of him wanted to vanish between Mary’s thighs and lap at her honey until she screamed his name. It wanted to force her onto her hands and knees, making her take him from behind, starting the first mark, initiating their bond.
Fucking—hard and fast—was all the animal could think about.
Back off, he growled at the beast. You’ll get what you want soon enough.
He took a step back and reached for the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades, slipping the material over his head. He left his jeans on, taking things one step at a time. First he was going to show her how good his mouth could make her feel. Then, when she was ready, he’d introduce her to the pleasure only his cock could provide.
She backed up until her shoulders rested on the pillows. There was no way she could have known she’d positioned herself perfectly, resting in a way that gave him just the access he needed. He prowled to her slowly, aware of the precise moment she became embarrassed by her nudity and the way she was on display for him. Lifting her arms and closing her legs, she tried to hide from him.
“Don’t do that,” he murmured and stopped before her, running his hands up and down her calves. “You’re beautiful. Let me see you.”
Her cheeks turned cherry red as she parted her thighs, allowing him to see her fully, the outline of her labia and the hood of her clit clearly visible. A thatch of blonde curls rested at the top of her slit. The sight sped up the lust in his blood, making his cock jerk. He could smell how turned-on she was, could see the glimmer of her arousal on the lips of her pussy. The folds were pink, contrasting beautifully with the creamy paleness of her legs. He wanted to tell her just how hard her cunt made him, how the sight made him want to fuck her senseless, but he kept it to himself. Verbal foreplay was something he enjoyed but she was new to this level of intimacy. He had to introduce her to things when she was ready, not before.
Shifting closer, he lowered himself to his stomach. Her scent, so fragrant, female and clean, had him closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath. One taste wouldn’t be enough. He planned to tongue her until she begged him to stop, keep going until she begged him for more and take her to heights she’d never forget.
At the first touch of his tongue—a soft, teasing flick against her clit—she gasped. He repeated the motion then lowered his head, following the outer folds of her cunt, keeping his touch gentle as he tasted her cream. At first she stiffened, muscles drawn taut as a bow. Then, slowly, with each tender lick and kiss, she relaxed.
“Oh my,” she whispered, her hips lifting to match the motions of his mouth. “Emory.”
He continued, moving up and down, ’round and ’round, avoiding contact with the inner folds and her clit. When her knees fell to the mattress, opening her entirely to his gaze, he brought his hands to the apex of her thighs and parted her vaginal lips with his thumbs. She was so wet and smelled so fucking good but that was nothing compared to how she tasted. That second long lap he took, an intentional flattening of his tongue as he licked her from top to bottom in a smooth, strong stroke, almost had him coming in his jeans.
“I want… I need…” She pressed her pussy against his face, rolling her hips in harmony with the glides of his tongue.
Blowing a steady flow of air against her clit, he whispered, “I know what you need. I know exactly what you need.”
This time he didn’t go slowly or treat her with care. He went at her like the animal he was, licking and nipping, manipulating her clit with his thumb. To his immense delight, Mary stopped muffling her cries, moaning and gasping for breath as he licked her hard and fast. He thrummed the bead at the top of her pussy, using light strokes. It wasn’t enough to send her over but it would be. Just the right amount of pressure and he’d send her soaring. She started shaking, her ass growing tense against the mattress as the minutes passed. He positioned his finger at the mouth of her sex, used his other hand to pull back the hood masking her clit and sucked the nub into his mouth.