“I don’t want to wait,” she said, sitting up in bed and stripping off her shirt. “Don’t make me beg, Cooper. I’ve never done this before, so it probably wouldn’t be pretty.”
His eye went instantly to the lace bra she was wearing, then back up to her face. “Stephanie, did you just say you’ve never done this before?” he asked, his entire body stiff. “That might have been something you could have shared before now.”
“What difference does it make?” she asked, shimmying out of her pants. “I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood, and I wanted my first time to be special. Now it will be.”
“You have no idea,” Cooper ground out between clenched teeth. “Stephanie, if we do this, there won’t be any going back, we’ll belong together for the rest of our lives. It’s part of being a shifter, a part I can’t do anything about.”
“If that was supposed to scare me, it didn’t,” she said, surprised that she meant every word. “You’re the most amazing, caring, intelligent man I’ve ever met, and I’m already half in love with you. We might as well take it all the way. I’m willing to get my heart broken to have even a day in your arms.”
CHAPTER 17
***COOPER***
Cooper rolled onto his side and looked down at Stephanie. “Oh, sweetheart, the last thing I would ever do is break your heart, but being mine will change your life, and I want you to make this decision for the right reasons,” he said, every fiber of his being desperate to take her right then. “If you give yourself to me now, you’ll be mine forever, and we’ll never want to be separated from each other. We’ll be bonded together until the end of time, and I don’t know if you realize how big a sacrifice that might be for you.”
Stephanie studied him for a second, then a smile spread across her face. “I think I like the sound of that. After all, a girl can’t get more of a commitment than that,” she said. “How exactly does this bond thing work? Do we have to say some special words or something? Is it like getting married? Can we get a bond divorce?”
He silenced her with a kiss, holding back laughter, very aware that she was almost naked in his arms. “It just happens if it’s meant to be,” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver. “Now, no more talking, Dr. Warner.”
“Yes, Mr. McFarland,” she sighed, then reached up, pulled his head down, and kissed him.
Pleasure instantly flooded his system, waking the dragon inside him. His magic surged to the surface, and the fragile connection between them began to grow stronger. He could feel Stephanie’s surrender in her kisses, knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, and his body began to throb with need, but he knew that he had to go slowly. Tracing a path across her stomach, he found her breasts still covered by the thin fabric of her lace bra and began to knead and tease them until she was shifting under him expectantly.
Reaching behind her, he unsnapped her bra, then slowly pulled it off and dropped it to the floor before kissing his way down her chest and sucking first one then the other pert nipple into his mouth. Stephanie was squirming beneath him, her breath coming in short gasps when he was finished, but he didn’t stop, sliding his hand down between her legs, he pushed them open, making her gasp, then slipped one finger between her folds. When he found her swollen pleasure button, she gasped, then dug her nails into his shoulders as he used his finger to show her just what pleasure meant.
She tumbled over the edge, calling out his name, her body slick and wet, more than ready for him, and he rolled between her legs but waited without moving until she opened her eyes and looked up at him. The passion between them, already burning brightly, became an inferno when their eyes met, his magic began to pulse so strongly inside him that some began to escape and crackled in the air around them.
“I’m yours, Cooper, tonight, tomorrow, for as long as you want me,” Stephanie said, making the connection between them glow brighter. “Take me now, make me yours, I can’t wait another second.”
He wanted to be gentle with her, wanted to go slowly to give her time to adjust, but he filled her with one powerful thrust of his hips instead, her words draining away the last of his control.Stephanie gasped, then closed her eyes and opened her legs wider for him, her body throbbing around him, and he filled her again and again, reveling in how perfectly their bodies fit together.
He felt Stephanie’s body grow even tighter around him as he thrust into her, felt her muscles beginning to tremble as she called out his name over and over before the pleasure overwhelmed her. This time buried so deeply inside her, he could feel every spasm, every wave of pleasure that flooded her system, the bond slowly forming between them only intensified the feeling, and he was powerless to stop it when his moment came.
Driving himself even deeper with one powerful thrust of his hips, he emptied himself inside Stephanie, calling out her name as the most intense sensations he’d ever felt overwhelmed him. His magic broke free and filled the room, wrapping itself around them, joining their souls together with a spell so ancient that its existence had long been forgotten.
But they both felt it, felt the moment they became one instead of two, Stephanie let out a gasp, then looked up at him, her eyes full of wonder. He smiled down at her, sure that he’d never felt anything quite as wonderful as what he was feeling at that moment, then, unable to speak, leaned down and kissed her until they were both breathless again. Afraid that he was going to hurt her, he collapsed onto his side, then gathered her up in his arms, still unable to put into words what he was feeling.
“That was amazing,” Stephanie said, looking up at him, her cheeks turning pink. “Is it always like that?”
“Give me a second and I’ll show you,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her, the thought making his blood begin to pump again. “After all, you can’t judge from just one experience.”
“I believe you’re right,” she said. “It would be irresponsible of me not to fully explore the issue.”
“Very irresponsible,” he said, running his hand over her hip. “In fact, I think it’s going to take a lot of experimentation before you have your answer.”
“Well then, we’d better get started right away,” she said, grinning at him. “Do you think I should take notes?”
“Oh, sweetheart, you won’t need notes,” he said. “You’re never going to forget this night.”
***Stephanie***
The next morning Stephanie woke to Cooper snoring softly in her ear, his arm draped across her middle possessively. She started to panic, but before she could, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Warmth spread through her, and she instantly knew that she hadn’t made a mistake; she was right where she was supposed to be, even if she had no idea what the future might hold.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Cooper said, leaning over and giving her a kiss. “Did you sleep well?”
“Once I got used to your snoring,” she teased. “I’m surprised you don’t wake yourself up.”
He laughed. “We’ll have to get you a pair of earplugs,” he said, rolling on top of her. “And maybe a pair for my grandmother. Good thing her hearing isn’t as good as it used to be.”
