Chapter 10
Dean
My breath caught in my throat as Lily stood in front of me, naked. The first time we came together, the passion had swept us along, driving us into each other’s arms. But now, she was offering herself to me in a conscious move. As if to show me she knew what it meant.
I wanted to stare at her forever, taking in the beauty of her form, but the hint of vulnerability in her eyes had me reaching out to cup her face. Brushing the pad of my thumb over her cheek, I stepped closer, until only a whisper of space was between us. “I want to mark you.”
“What’s that?” Her tongue wet her lower lip, her eyes half-closed.
“It’s when a shifter bites their mate. It completes the bond and shows that they belong to each other. Forever.” I searched her face for any hint of fear, but there was none. Just curiosity. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“It sounds serious. A big step.” Those green eyes focused on me.
“The biggest. It’s more permanent than a human marriage.” I didn’t want her to agree without understanding what it meant to me. I needed to know she accepted the commitment. Chose it.
“Does that mean we won’t have a wedding?” She tilted her head and looked at me through her lashes, her hand coming up to rest on my chest.
My heart raced. “We can have a wedding, too. Anything you want.”
A smile bloomed on her face. “I’ll have to wear a dress that shows your mark.”
My bear growled in pleasure at the thought of her showing off my mark. I dropped a kiss on her neck. “I’ll put it right here. For everyone to see. Just say the word.”
She raised up on her toes and pressed her lips to the corner of mine before moving to whisper in my ear. “Please. Mark me. Make me yours.”
And then she was in my arms, our mouths melding into one. She tugged at my clothes and I helped her remove them, practically tearing the cloth in my rush to feel my skin against hers. We tumbled onto the bed, and my hands roamed her flesh, eager to be everywhere. I stroked down and captured her leg behind the knee, raising it to rest on my hip as I rocked against her core.
She moaned, her hips lifting to meet me. I slid back and forth, moisture gathering on my cock. The scent of her arousal filled my nose, and I nipped at her bottom lip. Her hands gripped my ass, and words tumbled out of her mouth. “Please. Dean. Please. I need you.”
“Not yet.” I trailed kisses down her front, stopping to suck on her nipples, taking the tips between my teeth and flicking my tongue over them. She arched into me, her fingers digging into my hair, alternating between holding me in place and trying to pull me back to her mouth.
My hand skated over her stomach and cupped her sex. Her folds dripped with her arousal, and I coated my fingers in it, dragging them over her intimate flesh to the little bud. I circled her clit, teasing her, building her pleasure slowly. She was writhing beneath me now, her words gone, replaced instead with whimpers and half-vocalized pleas.
I blew lightly on her wet nipples, watching the tips harden even more, before moving lower. Open-mouthed kisses led me to her stomach, then even lower. I swiped my tongue from her hole to her clit, her flavor exploding in my mouth. She tasted even better than I remembered. Because now I knew she was mine. And knowing she was mine, I couldn’t wait anymore. With one last kiss on her clit, I moved back up her body, lining up the tip of my cock with her entrance.
She pulled my face down and kissed me, sucking my tongue and the taste of her from it. I slid my tip inside her, the warm, wet heat of her channel clinging to me as I made shallow thrusts. She lifted her hips, trying to take me deeper. And who was I to deny her what she desired? I rocked forward, burying my length as far as it would go. A groan erupted from me as a pleasure filled scream escaped her.
There was no holding back now. I plunged in and out of her sweet heat as she kissed me desperately, her hands raking up and down my back. We settled into a frantic rhythm, chasing the pleasure that was just beyond our reach. I slid my hand down and put pressure on her clit, and she bucked beneath me, her whole body vibrating with need.
My teeth descended, preparing to mark her. I dropped my lips to her throat, sucking and nipping at the skin, choosing my spot. And as she flew over the edge into her orgasm, I sank my teeth into the soft skin and made her mine. A surge flowed through me as the bond settled into place. A few more thrusts and I followed her, my seed flooding her womb.
I licked at the mark as she lay panting beneath me. My shoulders heaved from the intensity of our lovemaking, and I rolled us over so she lay half on me, her hand resting over my racing heart. I could feel the fast beat of hers against my side, and I ran my hands over her back in long, languid strokes. “I love you, Lily.”
She hummed against my chest. “I love you too, Dean.”
I pulled the blanket over us, listening as the sound of her breaths evened out and she softened even further in my arms. A smile played on my lips as I yawned, following her into sleep like I followed her into pleasure. The home that yesterday made me feel like something was missing was now complete. Now that it contained Lily.