“You are insatiable,” she murmured against his lips.
“I have a lot of time to make up for,” he replied, his thumb brushing across her nipple.
“You mean you have been saving yourself for me?” she asked, her tone teasing but her eyes curious.
“In a way,” he replied, feeling the truth of it deep in his bones. “As a shifter, you get to a certain age and know that no woman is ever going to satisfy you like your mate.”
“That’s so sweet,” she said, turning in his arms to kiss him properly. “And sad.”
“But you are here now,” he said, reaching past her for a blue shirt, one of his favorites. “Here, this one.”
She accepted it with a raised eyebrow. “So you want me to cover myself up now?”
Matt smiled and said, “I think it’s best if we are ever going to leave the bedroom.”
Tessa slipped on the shirt that skimmed her thighs, and he pulled on a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt. The blue fabric looked even better on her than he’d imagined, making her skin glow. He couldn’t stop staring.
She caught him looking and smiled, a hint of shyness creeping into her expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” Matt said. “Just admiring the view.”
His bear rumbled appreciatively.She looks perfect in our clothes. Marked with our scent.
Matt silently agreed as they made their way downstairs. The kitchen was exactly as they’d left it last night—dishes abandoned on the table and wine glasses half-empty. The memory of what had happened instead sent heat coursing through him.
While Tessa began gathering plates, Matt pulled eggs and bacon from the refrigerator. The domesticity of the moment struck him—his mate moving around his kitchen as if she belonged there, because she did. His bear practically purred with contentment.
“I was thinking pancakes,” he said, reaching for the flour. “Unless you prefer something else?”
“Pancakes sound perfect.” Tessa stacked the dishes by the sink. “I haven’t had homemade pancakes in ages.”
That’s unacceptable,his bear grumbled.Our mate should have pancakes whenever she wants them.
Matt smiled to himself as he measured ingredients into a bowl. “Well, you’re in for a treat. Family recipe.”
“Is there a secret ingredient?” Tessa asked, turning on the water to rinse the plates.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.” Matt winked at her.
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
They moved around each other with surprising ease, as if they’d been sharing a kitchen for years instead of hours. Matt whisked the batter while Tessa loaded the dishwasher, their bodies occasionally brushing in the small space. Each casualtouch sent a spark through him, reminding him of their night together.
“Coffee?” he asked, nodding toward the machine.
“Please. Strong as you can make it.”
Matt grinned. “A woman after my own heart.”
She’s already claimed your heart,his bear reminded him smugly.
When the coffee was brewing and the first batch of pancakes was sizzling on the griddle, Matt wrapped his arms around Tessa from behind, burying his face in her neck to breathe in her scent mingled with his own.
“You smell like me,” he murmured against her skin.
Tessa leaned back into his embrace. “Is that a shifter thing? Being so... scent-oriented?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He pressed a kiss below her ear. “Our sense of smell is much stronger than a human’s. Even in this form.”
