Nessa reached up, her fingers wrapping around half of his wrist. He heard her heart pick up a quick rhythm, growing more frantic by the second. She opened her mouth as if to say something and then closed it. She repeated the motion, making a choked noise in her throat when no words emerged.
“Nessa, whatever it is, you can tell me,” he reiterated, his brow pinching with worry.
What if she didn’t want him to mark her? Was that her concern? She was human—maybe the idea frightened her?
They’d still be mates, of course. But after they claimed one another with a bite, it would be official. Forever. Even though she was human, since they were true mates, they’d even be able to communicate with one another telepathically with enough time and effort.
Although he hadn’t discussed it with her yet, he was looking forward to that level of connection between them. Of knowing all he had to do was reach out, and she’d be there.
“I want to be intimate with you,” Nessa blurted out in a rush, catching him off-guard.
His nostrils flared, the lust he’d experienced at the diner roaring back to life. His dick stiffened, his gut tightening with a voracious, carnal hunger.
She wanted him. Wanted tobewith him.
At that moment, he didn’t give a damn about the scars littering his body, or what she’d think when she saw them. All he could think about was getting her under him, exploring her body until he knew every inch, every mark by heart. He ached to learn everything he could about her.
She grimaced, her nails digging into his wrist and snapping him from his thoughts. “I-I meantry.Tryto be intimate. Not like sex or anything, but we have to practice, right?” She squeezed her eyes shut as if the words pained her to say out loud. They popped back open a second later. “I don’t mean practice. What is it, baseball? Some kind of sporting event? No, it’s sex—well, notsex. M-Maybe just touching or—”
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Murphy interrupted, tilting her head back until it rested on the arm he had behind her.
“You are?” she breathed, her lips parting in invitation as the scent of her desire perfumed the air. Need clawed at him, hisbear roaring at him to make a move. To sate the same need he knew filled her.
“Unless you don’t want me to,” he added softly. She might be interested, but if she changed her mind, or got cold feet, he didn’t want to take advantage of the situation.
Nessa nodded quickly. “I do—”
Without another moment’s hesitation, Murphy slid his mouth over hers, fisting her thick, silky hair in his hand. The strands slid through his fingers, and he bit back an appreciative groan. He loved touching her teal hair, loved playing with the locks until Nessa usually swatted his hand away irritably.
This time, she didn’t try.
He angled her head back, tension lining every inch of his body as he gently nipped her lower lip. He licked the sting away before nibbling on it again. The urge to fuck her mouth with his tongue, to drag her onto his lap and pick up where they’d left off last night was strong. But he refused to push her past her limit, to do something she might be uncomfortable with.
So when she gasped, he eased his tongue past her lips, teasing hers until they tangled together. She grabbed his sweater, fingers twisting into the thick material as he took their kiss deeper, sliding in and out of her mouth at a steady, languid pace that had her moaning.
Her desire deepened, that heady scent calling to him. If he reached into her jeans and cupped between her thighs, she’d be wet. He knew it, and he ached to do just that. Instead, he plundered her mouth, swallowing each soft moan she uttered for him.
He wanted more. More of those sweet sounds, more of her. More—
“Murphy,” Nessa whispered, pulling her mouth away slightly even as she tugged his body closer to her. She brushed her nose against his, her breathing heavy as she leaned back to lookup at him. Her lips were a darker shade of coral and swollen, a beautiful flush staining her cheeks. “Will you touch me, Murphy? I-I want to feel you.”
It was such a simple question, but he felt it in the deepest part of his soul. She was trusting him with another piece of her. Trusting him to take care of her, to be the male she needed.
“Where, Nessa?” His hand left her neck, slowly moving to her breast. He palmed it through her T-shirt, relishing in how perfectly it fit in his hand. He squeezed it gently, and her breath hitched. “Here?”
Hesitantly, she shook her head. Grabbing his hand, she moved it lower, trailing it down her stomach until the pads of his fingers grazed against the button of her jeans. He bit back another growl of anticipation, thumbing the button that stood between him and the haven between her thighs.
“Are you sure?”
Please say yes.
“Yes.” Nessa looked up at him, trust shining in her eyes that he’d never take for granted. “Just … No sex, okay?”
“I want to taste you,” Murphy rasped, his voice guttural, revealing how threadbare his restraint was becoming. “Will you let me, Nessa? I’ve thought about it for months. How sweet you’d taste, how it would feel to have your legs wrapped around my shoulders while I licked every inch of you. The noises you’d make as I made you lose yourself to pleasure.”
Her tongue darted out, swiping over her lips. And then she nodded.
Desperate to have whatever he could of her, Murphy released his hold on her hair, sliding from the couch and dropping onto his knees in front of her. He popped the button free on her jeans, fumbling with the zipper before pulling it down and exposing a pair of dark blue panties.
