The word slips out without thought.
Billy’s eyes flare amber, and his grip on me tightens.
The air charges between us again, but different now. Hotter. More desperate.
“I should... we should...” Billy’s voice is strangled.
“Go,” Ethan says, understanding in his eyes. “Take the afternoon. I can handle things here.”
We barely make it to the truck before Billy’s mouth is on mine. Hot, desperate, and claiming. I climb across the console, needing to be closer. He groans against my lips, hands fisting in my hair.
“Home.” He gasps. “Now. Before I...”
“Yes.” I’m already fumbling with his shirt buttons. “Drive fast.”
The trip home is torture. I can’t keep my hands off him. Running them over his chest, his thighs.
He drives one-handed, the other tangled with mine, squeezing almost too tight.
My teeth ache with the need to bite.
His knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
Both of us are panting.
The need to mark is so overwhelming now. My skin’s burning everywhere we’re not touching. I lean across the console, pressing my lips to his neck, and he swerves slightly.
“Carla.” He groans. “If you don’t stop...”
“Can’t.” I nip at his throat, not breaking skin, but close. So close. “I need you.”
He makes a sound that’s half growl, half whimper.
The truck barely stops before we’re stumbling out. Billy fumbles with the door while I attack his neck from behind, sliding my hands under his shirt to find his skin.
We burst through the door, already pulling at clothes.
Billy kicks it shut, then lifts me, carrying me to the bedroom. I wrap my legs around his waist, grinding against him. The friction makes us both gasp.
“Carla.” He groans as I kiss that spot on his neck. That perfect spot that calls to me. “If you...”
“I know.” I pull back to look at him. His eyes are fully amber now, his bear in control. “I want to. Billy, I need to.”
He sets me on the bed, hovering over me. His whole body trembles with restraint.
“Are you sure? Once we do this...”
“We’ll be bonded. Mated. Forever.” I reach up to cup his face. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Thank god,” he breathes.
His mouth crashes down on mine.
We come together with desperate urgency. My sweater gets caught on my earring. His belt won’t cooperate. We’re both shaking too hard to even manage buttons and zippers properly.
Finally, finally, we’re skin to skin.
When he slides into me, we both cry out at the rightness of it. But it’s different this time. More intense. Every nerve ending is hypersensitive.
