“What?” I whispered. “Why?” My mind spun as I tried to comprehend his words.
He shook his head, chuckling as he moved his hands down to my chest. “Because I never expected to feel this way about anyone. Ever. Not this quickly. I just can’t get you out of my mind, Desmond Banks. On top of that, my reindeer is rather fond of you, has been since you petted me.”
I blinked hard. “Are you sure? You’re okay with it being me?” I had no idea what he saw in me, since I barely knew who I was. I’d spent the last decade trying to prove who I wasn’t.
“Of course.” He reached around and squeezed my ass. “I’m glad you’re not one of those alpha-holes who think I should be honored when they ogle me. I’m especially glad that you are not emotionally constipated, that you’re capable of more than just being horny or angry. And, last night, I was glad you came to me. Whether it was you or your wolf who brought you here, that meant a lot.”
I rested my hands on his waist. “I’m far from perfect. And my family… Well, that’s pretty messed up.”
“This is stuff I already knew before I called you after your Christmas party and invited you to my parents for Christmas.” He lifted his hand to cup my cheek. “I’m not perfect, either. I’m kind of judgy with those who don’t understand why we help community members in need. Plus, I get anxiety in crowds. That’s why I needed to leave. I was so overwhelmed by all the people. Even if most of them were super nice to me.”
Holding onto his wrist, I kissed his palm. “You’re perfect to me.” Then I moved his hand down and kissed his lips. Coffee and maple flavored. So sweet, I yearned to taste all of him.
“Take me,” he whispered as I brushed my lips along his neck with so much more of his body to explore. “Right here. We’re meant to be together.” He pulled off his T-shirt then shimmied out of his lounge pants, wearing nothing underneath. Crooking his finger, he motioned me closer. “Come on now. Fuck me, alpha.”
With a growl, I lifted him onto the kitchen island. As I removed my pants, he spread his legs, the smell of his need filling my senses. Lining the tip of my cock to his already slick hole, I plunged deep inside.
As I rocked in and out of him, I let go of all the emotional armor I’d been holding onto for most of my life. Kane already knew me, had seen through my shield from the beginning. He knew the me I’d tried to hide from everyone, including myself. And he still believed we were fated to be together. Watching him as I tried to usher him toward his release, I felt that same connection. A bottomless devotion that could no longer be contained. I was his, and I wanted to make him mine.
Chapter Seventeen
Kane
February twenty-first. Moving day. Just as my relationship with Desmond had developed quickly, so had the idea of us buying a house together. On New Year’s Day, after we’d finally sat down to eat, we talked a lot. About what we wanted and our future together. One thing we discussed was buying a house together. I gave my notice to the lady who owned the brownstone, and my boyfriend sold his condo on Mazzo Place back to Adan Records. He wasn’t my mate yet, had wanted to wait until we had a house together to finalize our union. All my attempts at trying to get him to sink his fangs into me proved unsuccessful.
“I think the movers just took the last box.” Desmond leaned against the doorframe into my apartment—for only one more week—with the sleeves of his plaid flannel shirt rolled up, his arms crossed, and one leg in front of the other. It was a look that made me want to drag him inside and have him fuck me over the counter since I no longer had any furniture there. Anything to feel the completeness of our fated bond. But we didn’t have time. We had to meet the movers at our house, the place we got possession of three days earlier, and had spent every evening since scrubbing room by room to prepare for our move.
The day had come, and we had very little to do, with Desmond’s grandparents insisting on hiring movers for us since no one wanted to help us move. Not in February, the coldest month of the year. We hadn’t thought about that in our rush to live together, only about finding a place that was new for both of us.
Luckily, the sun was shining as Desmond drove us to our house, a bungalow on the east side of the city only a block from Vista Park. It had a fenced yard and an elementary schoolnearby. The perfect location to raise the family we often talked about.
We pulled into the driveway just as the moving truck parked out front. My brother and sister had stayed at our new place to sort out Desmond’s labeled boxes from his condo and transfer them into the appropriate room.
Within two hours, we had all our belongings inside our new house or out in the garage. Our bed was set up so we had a place to sleep that night, and we had one box of kitchenware unpacked. Enough so we could spend the night without having to empty any other cartons of our stuff.
That night, as I crawled into bed, I expected Desmond to make our union official. I curled up next to him, naked to make the process that much faster. I wanted to be his. Instead, I fell asleep in his arms.
“Good morning, my omega.”
I opened my eyes to find Desmond on his hands and knees above me. Reaching for my neck, I felt for puncture holes, thinking that I’d slept through our mating, but didn’t find any. “Still not your mate?” I pouted, every part of me wanting the ultimate connection with him.
He chuckled and tilted his head. “I wanted you to be awake when I make you mine. You zonked out as soon as you closed your eyes, and I wasn’t long after you.”
“Okay, can we do it now?” I expected to be exhausted that night with so many more boxes to unpack and our usual biweekly dinner at my parents’ house. We alternated going there and to Desmond’s grandparents’.
He kissed my nose. “I was hoping you would want that. I’m already so hard for you.”
Reaching for his cock, I winked at him. “You sure it’s not morning wood?”
“I’ve already used the bathroom.” He rocked into my palm. “I just want you.”
“Take me. Have me.” I raised my hips to feel his shaft between my legs. “I’m all yours, my alpha.”
He softly growled. “I love it when you call me that.” Lowering to his forearms, he kissed me, his lips pleading for entrance.
Even having just woken, my need was overpowering. I opened to him, my mouth, my body, and my heart. I’d never wanted anyone or anything more than to be his. So close, yet still too far away.
He held my face between his hands, stealing my breath and my thoughts with every deep kiss.
