“Good. Now I have one more question.” Ethan paused, the twitch of his lips giving him away. “Are you wearing granny panties again?”
I laughed, smacking him on the chest. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“First thing tomorrow, we’re going through your underwear drawer and burning anything that resembles something Mae might wear.”
I narrowed my eyes but couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from turning up. “You didn’t complain at the pond.”
“I certainly didn’t. You make even granny panties look hot. Still burning them, though.”
He laid me on the bed as we laughed. His touch was gentle, his hands skimming over me, his kisses lingering and sweet. I sensed his protectiveness was near the surface, holding his shifter instincts at bay. I wanted to break through that.
We needed to start this right. And if we started it with Ethan treating me like I might break, he might never get past the fear he had inside. I shoved at his shoulder, only the surprise of the movement allowing me to roll him to his back. I quickly straddled him, sitting up to pull my shirt over my head and showing him I definitely wasn’t wearing granny underwear.
He grew hard beneath me, and I ground against him. He groaned, his hands grasping at my hips to still me. “Hannah. My control is hanging by a thread, here.”
I leaned forward, stopping just shy of his lips. “Good.”
Then I kissed him. Fiercely. With all the passion I could muster. He growled and kissed me back, his grip switching from holding me in place to encouraging me to rock against him. His hands slid firmly up my back, stroking my skin, pulling me closer.
He flipped us over, and I reached for the hem of his shirt at the same time he did. Our hands battled for a moment before we realized we were after the same thing. Giggling, I slid my palms under the shirt while he pulled it off. My fingers traced the faint scar on his side before sliding up over his chest and around his neck to guide his lips back to mine.
His work-roughened palms sent shivers down my spine as he explored my skin. He cupped my breasts through the lace of my bra, kneading at the mounds of flesh. I arched my back, twisting to undo my bra, wanting nothing between his palms and myskin. He helped me remove it, tossing it to the side. “We don’t need to burn that one.”
A laugh turned into a moan as he leaned down and sucked my breast into his mouth. His hands slid lower, undoing my jeans and pushing them over my hips. I wriggled beneath him, kicking my pants off and reaching for his waistband. “Your turn.”
“This will be over too fast if I get naked right now.”
“I’m fine with fast.” I slipped my hand past his waistband and grasped his cock. Stroking it. “Fast is good.”
He shuddered, and his arms buckled as he collapsed over me, his weight pushing me briefly into the mattress before he found his strength again. “You deserve better than that. You deserve slow and romantic.”
“We have the rest of our lives for slow and romantic.” I bit lightly on his lower lip. “Tonight doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be us. Together.”
I felt the moment he gave in to his instincts. The air surrounding us changed. It was still Ethan and me, but he was no longer holding back. He kissed me hard before sliding his lips over my jaw and down my throat. To the spot I knew would soon bear his mark. He spent a little longer there, nipping at the skin, giving me a preview of what was coming.
Then he continued lower, feasting on my flesh as he went. By the time he reached my core, my body was bowed, muscles tight as I wavered on the tightrope between pleasure and too close to the edge. But Ethan read me perfectly and kept me right there. Not allowing me to tip over. Driving me higher than I ever thought possible.
His fingers dipped inside me, stretching my body to accommodate him. He was so much bigger than his fingers were, so he added another, stretching me further. His tongue licked atmy clit, and I almost tumbled over the edge. But again, he pulled back, keeping me on the brink.
Finally, he came back over me, settling his cock against my core, rocking back and forth as it slid through my wetness. We locked eyes, and he fit himself against my entrance. He stilled, watching me. Waiting for something.
I nodded, smiling at him, and he smiled back, a tender look in his eyes as his cock filled me. I lifted my hips to meet him, my body eager for its release. We kissed, and he thrust in and out of my core, claiming me in the most basic of ways.
Then his lips found my marking spot. And he claimed me as a shifter claimed his mate. There was a flash of pain, but it immediately turned to pleasure as it pushed me over the edge, the tightrope forgotten. I cried out, body shuddering with the sensations that rolled through me in waves. He thrust wildly, following me over as he spilled inside me.
When I came back down, I was draped over his side, held securely in his embrace. Something in me was different. More right. As if something had clicked into place that I hadn’t even known was missing. I tilted my head to look at Ethan, seeing a peace in his face that had been missing since I got hurt.
I rested my chin on his chest. “If that’s what wearing non-granny underwear gets me, I’ll light the fire myself.”
He chuckled, his body vibrating beneath me. “Not until tomorrow, though. Tonight, I just want to hold you.”
“I can get behind that idea.” I cuddled into him and hummed with contentment, remembering how before I met Ethan, I’d avoided men, believing lousy taste in men ran in my family. But fate had something else in store for me. Something wonderful.
EPILOGUE
Ethan - One month later
Jonah whooped as he nudged Tank to run faster. The boy had taken to riding like he was born for it, and he and Tank had bonded deeply. Now, when I took the horse treats, he would ignore me as he looked for Jonah. If he wasn’t with me, Tank would huff and turn his back on me.
