She pulled back only enough to breathe against my lips, “Don’t hold back.”
My vision narrowed to her. “You’re making it damn near impossible to go slow.”
Her hands slid up my chest, hesitant at first, then bolder when I didn’t move away. Her fingers curled into my shirt, pulling me toward her.
I kissed her until she was breathless, melting into me completely. Until instinct roared to take her to the floor, lay her beneath me, and claim her in every way a mate could.
But I forced myself to break the kiss, panting against her mouth.
“Rowan,” I rasped, pressing my forehead to hers. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
Her fingers tightened in my shirt. “I don’t.”
And with those two words, my control finally shattered.
I groaned into her mouth, my hands sliding to her waist to pull her flush against me.
This was the desire every mated shifter talked about in hushed tones. I was finally feeling it, all for Rowan.
“Baby,” I rasped against her lips, trailing kisses along her jaw and down the delicate column of her throat. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
“Hopefully the same as you’re doing to me.”
I tugged her down to the nest of blankets on the floor, catching myself on my forearms so I didn’t crush her as she spread out on her back beneath me. She arched underneath me, her hands roaming my chest, shoulders, and back, as though she couldn’t decide where to touch first.
I kept kissing her, hungry but unhurried because I didn’t want to miss a spot on her curvy body. I tasted every inch of her neck, collarbone, and the soft skin just above her sweater. She smelled like something uniquely Rowan, made just for me, and it drove my bear wild.
“Wanted this since even before you walked into my restaurant,” I murmured, my voice rough as I tugged her sweater up and over her head.
Her bra was simple cotton, pale against her flushed skin, and the sight of her bare stomach made my mouth water. “Had to fight my polar just to keep from dragging you behind the grill and claiming you right there.”
Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. “I didn’t even know I could feel like this.”
I paused, letting my thumb trace the edge of her bra. “I know, baby. Neither did I. Not until you.”
Her pretty blush spread across her chest, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she reached behind herself, fumbling with the clasp until it gave, and her bra fell away. I groaned low in my throat at the sight of her perfect breasts, her nipples already tight from the cold and the heat between us.
“Beautiful,” I breathed, lowering my head to circle one stiff peak with my tongue.
She arched with a soft cry, her fingers threading into my hair. I sucked harder, loving the way she trembled beneath me. Then I moved to the other side, lavishing it with the same attention.
My hand slid down her stomach, my fingers dipping beneath the waistband of her leggings. She lifted her hips without me asking, letting me peel the fabric away along with her panties until she was bare and glistening in the firelight.
I sat back on my heels for a moment, just drinking her in. The curve of her hips, the soft swell of her thighs, and the slick heat between them called to me like a beacon. My bear roared, demanding I taste, claim, and fill her sweet pussy. But I wanted this to be perfect for my mate. Rowan deserved more than for me to rut her like my animal wanted. At least for her first time.
I reached for the honey I’d used earlier, the bottle warm from sitting near the fire. Dipping two fingers into the golden liquid, I trailed them across her collarbone, watching her shiver as the sweetness dripped down her skin.
“Bexley,” she panted.
“Shh, baby. Let me taste you.” I leaned down, licking the honey from her skin in slow, deliberate strokes. She moaned, her back arching, and I followed the trail lower, painting sticky lines across her breasts, stomach, and the sensitive dip of her navel. Every inch I licked clean, I kissed, nipped, worshipped.
When I reached her core, I paused, letting my breath ghost over her damp flesh. “You’re so wet for me already, baby.”
“Please,” she whimpered, her thighs trembling. “I need more.”
I didn’t make her beg twice. I dragged my tongue through her drenched pussy in a long, slow stroke, groaning at the taste of the sweet honey mixed with her arousal. She cried out, her hips bucking off the floor, but I pinned her gently and spread her wider so I could feast.
I licked and sucked, circling her clit with firm pressure, then plunged my tongue inside her tight channel to fuck her with deep strokes. When she started shaking, I added a finger, stretching her gently and curling them to find that spot that made her gasp my name.
