by V. Vaughn
Her scent comes to me first, and I gulp down my mouthful of food, thankful I don’t choke as I rush to the door and open it before she can even lift her arm to knock.
“Lexi,” I spit out a few crumbs with my greeting, but the way her face lights up tells me she doesn’t mind.
She flings herself into my arms. “I remember everything, Tristan.” She frowns. “I smell cinnamon.”
“Yeah. I—"
She waves me off with her need to tell me something. “More importantly I remember how much I love you. I know we’re meant to be together forever, no matter how you want it to happen.”
I’m not sure what she means, but I don’t care because all I heard was together forever. I pick her up and swing her around before I set her down to make sure I’m crystal clear. “You want to spend your life with me. Did I hear that right? Please say I did.”
She nods like a bobblehead. “Yes, Tristan. I think I know what you couldn’t tell me, and it’s okay.” A burst of laughter comes from her, and she covers her mouth. “Oh god, I’m sorry. It’s not funny, but it kind of is. Do you know why I insisted on driving in that storm?”
I frown, guilt filling me with a cold, hard lump of dread that sinks in my stomach. “Because I was a selfish jerk who insisted on it.”
“No! That’s the thing! I was the selfish jerk. I knew you were going to ask me to marry you that night. At least I think so.”
“I was.”
“Okay, good, because I remember how I pressured you into it.”
“Lexi, no—"
She holds up her hand. “Let me finish. I told you the only way I’d move out here was if you and I got married, but you weren’t ready. So when you told me you had something important to tell me, I knew I had to come, no matter what, because if I didn’t— Well, I was afraid you’d change your mind.”
She glances past me. “Oh, cinnamon rolls.” She shakes her head and returns her gaze to me. “But I know better now. In fact, I want to apologize. I was wrong when I said I needed to be married to move in with you. I don’t care. We can shack up for life. I don’t need a ring, Tristan. I only need you.”
I blink in shock. I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. “Are you serious?”
“I really am. I was a fool thinking I need to be married to be happy with you, Tristan. But now I know that isn’t important. You and me, together, that’s what is important.” She smiles. “I’m so sorry I tried to force you to marry me before you were ready. Can you forgive me?”
My teenaged girl makes an appearance again, and tears fill my eyes. I don’t care, even when they roll down my cheeks. The woman I thought I’d lost is here, right across from me, and she wants me back. I can’t even process how it happened, but it doesn’t matter. “There’s nothing to forgive. I love you so much, Lexi.”
“Oh, Tristan.” She throws her arms over my shoulders. “I love you too.”
I sweep her off her feet to carry her into the bedroom, when Hillary pops her head in the doorway. “Super cute, you two.” She crinkles her nose. “God, Tris, shower already. You smell gross.”
Lexi lets out a “Rrawwrrr” as she looks at her friend. “Speak for yourself.”
Hillary laughs and points out the door. “I’m just gonna let myself out now. Catch you two on the flipside.”
She’s gone in a flash, and I back kick the door with my foot before I take Lexi to the bedroom. I don’t want to waste one more minute not connected to this woman. She is my everything, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing her that.
I lay her on the bed and cover her body with mine. Brushing the hair back from her face, I kiss her and fall head over heels in love with her again. I press my lips to her chin, her cheeks, and the tip of her nose as I begin to worship her. She’s so precious to me, and I’ll never do anything to lose her again.
Chapter 38
TRISTAN
I can’t sleep. I’m too wired. Despite our intense love making that zonked Lexi out into a blissful sleep, my body and mind are wide awake.
For a few hours I sit up in the bed and just watch her as she sleeps. Her eyelids flicker as she dreams, and her chest rises up slowly before it falls again. She doesn’t snore, but she sometimes moans in her sleep, and she’d doing it now. I notice her pert little nose that she hates and the way her bottom lip is so plump it sticks out as if she’s pouting. It’s sexy as hell, and I want to nibble it. She’s so damn beautiful it makes my heart ache. I have to pinch myself to believe she is truly mine, that she really wants to live with me. Forever.
I wonder if I should just go into the kitchen, grab the ring from the drawer where I hid it, and wake her up to ask her to marry me. I don’t want to wait. Every second without knowing she’ll be my wife is torture, but I imagine lately she’s had sleepless nights like I have, and I know how precious this time is for her.
That’s the thing… since her accident I’ve done nothing but worry about Lexi’s wellbeing. I want only what’s best for her, my needs be damned. And it’s been a humbling experience to realize that the way I took care of her was what she did for me every day, for no reason other than because she wanted to.
So, I’ll let her sleep, because that’s what Lexi needs, and I can wait to ask her to marry me when she wakes refreshed. I pad into the kitchen and look out the window. The sky is blushing pink and orange to start the day, and I marvel at how the color intensifies. I watch long enough to see it fade into the brightness of a new day, and I think about how I’m truly blessed to be able to live on the mountain to see this. Nature is my touchstone, and I’d be lost if I had to live in a city, or town, for that matter. Although I would, for Lexi, which means I’m doubly blessed she’s willing to live here with me.
Before the accident she’d talk about how much she enjoyed living in town. That she liked being around people. And I know her friends and social life matter to her. She has her job as a teacher, but for someone like Lexi, that won’t be enough. I’m going to have to be conscious of the fact she’ll need social interaction beyond work. I swear to myself I won’t let her need to have nights out with girlfriends or participation in things like book clubs make me jealous. I’m going to remember she needs those things to feed her soul the way I need my sunrise.
I open the drawer in the kitchen and pull out the ring box. It creaks as I open it slowly and look at the setting I picked out for her, and then I tug the ring out of its holder and lift it up to the light to watch how it sparkles. The way Lexi does.
I set the ring box on the table and then gather the supplies for scrambled eggs and bacon. A girl can’t live on cinnamon toast alone. Truth be told, I have a feeling she needs the protein as much as I do. She’s likely been eating poorly the last couple of days too.
A skillet clatters on the stove where I set it to heat up for bacon, and as I crack eggs into a bowl, I think about how Lexi claims she doesn’t need to be married to live with me. I believe it’s true, but despite that, I can’t just live with her. I’m ready to be married and start a family. I want everything that entails, the way I know Lexi does. The woman teaches kindergarten after all. She wants a houseful of kids, and crazily, considering the chaos that means, I do too.
Bacon sizzles when I place it in the pan, and I know the scent will be too much for a sleeping Lexi to ignore. I get jittery imagining her smile when I slide her diamond ring on her finger. The salty aroma of the bacon must have made it back to the bedroom, because I hear the rush of water as the toilet flushes, and I quickly snatch the ring box off the table and put it on the counter behind the milk. The bedroom door opens, and Lexi shuffles into the kitchen. I fill a mug of coffee and hand it to her, and she gives me a sleepy smile, her hair in disarray that I had something to do with. She’s wearing one of my T-shirts and, I suspect, nothing else, which makes me ponder a quick roll in the hay before I ask her any serious questions. I put the thought out of my mind, though, because the need to make things right for us is too great.
“Mornin
g,” she says as she sits at the kitchen table.
“Morning, baby.”
She holds her mug in two hands as she takes a sip and then lets out a happy sigh. “I’m haven’t slept that well in days. I feel absolutely amazing right now.” She lifts her nose to the air and inhales. “I can’t believe how good bacon smells. I’m starving.”
I bet she is, and even though I don’t want to wait any longer I must. I plate up the eggs and bacon to bring to the table. “Eat up,” I say. I do my best to eat too, but all I manage to do is push food around my plate. Fortunately, Lexi is too hungry to notice, and when she finally leans back and sighs with satisfaction, I decide I can’t wait any longer.
“Lexi, I have something to ask you.”
She leans her chin on her hand and gazes into my eyes. “Sure, what is it?”
As smoothly as I can I palm the ring box without her noticing, and then I drop to one knee in front of her. Her eyes widen, and her mouth opens in that perfect little O she makes when she’s surprised.
I clear my throat and say, “Lexi, I’m so in love with you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” My tiger rumbles in my chest, refusing to be ignored, and I chuckle. “My tiger loves you too.” Her eyes shine with tears as she processes what I’m doing. “You’re my mate, my life, and I want to be with you forever.” I pause to glance around the kitchen as I recall how I’d originally planned this, candlelight, a fire, soft music… but none of it matters now. Because nothing is more important than the way we feel.
“Tristan! You’re killing me here.” She laughs.
I smile at her and open my hand, palm up, to reveal the little blue box. I open it and present the ring to her. “Will you marry me?”
Tears finally escape to roll down her cheeks, and my Lexi gives me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Yes! Oh, my god, yes!” She gets off the chair to crouch down with me. Got to love a kindergarten teacher. “I love you so much, and— Yes!”
I pluck the ring from the box as the two of us sit on the floor, and I grab her hand to slide our promise to each other onto her finger. It’s a perfect fit. And after all we’ve been through, why wouldn’t it be?
She grabs my face and kisses me. A soft purr emanates from her throat telling me her lion is just as happy as my tiger. She may spend a lot of time on the floor, but I don’t. I stand and tug her up with me.
Lexi’s face turns somber as she gets serious. “We have something we need to do before we get married.”
I smile, knowing exactly what she means. We need to mark each other with our bite. My tiger rumbles inside my body, excited about the prospect. Lexi takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom, and we both laugh softly when her lion echoes my tiger with her own purr of excitement.
Chapter 39
LEXI
Nerves have every cell in my body vibrating as I sit on the edge of Tristan’s bed. The image of him biting me flashes through my mind, and I shiver. It’s a little bit of fear because I still don’t buy the idea there isn’t any pain, but it’s mostly because of what this means. Once we’re bonded through a bite, it’s for life, and right now I’ve never wanted anything more.
I look down at my engagement ring. I couldn’t have picked out a prettier one if I’d tried. I hold out my hand to admire it, and Tristan smiles as he watches me. “You like it.”
I gaze up at him. “I love it.”
He looks down at me with so much love. His emotions are raw, real, and on display for me to see exactly how he feels. There are no more secrets between us, and I had no idea how freeing that would be. He sits next to me and lets out a sigh when I turn to lean in for a kiss.
As his lips move over mine, my tongue tastes and teases, and his hands slide under the only thing I’m wearing, his T-shirt. It’s like a blanket of his scent, his mark, his love. But even when he pulls it over my head, he doesn’t remove the brand he’s seared into my heart. And soon I’ll have his brand on my neck for all to see. Just like he’ll have mine.
The shirt lands with a soft thump on the floor, and he breaks from our kiss to gaze down at my breasts before he cups them with his hands. My nipples harden under his deft touch as he rubs his thumbs over them.
Desire, hot and heady, surges over me, and I let out a moan as I look into his eyes. It’s only been a few hours since we last made love, but I’m not sure I could ever get enough of this man. “Do you think we’ll feel like this when we’re old and gray?” I ask.
He nods as he trails a finger down the side of my neck and then stops where I think he plans to bite me. I shiver under his touch and lean my head back, yearning for something I instinctually crave. He wraps his hand around the back of neck and scrapes his teeth lightly over where he plans to bite me.
He leans his forehead on mine and whispers, “You’re so fucking beautiful, Lexi. I’m not worthy.”
“But you are.” I reach up and grab a handful of his hair to tug his head back, and I inspect his neck as I drag my finger down it the way he did mine, and I lean in to scrape my teeth over his skin too. He shivers with the desire for my mark.
It occurs to me what we’re about to do takes complete faith in each other. It would be easy, once the taste of blood is on our tongues, to let our primal cat instincts take over and kill. But neither of us is remotely afraid of that right now. Because we both now have the trust we’ve wanted since the very beginning.
Heat swells through my body. I gasp as I’m bombarded with desire so deep it’s in my bones. And I want him inside of me. On me. Around me. I want us to be so entwined I’m not sure where I start and he ends.
He gets off the bed and drops to his knees in front of me, wrapping his hands around my waist, and fluttering kisses on my shins, my knees and then my thighs. I lean back on my elbows, and he rises up and locks his gaze with mine as I slide back on the mattress. I want to show him I belong to him, and I lift my arms up over my head, arch my back, and thrust my breasts toward him.
He rises up to stand and look down at me. “Spread those legs for me, baby.”
I let my knees open to bare my pussy to him. He has to see the glistening moisture of my desire. I’m so needy that I can’t help but squirm, craving friction any way I can get it. He smiles. “You’re ready for me.”
“God, yes.” I gyrate my hips more and whimper, ready to submit to his every need. “Tell me what to do.”
He stares, studying me for what feels like forever, and I let out a moan of impatience. He shakes his head. “No. Get up.”
“What?” I ask as I sit up and get off the bed. When I do, Tristan moves to lie down on the mattress. I smile as I get what he wants.
He positions himself so that he’s leaning on his elbows, smirking at me. And I want to wipe that cocky smile off his face. I spread my feet to widen my stance as I look down at him. “Hands above your head.” He reaches up and grips a rung in the iron headboard. “Damn,” I say. “What I wouldn’t give for handcuffs right now.”
Tristan grins at me. “Wedding registry?”
I laugh, but it fades as I feast on his body with my eyes. He’s offering me everything he has in any way I want it, and I’m going to take full advantage. I say, “You may not let go of the headboard.” I’m trying to be stern, but a smile escapes before I force it away again. “I’ve got plans for you,” I say in the coldest voice I can muster.
He’s struggling not to smile, too, and actually sucks in his lips as if he can keep them trapped between his teeth. It makes what I want to do even more delicious, because it’s not going to be long before he’s moaning and squirming beneath my touch.
My lion has an idea; she wants to groom her mate. I start at his feet, and I lick softly along his toes and slowly up over his foot to his ankle. He begins to purr, and I mentally sit back and let my lion take over for a while. She moves up his leg, tasting with gentle flicks of my tongue, but when she gets to where he’d really like to be licked I move us over to his hip.
“Lexi,” He groans. “You�
��re killing me.”
I chuckle. “Hey, talk to my lion, this was her idea.”
As my lion and I work around his groin, he begins to quake. His scent intensifies, and I’m ready to take over. I move up his chest, and when I get to his neck, I hover over him and gaze into his eyes. He asks, “Are you ready to bite me?”
I shake my head and lean down to suckle where I plan to bite him, I savor the flavor of his skin and dig into my lion’s mind to feel her urge. She lets out a growl that rumbles through my chest. She’s ready.
But I’m not. Not yet. I want to be marked in other ways before that happens. I get up on my knees and hold my chin as if I’m thinking hard. “You know, you have quite the talented tongue, too.”
“Uh-huh,” he says and then licks his lips as if he’s imagining the taste of me. My insides quiver with desire I’m dying to satisfy.
“It’s a pity you’re stuck there, holding that headboard until I say you can let go.”
“It really is,” he says as he plays along. “Then there’s just one solution.”
Tristan gives me an evil smile from his vantage point on the pillow, and he lifts a hand from the headboard to hook a finger at me. “Come up here, baby. I’ll give you what you want.”
“You’d better.”
He lets out a low growl as I place my knees on either side of his head and my dripping-wet pussy over his mouth. In this position I have more control over my pleasure, and I grab onto the top of the headboard to ride his face as he eats me out. At some point, he forgets about the no-hands rule and grabs my ass and drives his tongue in deeper. I’m not shy with my cries as my orgasm slams into me like a freight train, and when I’m able to move off of Tristan he smiles, pleased at the result of his ministrations.