“Interesting.”
Alec brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Whisper, with all you’ve learned about me, do you think you can accept me as I am?”
“Accept you?” She chewed her lip. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
He stopped walking and drew her into his arms. “I want to be with you, Whisper. I know I ran from the truth of what you mean to me, but I’m not afraid anymore.”
That shook her. A man as strong and vibrant as Alec admitting that he was afraid. His words went a long way toward helping her to trust him because he opened himself up to her. She was willing to bet he wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, and that made her feel special. Warmth spread throughout her system. Was this real love, the kind where two people were meant to be? She’d always avoided thoughts of soul mates just in case it was something people made up and wasn’t real.
Alec lifted her chin and kissed her. She trembled in his arms, wanting nothing more than to stay there forever. If she was thinking like that, she must care about him. A lot. I love you?
The three words together in her mind scared the hell out of her. What if he changed his mind later? What if some woman like her whore of an ex-friend came along and seduced him into being with her? The thoughts tormented her mind. Then something else hit her. What if his people had some weird ritual for him to claim her as his mate, something humiliating?
She frowned at him. “I’m not doing anything weird.”
Alec’s eyebrows rose. “What made you say that?”
“I mean it, Alec.” She broke out of his arms and ticked off the points on her fingers. “I’m not having sex with you in front of your whole clan. I’m not dancing naked by a silvery moon. I’m not hunting on all fours like an animal…”
Alec roared in laughter, so much that he sank to the sand on his knees and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. “You are something. I know at least you’ll always entertain me.”
Whisper wasn’t amused. She stood above him with her hands on her hips. “You think it’s funny, but I’m not doing it. I’ll drop your ass in a heartbeat.”
He reached up and dragged her down to land on his chest as he fell back. “I promise, my love, I will never ask you to do those things. Well…the dancing naked for me might be nice.”
She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. “Whatever.”
“I love you.”
She froze. “What?”
“You heard me.” He caught her chin and forced her to look at him. “I love you, Whisper. You’re amazing. You keep me reeling, and I didn’t think I could feel about a woman like I feel about you. It seems too fast, but I feel like my brother did when he met Sarah.” Pink tinged his cheeks, and she knew he was embarrassed. She was careful not to let on that she noticed in case he stopped being so open.
“I…I…” she stuttered.
“You don’t have to say it in return.”
He caressed her cheek, and when she shifted on top of him, she felt his erection. That didn’t scare her. Letting herself admit she loved him did.
“I can accept you,” she said in a low tone with her gaze directed to his shirt front.
“And I can wait for more.” He sat up and lifted her to her feet. “What I can’t wait for is to enjoy that sexy body of yours. Come on. We’re going home.”
They started back to the blanket. “I’m surprised you didn’t suggest we do it out here.”
He winked. “Trust me, I have no compunctions about ravaging you right here and now, but you just warned me you won’t have sex with me in public or I’ll find myself kicked to the curb.” He sighed as if she’d broken his heart.
“Dramatic much?” She giggled. “And I said dropped. Don’t try to talk like that. You sound crazy, and it doesn’t fit my image of you.” Okay, she admitted that she was happy. That wasn’t so hard.
He caught her in a strong embrace that took her off her feet. When his lips covered hers, he stole her breath and had her head spinning. Whisper invited his tongue into her mouth, and moaned in pleasure when he ran a hand down to her ass and squeezed. They hadn’t had sex since that night in her apartment against the door. Alec hadn’t pushed, but she’d seen his hard-on several times. He wanted her even after seeing all her extra flesh. In fact, he seemed hungry for more.
When he set her on her feet, she scrambled to get their things cleaned up. The sooner she was back in his arms, the better!
Chapter Eleven
Whisper stood in her room in front of Alec while he sat on the bed. She smiled at him as she began peeling off her clothes. His eyes never left her body, and she thrilled in it. If someone was to tell her a few weeks ago she wouldn’t be self-conscious stripping in front of a man, she would have told them not without losing forty pounds! Yet, she was confident that Alec thought she was sexy. The evidence was there in the tented pants, and the way the man almost drooled with anticipation. She turned to the side and unbuttoned her jeans. Alec leaned forward when she scooted them down low on her hips. He was without a doubt an ass man, and he loved her big ’ol booty. This was the first time in her life that she didn’t resent how wide it spread or how much it stuck out.
“Maybe I should get under the covers,” she suggested, teasing but sounding dead serious.
His lips compressed, not exactly the reaction she’d been going for. “Don’t you dare. Come here, Whisper. I want you to understand that it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you, and my brother will never do what he did to you again.”
Crap. She’d overdone it. The man didn’t realize Max didn’t scare her. She was more worried about him at this point, but she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Alec about him. Something told her Alec was going to be very protective of her. Warmth spread throughout her system with the knowledge. No man had ever thought of her as a delicate treasure to be handled with care. She liked it, but she would put bra-man in his place if need be.
She walked over to him and stood between his legs. Alec drew in a sharp breath and rested his hands on her hips. “Damn it, baby, you drive me insane. I can’t believe I went so long without you in my life. I feel… Hell, I don’t know how I feel.”
She leaned into him, loving how he pressed his mouth to her belly and kissed her there. Desire coiled in her belly and spread outward. “That’s the one thing I find to be true in the books,” she commented.
“Hm?” He was busy working her jeans farther down her legs and paused with the exposure of her dimpled thighs. She had a small twinge of annoyance at their state, but Alec acted like he was given a gift, so she didn’t sweat it.
“Being what you are,” she explained. “It makes you love me because I’m your mate.”
“No!” His head snapped up, and she jumped. “Don’t believe that. Whisper, do you think I would have looked your way if you weren’t the most beautiful woman I have ever seen? Do you think I would have continued to pursue you if your personality didn’t match? Yes, I was hooked on you quickly, but that’s because of you, not because of some fate that makes you the one. Never forget, I love you for you, not because my genes drive me to.”
“I won’t,” she murmured. All here worries dissipated, and even if she wasn’t used to Alec being a shape-shifter, she knew what she felt was real. She loved him. Without question, she did. “I love you, Alec.”
His fingers spasmed on her hips, and he closed his eyes dipping his head. “I won’t ask you if you’re sure. Just say it again for me, baby. Let me hear the words.”
She stroked his hair, luxuriating in the silkiness of his curls. “Alec, I love you. I’m sure of it. I love you with all my heart.”
He jumped to his feet and raised her into his arms to carry around to the side of the bed. With tenderness that made her tear up, he laid her on the bed and then followed her down. He made short work of both of their clothing, and they lay side by side naked. Whisper didn’t try hiding her oversized, somewhat saggy breasts. Alec feasted on them with his eyes and then his lips. She arched into the touch and moa
ned when he sucked harder, going from one nipple to the other.
“Alec…”
“Say my name again,” he demanded. She did as she was told, and he raised her thigh to push his big, thick cock deep into her already wet pussy. Whisper keened in bliss. Alec ground into her so roughly, so fast, that all she could do was hang onto him and enjoy it. The impact of their bodies crashing together sent her over the edge. She came screaming, but Alec didn’t let up for an instant. He pounded into her, rolled her to her back and climbed on top of her. With her legs up over his shoulders, Alec gripped the backs of her thighs and drove home repeatedly. Her orgasm built a second time, but this round was stronger. The sensations came from somewhere deep and were so strong, she couldn’t bite down on her cries.
“Too much, too much,” she pleaded, but he didn’t back off. If anything, her words drove him wilder. The sounds of his invasion into her pussy seemed loud in her ears. The smack of his pelvis to hers and the slap of his balls on her ass had her shaking and weak. “I don’t know about this. It’s never been this strong,” she whimpered.
“This is your g-spot, honey,” he explained, “and when you come it will be more powerful than you’ve ever experienced. Hold on for me, my love. I will please you.”
Hold on? He must be crazy. I can’t. I just can’t… The orgasm slammed through her from her core out to every part of her body. She thought she felt it in her toes, and her head became so light, she couldn’t think straight. Where she’d been screaming before, now the words were lost in her inability to form them. For a few seconds, she thought she fainted. Tears wet her face, but she couldn’t remember starting to cry. In her ear, Alec murmured his love over and over. His hold tightened, and he arched once more before his come flooded her channel. A shudder passed between them. Whisper wasn’t sure if it was hers or his, but it didn’t matter. They were one.
Sometime later, she woke in Alec’s arms and yawned. She was worn to a frazzle, and her girly parts were sore as hell. She snuggled closer in her lover’s embrace. “Alec, are you sleeping?”
“No, baby.”
“I was thinking.”
“Hm?” His voice was thick, making it sexier than usual. She shivered in desire.
Calm down, girl, you know you can’t take this big man again until you heal. Damn, I should be a shifter. “Is there any way I can become like you?”
He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Where did that come from?”
“I just wondered.” Embarrassment made her look away. Alec didn’t like that. He always made her look at him if she did that while they were talking. She took a deep breath and continued. “I just wish we could be closer, or that I could satisfy you as much as you need. I know you could have gone on if I wasn’t so sore.”
“Don’t for one second think that you don’t satisfy me, baby,” he insisted. “You’re everything that I need and more.” He kissed her, and she nuzzled into his chest. “Aside from that, over time, we become closer. You will not be a shifter exactly, but there are dormant abilities in humans that never get accessed. I have heard of some of these coming alive over time when one of my kind mates with a human.”
“Interesting.”
“Anyway, don’t be afraid. There’s no way I am ever letting you go. I will treasure all that you give me as a gift, and wait for you as long as it takes you to heal.”
Her breath wavered as she breathed out. “I’ve never been loved so deeply.”
He grinned down at her. “You’ve not seen anything yet.”
She slapped at his chest. “I look forward to it. Now, about Max. I’m worried about him. Should we find him a new mate?”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid there’s only ever been one mate for anyone like us. If one or the other passes, the one left spends their life alone. More often than not, they die before old age.”
Whisper’s heart constricted. “Uh-uhn, I’m not accepting that. Max deserves happiness, and you can be damn sure I’m going to find the right woman for him so he can love again.”
Alec chuckled. “I have the feeling my brother is in trouble.”
She frowned. “Hey, that’s a good thing.”
“If you say so.” The grin on his face spread.
“Okay, you’ll see. I’m going to have that man tiptoeing through the garden of happiness in no time.”
Alec groaned and rolled off the bed. “Fine. Come on. If I can’t make love to you right now, we can at least eat, and then we will discuss your strategy for punishing my brother—I mean helping his love life.”
When Whisper ran after him to punch him for what he started to say, Alec took off out of the bedroom and down the hall. She was in hot pursuit, knowing that this time he wouldn’t go far, and no one would steal him away.
The End
About the Author
Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at www.tressielockwood.blogspot.com
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