BE MINE stared back at her.
Something expanded in her chest. Something warm and delicious. She glanced up to find Eric smiling, hesitantly, as if unsure of her response.
“I know I can’t undo time or past mistakes, but I want to build something new. With you. I want you to be mine.”
Brenna’s mind blanked. What seemed like hours, probably lasted mere seconds, but her mind reeled at Eric’s direct statement. Sure, they’d spent the night physically enjoying one another, but did she want more from him? Still? After all these years and the pain he caused?
Yes. She did. He’d proven himself to be a different man, a better man. It took every ounce of self-control not to leap across the space separating them, knock him out of the chair and plaster her body onto his.
She bit her lip again and stared down at the offered candy. Would she be his? “I think I am already.”
Eric surged forward and grasped her head between both large hands. His mouth found hers. His tongue plunged in. The force of his kiss almost knocked her off the chair, but he scooped her up and gently lowered her to the hard floor instead. The chair tipped back and clattered against the floor beside them.
Her wolf howled in her mind.
In seconds, he had her undressed and splayed out as he thrust into her. Every nerve ending hummed with pleasure, with the feeling of howrightthis moment was.
Chapter 14
Eric walked down the stairs with weightless shoulders and a spring in his step. As the storm outside abated during their second night together, Eric and Brenna worked through his wish list—or at least made a heroic effort. It was, after all, a long and ambitious list.
Between sharing their dreams and cuddling while they slept, entangled in each other’s limbs, they made love—almost as if a sense of urgency drove them to get everything out of this weekend, almost desperate and frenzied, as if they both feared leaving the cabin would dispel some or all of the magic they’d created inside.
Well, he refused to let that happen. Despite promising to wait until the storm blew over for any serious conversations, he’d initiatedtheconversation, with candy of all things.Smooth, Buchanan.His lack of refinement didn’t matter, though. Not to him, and from all appearances, not to Brenna, either. His heart was in. His wolf was in. He was all in.
It didn’t matter that she’d spurned him ten years ago. He’d hurt and humiliated her, and he deserved it. They might never have a true mate bond, or the mating frenzy that went along with the ritual where they pledged themselves to each other under the full moon, but they could still have something special.
After killing the feral werewolf, he’d almost fallen into an irretrievable rage himself. The feral had been so close to hurting Brenna and he’d lost it. He tracked down the other werewolf and ripped him to shreds, almost losing his humanity in the process. He’d returned to the cabin a complete mess, unable to regain control of his wolf, but the moment he sensed Brenna, the moment he smelled her, the second he saw her, it was as if a dark cloud looming over him disappeared. Only Brenna’s presence had calmed him. He refused to let that go.
He placed his bag next to the door and turned to watch Brenna’s hand tremble as she stuffed the last item into her backpack. Time to find out if Brenna truly reciprocated all the things he’d felt, all the things he’d purred as he gave her averythorough sponge bath.
He grinned.
Brenna caught his knowing look. She glanced away, but not before her cheeks flamed that adorable red.
With cell reception back, and the blizzard blown out, Brenna had called her father to pick her up, and his parents were making their way over as soon as they could dig out their vehicles. Their snowmobiles sat under a few feet of snow, and probably wouldn’t start without being plugged in for a few hours. He could shift and run back, but he didn’t want to leave Brenna.
You don’t want her out of your sight because you’re worried she’ll change her mind,Brutus said.
He clenched his fists and forced his shoulders down.Are you complaining?
Not at all.
He watched Brenna mill around the room. His whole body thrummed from overuse, but he still wanted to wrap her in his arms and curl up with her on the couch.
“Wish we had more time up here,” he admitted as he walked up from behind and pulled her in for a hug. He pressed his lips into her neck and inhaled her rosy scent. Her butt pressed into his groin, and his body ached for her. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her warmth.
Ours, Brutus growled.
“Me, too,” she sighed, oblivious to his inner wolf’s claim. “But I have to get back for my early shift tomorrow.”
He nodded and squeezed her tight. “I’m lucky to have tomorrow off. I’ll try to get your truck up and running, but if that fails, I’ll arrange for a tow.”
She pulled out of his grasp and picked up the remaining bags. He moved her backpack beside the door.
They’d already cleaned up the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. There wasn’t anything left to do but wait.
Wait for the end?
