He was hers. She was startled by the possessive feeling. Oh, how she wanted him to be. Last night she’d felt loved and wanted. As she’d given him that impromptu striptease, his eyes had grown darker with desire letting her know how much he wanted her. She’d never been completely undressed when she’d had sex before. Quinn had demanded it and then looked at her curves like a starving man. The need on his face and the touch of his hands had empowered her, yet willed her to surrender. She sipped her coffee for a minute more before turning her attention to making breakfast, giggling at Quinn’s comment about how he liked his eggs.
Quinn hummed as the let the warm water wash over him. He was pretty confident he could have coaxed Paige out of her conservative office clothing and into the shower with him. He wanted her naked and wet writhing against him. He had taken her again and again last night. And still he wasn’t satisfied. But having her one more time would have bordered on cruelty.
He shut off the water and grabbed a towel from the cute little shelf above her toilet. The bathroom was small, almost too small for his big body. There’s no way they’d be able to stay in her apartment. A horny grizzly needed lots of room to take his mate whenever and wherever he could. They’d definitely have to move into his house. It was more than big enough since his sister had urged him to build it with a family in mind. Had Deb knew even then his mate was out there, just waiting for him to find her? He knew Paige would want to change some things, maybe a lot of things. That was fine with him. If it was within his power to give his mate something she wanted, he’d get it for her.
He quickly dried off and opened the bathroom door, half expecting, half hoping to find Paige had changed her mind and waited to join him for another morning romp. She was gone. He dressed and stripped the bed. Finding the linen closet in the hallway, he remade the bed with clean sheets. Even though he’d try to convince her to pack a bag and stay with him tonight, he changed them anyway. Just in case. He knew he wouldn’t want to take the time later. With the right encouragement, his little human had not only turned on a sex kitten persona, she’d become a wildcat in bed.
He smelled coffee and other delicious aromas coming from the kitchen and his stomach growled. Quinn always woke up hungry, for food and sex. Since sex was out of the question, he’d feed his other appetite. Bear shifters needed a tremendous amount of food. With five children, his mother had spent most of his early years in the kitchen. He remembered the huge breakfast she’d always made—bacon, eggs, country fried potatoes, and biscuits big as truck tires either drizzled in honey or smothered in sausage gravy. The thought of one of his mother’s hearty breakfasts made his stomach growl again. The memory of Paige’s soft, warm body snuggled against his side ratcheted up his other hunger.
Hurrying down the stairs, he planned the day. He knew he had a ways to go before he finally convinced her they were indeed true mates. The concept of happily-ever-after had become lost on the human race. Not for shifters.
He grinned, deciding all the ribbing he’d received from his sister and family the other night had been worth it. The ache deep inside that had become more pronounced over the years had eased the moment he met Paige, when he realized she was his mate. A mate he could share his life with. Things like home-cooked meals, laughter. Someone to listen when he needed to talk, someone to share the quiet of the night.
“Hello, beautiful.”
Paige sat at the breakfast bar, her hands wrapped round a large ceramic mug. He noted another mug and sugar packets sitting on the breakfast bar. He ignored them, stopping by her stool. He stole hers and tried not to grimace at the sweet taste of her coffee. It was more milk and sugar than coffee. “Mmm.”
She laughed and looked at him shyly. “There’s more. Without all the sugar.”
“Yeah, I know. But I like your sugar, baby.” He loved the blush flooding her face. They both knew what sugar he was referring to. Her. The taste of her sweet pussy.
He put the cup down and pushed it along the counter, out of the way for what he had in mind. Picking Paige up, he sat her on the countertop.
“Quinn!” she squealed, her laughter bright and infectious. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing my girl good morning.” He bent his head and kissed her. She tasted of her sugary morning concoction of sugar, milk, and coffee. “Mmm. So damn sweet,” he mumbled before kissing her again.
He placed open-mouthed kisses along her neck, pausing at the spot where he’d bitten her last night to suck the sweet flesh inside, turning it bright red for the entire world to see. It was the best he could do for now. He’d marked her but there was no permanent scar. That wouldn’t occur until they exchanged bites. It was the first step, though, a warning to unmated males. She had to accept him and mark him as her own before they were truly mated. The phone on his belt vibrated. “I’m going to throw this damn thing in the garbage.”