Setting her on her feet beside his bed, he lifted her chin and leaned in. Their noses brushed as he angled his head to the side, claiming her soft lips.
Fern grabbed the sides of his face and held him away for a second, ardor filling her gaze as she stared into his eyes. She said nothing, but she smirked and pulled him in again, her next kiss harder, needier, demanding.
His true mate. He moaned—a little—at the thought alone. She wasitfor him. Endgame. Perfectly made to slot into his life, and he into hers. Mating wouldn’t come without compromises, of course, but when the time was right, he wanted to be with Fern Walsh.
He just needed to get up the courage to go for it, to admit the full truth: true mates.
“Should we shower or something?” she asked softly, plucking at the buttons of his sage green shirt.
“Yes,” he said too quickly, taken with the idea of stripping her down and soaping her up.
“Do I smell?”
“Only good.”
“Well, why’d you say ‘yes’ like that?” she asked, tone a little sassy.
He gave her a stern look, and with a smirk, she stepped away to let him handle his shirt while she pulled hers off, revealing rosy nipples beaded behind a lacy white bra.
“Fuck, Fern. You’re gorgeous.”
“Same to you.” Her nails raked from the middle of his exposed chest down, down, down to pull at the tie on his shorts. He missed their pointy tips, but she still scratched him en route, raising little bumps across his naked skin.
Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he moved her hand away. “Focus on yourself, woman. I want you naked.”
Gasping in faux outrage, Fern grabbed her chest, rolling her nipplesbetween her fingers while he, fighting against going feral, tore off his shorts and stepped toward her, fully nude.
She backed away and slipped her hand down the front of her pants, that tease. The bumps of her knuckles pressed out through the fabric, coming and going as she stroked her center, out of sight, showing him everything and nothing at the same time.
“Fern Middle-Name Walsh, take off your clothes.”
He caught her off guard with that one, and a waterfall of laughter spilled from her wide mouth. She lifted her fingers to her face, but her grin still peeked out around her hand.
“It’s ‘P,’ just the letter. Fern P. Walsh.”
He wanted to ask about that, but there wasn’t time. She was too captivating, too divine. Something akin to cute aggression, but on a soul-consuming scale, shoved Elliott forward.
With lips and hands, he explored her, and she grabbed his hips, whispering, “Undress me yourself, Elliott Middle-Name Fitzpatrick.”
He growled, unwilling to tell her it was Patrick and risk another laughing fit. They needed to focus.
She whimpered when he unhooked her bra, sliding it off one arm, then the other, before dropping to his knees. Kissing her breasts, her ribcage, her smooth stomach, he freed her from her leggings and hoped his actions conveyed just how precious she was. Pressing his head against her ribs, he looked down and breathed in, taking the moment to connect with his bear and remind him to behave.
This wasnotthe night to broach being true mates. There would be no biting, no moving into the bond. The goal was to enjoy her, get to know her better… and get her scent all overhis home until he could convince her to move in.
His bear clacked his teeth, and Elliott hoped tofuckhe could trust the beast.
They showered quickly, not even bothering to wet their hair. Elliott did spend longer than necessary rubbing his soapy hands all over her perfectly round butt. He didn’t feel bad, though, because she returned the favor. With affections running hot, he dried quickly and impatientlywaited for Fern to finish up.
Turning from the towel hooks, he found her with her leg up on the shower bench, one braid swinging past her raised knee, the other down her back as she dried her calf. Her pussy, rosy and fresh, winked at him beneath her lifted thigh. His cock twitched in response.
“Like what you see?” She laughed, clearly catching his movement.
“Do you?” Palms open at his sides, Elliott offered himself up for perusal.
Her towel hit the floor with athwap,and she slunk toward him, a playful glint in her eye as she ogled his naked body. Her palm met his hip, and she pushed him to the side.
“Nope.” She sashayed on through to his bedroom, pert ass swaying.
