Jared (River Pack Wolves 3)(59)

She pulled back and peered up at him. “What’s wrong?”

Several tormented emotions crossed his face as he struggled for words.

She frowned. “Jared, what is it?”

He grimaced, then said, “That night… that first night. Remember how I said I was watching you?”

She cocked one eyebrow. “Pretty stalkerish, but yeah… you were spying on my father to…” Her voice trailed off. You stopped me from killing a man. She blinked at him. “You were there to kill my father.” She dropped her hold on him and stepped back.

He winced, eyes pinched and heavy. “Yes.”

“But you didn’t.” Her mind was whirling back to that night. She had argued with her father about the legislation, lost control of her shifting, fled to the forest… and Jared had followed her there. But he had never told her exactly why he was there in the first place. She looked up at him with wide eyes. “You stopped to come after me.”

“I wanted to make sure you were safe,” he rushed out. “That was all. And then… I…”

“You would have killed him,” she said thickly, head buzzing. “If I hadn’t decided to stop him and his anti-shifter legislation, you would have killed my father.”

“No.”

She whipped her gaze from the distant stare that had captured her back to his soft brown eyes. “No?”

He shook his head. “Once I met you, Grace… once I loved you… there was no way. It was you or him. I chose you.”

“You chose me,” she repeated in a whisper, her heart soaring.

“Yes.” His eyes were wide, watching her like he was afraid she wouldn’t understand.

Tears pricked her eyes. “So when you say loved… do you mean that hot, sexy thing we did in my bedroom? Or are you talking about love-love. The kind that, you know…” God, her words were tangling around her heart.

Something broke in his expression, and suddenly, his lips were on hers, his arms crushing her to him. It was hot and fierce and made her want to rip off the crisp jacket and shirt he was wearing right here, backstage. His mouth made demands of her that she willingly gave as her fingers dug into his shoulders, wanting even more. When he pulled back, they were both breathless.

“Love,” he said, his breath hot on her lips, “as in I want to sink my teeth into you and claim you forever.”

His words thrilled her, inside and out. Her wolf panted for more—to have him now—but instead she just nodded frantically.

“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes.” She pulled in a deep breath. “Wait… was there a question in there?”

He flashed a grin, then it tempered into a smoldering look that sent heat flushing to her lady parts. “Grace, will you be my mate?”

“Yes.” No hesitation. She knew it meant forever. It was exactly what she wanted.

“Will you let me love you all the days of my life?” His dark eyes were swallowing her.

“Yes.” She really wanted those lips back on hers.

He dipped his head, like he was going to kiss her, then stopped just short. “Grace Krepky, will you marry me?”

She gasped. But of course, that’s what it meant. It was insane and wicked fast and… perfect.

“Yes,” she breathed out.

His eyes blazed, and he drew her in for a kiss that held her captive, mind, heart, and soul… a kiss that she never wanted to end.





Grace was sure her screams of pleasure could be heard throughout the River family estate. But with Jared between her legs, performing sexy magic with his tongue and fingers, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Or even think. Mostly, she was moaning his name and digging her fingers into his hair, urging him on.

“Oh, God, Jared, please!” He’d been teasing her so long, every muscle in her body was coiled tight in anticipation, waiting, begging for release.

He lifted his mouth from her sex and chuckled against the flat of her stomach while still slowly, tantalizingly thrusting two fingers inside her.

“Damn you!” She pulled her fingers from his hair and beat on his head instead.

Which only made him laugh more.

His thumb replaced his tongue in attending to her hyper-sensitive nub, making her gasp and arch her back—so close, but still not there—then he slid his deliciously hot body up the length of hers, pausing to give each of her tightly puckered nipples a taste before settling in at her neck. His thick and rock-hard cock pulsed heat into her side. She would happily have him use that on her, if he wasn’t going to finish what he started with his mouth.

“You love when I tease you,” he whispered against her neck.