“I thought we were going to have sex.”
“That was sex.”
She closed her eyes and pulled the pillow over her head. “You know what I mean.”
I took the pillow down and kissed the tip of her nose. “You mean, intercourse.”
A gasp escaped her, and then she pulled me to her like the word was a call to action. “Yes! I want it all. I want your knot. I want your mark. Please, Archer, please.”
There was no way I could deny her. She was so small still, evidence of her malnourishment making me more determined than ever to fill her life with amazing food. I didn’t want to hurt her. I grabbed some pillows to put under her hips so I’d line up more easily. I used my arms to keep me up so my weight wasn’t on her.
Slowly, I entered her, watching her face as I did, looking for any sign of pain until I was fully seated inside her.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, come on. Why are you not moving?”
Slowly, I thrust in and out of her, watching her for signs of discomfort. I then sped up with time. When she looked like she was close to coming again, I used my finger to help, telling her how beautiful and important she was.
When she came again, I allowed myself to fill her.
Her eyes flickered with her wolf. At first, I thought my knot had been too much for her, but it wasn’t that. Her wolf wasn’t finished with me yet.
She yanked me down and marked me, and my bear reacted, immediately doing the same.
“Mine.” She kissed where she’d just marked me.
“Yes, yours. All yours.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bonnie
I had sex with my alpha. In the middle of the day.
At first, a wave of shame and regret washed over me, but as Archer’s strong arms tightened around me, all that vanished.
“What was that about, omega?” He turned to face me and brushed some hair from my face. We were sweaty and hot, but all of that had cooled now. Mostly.
“What kind of omega does that…in the middle of the afternoon…with someone she just met?”
“Listen to me.” He sat up and I did the same. He dragged me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. We were still naked and though I’d never been naked around someone else before, this felt right. “We are mates. Mates, well, they mate. They express love through physical acts and…”
“You love me?” I asked.
“I do. How’s that for early?” He nuzzled his nose into my neck and we laughed. Goddess, it had been so long since I laughed.
“Not so early. But I’m not there yet.”
“That’s okay. Doesn’t change anything for me. Besides, you do have my mark on your shoulder. It’s kind of love. Come on. We have to get dinner on. I’ve worked up quite an appetite today.”
We didn’t shower. I loved Archer’s scent all over me, but I did wonder what everyone else would think.
And mostly I hoped I didn’t have to do the telling.
Archer and I walked into the living room together where Justice was coming out of the office, and Dallas coming in via the front door. The whole thing felt kismet.
Dallas raised his nose and one of his eyebrows while Justice stared. I ducked behind Archer in a move that was purely fear.
