The vow wasn’t a new one. He’d spent most of the evening murmuring similar promises to her. “It wasn’t your fault.”
He buried his face against her neck and nuzzled the curve of her throat. “I should have protected you.”
“You did.” She peppered kissed over his forehead and the side of his face, lingering over the corner of his mouth. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
He ran his nose along her jaw, scenting her. “You’re everything to me,” he whispered, and slanted his lips over hers once again. Talking flew out the window as passion flared between them.
His grip on her ass tightened and then he was moving, spinning around with her in his arms, and striding into the guest room across the hall. He didn’t stop kissing her and she trusted him not to let her fall. Within seconds, he was laying her down on the bed and following her down, stretching out on top of her as if he belonged there. Maybe he did. All she knew was the undeniable urge to get as close to him as humanly possible. She wanted to make love with him and have him claim her, binding the two of them together tighter than Spanx.
He ran his lips down her throat and nipped at her collarbone. “Mmm… You smell so good.”
“You do, too.” He always smelled delicious, all musky and manly, with a hint of whatever sporty deodorant he used. It made her want to snuggle up against his chest and just breathe him in. She slid her hands beneath his shirt and up the smooth, muscular planes of his back. She tugged at the fabric, wanting it out of her way. “This needs to go.”
He sat up on his knees between her thighs and pulled the shirt off over his head, uncovering his sexy chest and abs. He smiled down at her, the expression full of wicked intentions. “Your turn.”
Without hesitation, she yanked her blouse off over her head and flung it aside. The faster they shed their clothes, the sooner she’d get what she wanted. “Race you.”
He reached for his belt. “You’re on.”
She popped the button on her pants open and wiggled out of them. Carter stood up in the middle of the bed and shucked his jeans and boxer briefs, leaving him gloriously naked from head to toe. She paused and starred, running her gaze over every luscious inch of him, lingering over the sharp jut of his hips bones and the impressive length of his hard cock.
Carter dropped back to his knees. “Need some help?”
“You distracted me.” She pulled her sports bra off over her head and pitched it at Carter.
He caught the bra and lifted it to his nose as he watched her work her panties over her hips and thighs. Once the fabric hit her knees, he dropped the bra, caught the delicate fabric, and finished removing them. “There. That’s better.”
Feeling impatient and more than a little brazen, she bent her knees and dropped her legs open.
He lowered his gaze and licked his lips. “Damn, Eliza… You’re so beautiful.”
The sincerity in his voice and the blatant appreciation in his eyes made her feel beautiful and cherished, something she’d experienced so rarely before she’d met Carter. She lifted her chin, motioning him closer. “Come here.”
He wasted no time covering her body with his own, resting his weight on his forearms by her head. Using his thumbs, he brushed the hair from her face. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She looked him square in the eye. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
He gave a tight nod and kissed her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and threw her all into returning every slick caress. The kiss went on and on until her head spun and her lungs burned with the need for a deeper breath.
The proof of Carter’s desire for her pressed against her moist center, long and hard, and ready for action. Unable to resist, she reached between them, took him in hand, and guided him where she needed him most. There would be plenty of time for foreplay and slow lovemaking later—a lifetime’s worth—but right now she needed him with an urgency that refused to be ignored for another second.
Carter lifted up just enough to get the right angle and pushed forward, sliding inside her with one long thrust. She threw her head back against the pillow and groaned at how perfect they fit together. He was just large enough to make her delicate muscles stretch to accommodate him, but not so big that taking him hurt.
He peppered kisses across her jaw and down her neck, and rolled his hips, retreating just a little before advancing forward again. She reflexively tightened around him and teased a rumbling chuff from the depths of his chest.
The force behind his thrusts gained momentum, and his rhythm increased, picking up speed until he was pulling almost all the way out and driving back into her with enough vigor to propel them up the bed. All she could do was rock against him and hold on tight. Her entire world shrank to one man and the way he made her feel. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
He shifted to the left and the new angle forced his cock deeper, made him feel larger and harder, and she couldn’t hold back the breathless moan that escaped her lips at how good he felt. His heavy weight and the chiseled planes of his chest and torso pressing down into her soft curves made her feel safe, loved, and so feminine.
He buried his face in the curve of her neck. His hot breath fanned over her skin as he spoke. “I’m so sorry, Eliza…” His hips rotated, grinding into her mound. “I can’t hold back much longer. I need you…too much…”
Snaking her arms around his back, she gripped his taut, flexing buttocks and squeezed, urging him on. “Do it. Take me… Make me yours…”
Firm lips covered hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth at the same time his cock plunged back into her receptive body. Beneath her fingertips his ass hollowed, tensed, and he began a slow and steady rhythm that made her body burn and her heart sing.
Every stroke and drag of his rigid cock in her swollen, sensitive channel fanned the flames of her desire higher, made her soar ever closer to the pinnacle her body struggled to reach. She threw her head back, closed her eyes, and gave in to the sensations bombarding her. With every stroke, every touch, the hot coil of pleasure in her gut wound tighter and tighter. The pleasure was too strong, too much to withstand, and yet something held her back and kept her from reaching the pinnacle.
Carter’s warm, slick tongue coasting over the skin between her neck and shoulder was all the warning she received before sharp fangs pierced her skin. Pain mixed with the pleasure, and her orgasm flashed over her, washing her away on a tide of ecstasy so strong that all she knew, all she felt, were the powerful contractions racking her body and the man she loved holding her tight, keeping her centered so that she didn’t fly apart under the strain of her climax.
Before the final aftershock had ceased, Carter groaned against her skin and thrust deep. Tremors racked his body as he came, spilling inside her. Once he stopped shaking, he turned his head and brushed his lips over hers. She kissed him back, soft and slow, and ran her hands over his back and shoulders, unable to stop touching him.
Finally, he pulled away and gazed down at her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She cupped his face and lifted up to kiss him again.
He smooched her lips, her cheek, and then eased back and rolled onto his side next to her. She turned to lie facing him and buried her face in his chest, and listened to the rhythmic thump of his heart beating strong and true. His big strong arms wrapped around her, holding her tight, and a sense of peace settled over her. From that moment forward, neither of them would ever be alone again. Regardless of what happened, they would have each other and the family they built together.
For the first time in longer than she could remember, she looked forward to tomorrow and whatever the future had in store for them.
If You Enjoyed This Shifter Romance…
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Series
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When Sophie's ex tracks her down, he'll stop at nothing to take his revenge. She's determined to fight him, but without Rick's help, her chance at a new life--any life--could be gone forever. Can the shifter keep his mate safe long enough for them to have their happy ending?
About Marlie Monroe
Marlie Monroe lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two pampered pooches. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found daydreaming about the characters in her next book.
Dangerous Mating (Haven Hollow Book 1) Page 10