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A breathless laugh escapes me.

Of course he says that. Of course that’s the line my mate comes up with as he lowers his mouth to my throbbing pussy. Later, when I’m capable of coherent thought again, I’m absolutely going to mock him for such a cheesy line.

But right now? Yeah. It’s my turn to whimper with pleasure as he does just that. Gotta give the former cat credit. He knows how to lick with that tongue. It’s barely a couple of swipes before he has my toes curling, my fingers digging into the mattress, and my traitorous mouth saying ridiculous things like I love you, Vincent, you’re so fucking good at that, baby, and if you get me to come by going down on me, you won’t have to worry about a mate bond because I will never let you go.

He seems to take that last one as a personal challenge. I arch my back, giving him full access to my body as he hums and licks and he nibbles, all while purring. In fact, the only time I don’t feel the rumbling sensation against my sensitized pussy is when he lifts his head, meets my heavy-lidded gaze and rasps out, “You’re delicious, dear Kate.”

“How does it taste?” I manage breathlessly.

His eyes flash green, and I know in that moment that Mr. Whiskers might be gone, but there’s a part of Vincent that will always be the cat that I fell in love with all those weeks ago.

“How does it taste? Better than pie.”

Oh, he’s never living that one down, either, but since he dives back in, causing me to squeal when he sucks my clit into the heat of his mouth, slips a finger inside of me to give me something hold onto, and has me going off like a damn rocket… yeah. I’ll forgive him.

But only if he gets his ass over here and finally makes me his mate.

When he finally lifts his head again, looking at me with such pride that my heart flip-flops inside my chest, I sit up so that I can reach for him. Knowing instinctively that it’s time… that I need him to give me what I want and he’s never had… he rises up on his knees.

My fingers close around his upper arm, right over those black claw marks, squeezing the tattoo as I pull him closer.

Once, he put those marks on his skin because he thought being a cat was forever.

Now they’re beneath my fingers while Vincent looks down at me like I’m his forever instead.

Maybe I am. Maybe that’s what a mate is.

Not something Fate hands you. Not something a spell guarantees. Not something owed because one person waited long enough.

It’s a choice, like he said, and I choose him.

Staring him straight in the eye, I make sure he’s watching as I scoot backward, sprawling out again so that, for this first time, we can do it face-to-face and I won’t miss a moment as Vincent makes me his bonded mate.

“Do it,” I whisper encouragingly.

Not like he needs it. With his lips shiny from my juices and his muscular chest heaving from the force of restraining himself from climbing on top of me, pinning me down with his weight, and inserting his cock inside of me… oh, yeah. Like me, he’s just taking a moment to realize that both of our worlds are going to change, and then…

Okay. I honestly expected him to be one of those noble guys who give you a chance to back out if sex isn’t really what you want. I don’t know how I forgot for a moment what sort of man Vincent Morrow is—a former cat and a warlock convinced he can do no wrong—because he wedges his body between my legs and, before I even know it, he’s got the head of his cock lodged inside of my heat.

He doesn’t need the encouragement. My mate just needed permission, and now that he has it, he follows his instincts and shoves.

I’m so damn wet that I take him easily. It doesn’t matter that it’s been years since I’ve gotten laid. Just like Vincent, my body knows what it wants, and it wants him.

He wants me, too.

There’s no mistaking it in the way Vincent stares down at me.

For all of his swagger today, all of the smug smiles and filthy promises and absolute certainty that Fate made me for him, there’s something almost vulnerable in his expression now. Like this is the one thing he wanted for so long that finally having it has knocked every clever word right out of him.

“Kate,” he breathes.

I lift my hand so that I can brush my fingers against his tattoo. “I’m right here.”

That seems to be what he needs.

Bending over me, his dick nestled all the way inside of me, Vincent kisses me.

Hard.