Chapter 23 #2
He smiled, leaning forward until he was within kissing distance. “Is that a bad thing?” He didn’t want her to know how desperately he wanted to hear her answer. Apparently, she was okay with being a bear. Was she okay with him? Was she—
“You promised me news, and I’m not kissing you until I get it.”
Well, okay. That was a promising start. At least she wasn’t tossing him out of the room.
“You’re a Gladwin shifter now. Alan’s healing. Mad Einstein is in custody and helping, though most of us want to kill him slowly and painfully.”
“Sign me up on that side.”
He smiled. He liked her bloodthirsty side.
But that meant he would wait to tell her that the cougar bitch had gotten away.
Meanwhile, she shifted her legs without opening her eyes.
Her body was waking, and she would likely get more irritable as the day went on.
It took time to adjust to the steady presence of an animal side.
But a couple analgesics or a few stiff shots would take care of that, too.
Which meant now was the best time to give her the rest.
“I want to marry you, Julie. However you want, as soon as you want. We’re bonded now, and I don’t think I can live without you, but that’s not why I want to marry you.
I love you. Completely. Totally. I have since we were sixteen.
My bear knew from the moment we kissed way back then, and again when you woke me from a sound sleep a week ago.
But the man in me loves the way your mind works with such focus even when the rest of the world is going to hell.
I love the way you laugh and that you give yourself so easily to everything you do.
I love that you see through my bullshit and make me want you even when you’re telling me I’m an ass.
Julie, every part of me loves you completely, totally, irrationally, and wonderfully.
Please, for the love of God, will you say something? ”
She stared at him, her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly ajar. She tried to push herself upright, but the bed blanket wasn’t cooperating. It caught under her elbow as she shoved herself up. He wanted to help her—reached for her—but he held her other hand captive in his.
Carl pushed the correct button on the hospital bed, electronically sitting her upright. Not so fortunately, the alpha didn’t have a muzzle on.
“Jesus, man, you have got to work on your timing.”
Mark shot him a glare, but Julie pointed at the alpha. “What he said.”
Oh. Right. Well, that sucked. Meanwhile, Julie spent a moment running her free hand through her hair to smooth it down. Mark caught her fingers and pulled them down to press another kiss to her knuckles.
“You have never looked more beautiful to me. And I know my timing sucks, but I wasn’t going to let another second go by without telling you how much I love you. I do. I love you. Please say you feel something of the same for me.”
She straightened up. “I did. Don’t you remember? Well, maybe not because you were a bear at the time.”
“I remember.” Though in honesty, the meaning was fuzzy in his mind. He mostly remembered her tone and the way her scent had called to him. “But tell me again. Please?”
She took a deep breath. “I love you, Mark. I can’t wait to marry you. And as soon as I’m out of this hospital bed, I want to show you exactly how much.” Then she gave him an impish look. “Um…does being a shifter mean that I’m constantly horny?”
His eyes widened. “Um, not usually.”
“Huh. Okay. Then that must be because of you.”
It took him a moment to understand what she was saying.
And then her impish look turned downright sultry and nothing could keep him away.
He crushed her to him, his mouth finding hers in a desperate rush of need.
She met him with ease, her mouth open and receptive, but once he rushed in, the fireworks really began.
She kissed him like he’d always dreamed.
With passion. With need. With an underlying knowledge in the bond between them that he was hers and she was his. Mates. For life.
A nurse separated them. A harridan in white who physically dragged him back. “Mr. Robertson! Control yourself.”
He was a half breath away from pushing her aside, but Carl held up his hand. “Sorry. She just agreed to marry him. He might have gotten a little too enthusiastic.”
“No, he didn’t,” Julie said, as she pushed the woman away. “He was exactly as enthusiastic as—”
“Oh my God!” a woman exclaimed. “You’re awake!”
Only one woman could make Mark table his lust. Julie’s mother rushed in and maneuvered herself in front of Mark so she could hug her daughter. Mark stepped back then as Professor Simon entered as well, moving more slowly but with no less desire.
It was family, he realized. Her family, but now his as well. They would be part of his life forever, and, oddly enough, that felt really good.
“You’re going to have to come out of your basement cave, you know,” Carl said, sounding irritatingly pleased by the statement. “You can’t isolate yourself in that pit any longer. She won’t tolerate it, and it would be cruel to keep her from the world.”
“I know,” he said, startled to realize he was fine with it. “I can’t wait.”
And then Julie called his name, easily pulling him into the circle of her parents and sister, who was just joining them.
“Hey, everyone,” she said. “I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé.” Then she looked up at him. “We’re going to live a very long and very happy life together.”
What could he say to that except, “Yup.”