“But you didn’t…you didn’t…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, no matter how many times she tried.
So I finished for her. “I did want to. I very much wanted to. But also, I went too fast. I should’ve set boundaries. I can’t take advantage of you.”
“You’re not. You’re not. Trust me, you’re not!” She was closer to me now. I didn’t know that was possible, and my belly bumped into hers. I wasn’t like my other sleuth-mates. I was fluffy, to say the least. I was a big boy, and next to her small frame, I wondered if maybe that might be a problem for her.
But this wasn’t about me, and my insecurities had no place here. I pushed them away. My every thought had to be on my mate.
In this situation, Dallas would have been cool and calm. He’d have known exactly what to say. Justice would’ve known what to do.
Not me. What did I do? I reacted and sank into the kiss.
“Hey,” she said, holding both my cheeks. “If you keep looking like you’re upset about kissing me, I don’t think I can take it. That was special, amazing, important, and I want more. And if you’re regretting it…I couldn’t handle that.” She stayed right there in my space, holding me.
“We should slow down. It’s—”
“I don’t think so. I don’t want to. I don’t know if I’m Justice’s and Dallas’ yet, but I do know that I’m yours. I feel that right in my core. I’m yours. You’re mine.”
I didn’t move, scared to break the moment.
“Please,” she whispered. “Please, make me yours for real.”
“I need you to be sure.”
“I wouldn’t be standing here like this if I wasn’t. I want you to be my mate. I want to be yours, and I want to wear your mark. I want this. All of it.”
That was all it took. My control snapped. All thoughts of doing the right thing, of being the strong alpha, just crumpled and fell away. She pleaded for me to love her, to accept her, to make her mine. I couldn’t refuse.
She kissed me again, this time with more urgency. I caressed her back, not wanting to push too much but knowing she wasn’t going to let me pull away either.
I scooped her up and brought her to my bed, not wanting to interrupt her nest. That was her space and hers alone until she requested otherwise. In a swift move, I set her gently on the bed.
She pulled me down with her, fingers tracing my body over my clothes as we kissed. I tensed as she reached my middle.
“Did I hurt you?” she asked, pulling her hand back.
“No, I’m just…self-conscious.” If I couldn’t be honest with my mate, who could I be honest with? “I’m not like Justice and Dallas.”
“No. You’re like Archer. That’s exactly who I want you to be.”
I wanted to make her feel good, so I took it slow, removing her clothes piece by piece, pressing sweet kisses across her body, worshiping her with my mouth and my hands. I tried not to rush, no matter how hard she pushed for more. I only had one first time with my mate, and I wanted to make it perfect.
Her scent filled the air, making me harder than I thought possible. I couldn’t help myself. I started kissing a path down her body, the scent of her slick calling my tongue.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I need a taste down there. Trust me, beautiful omega. I’ll make it so good for you.”
I showed her what my mouth could do, licking, nibbling, and sucking as she squirmed with pleasure beneath me. When she seemed ready, I added a finger to the mix. This was her first time, and I wanted her good and ready. Sweet little moans escaped her lips as I showed her with my fingers what was to come. One at first. Then another. Two wouldn’t be enough, so I carefully added a third. I wasn’t as endowed as many, but no one looked at me and thoughtsmall.
As her orgasm came crashing through, I helped her ride it out then took out my fingers and licked them clean. There was something so decadently dirty about that. I loved it and, based on the look on her face, so did she.
“That was…that was…”
“I know.” I went to snuggle up with her.
She turned to me, a look of what I could only describe as rejection on her face. “I thought…never mind. I just thought…”
“You can say anything to me.”
