He leaned in and kissed her so sweetly, it made her heart ache. “Every time I touch you, I want to throw you down on the bed and ravish your body. Sink my teeth in you and claim you, over and over.”
Her breath hitched. God, yes! “So what’s stopping you?”
He pulled back to look into her eyes again. “All of this has been so fast. So crazy. If you’ll still have me, I’m going to marry you. But marriages can end. If you change your mind, there’s always an out. A way to leave. Mating is forever, Grace.”
She touched her fingertips to his lips, which were pressed tight with his concern for her. She really couldn’t love this man any more than she did. Unless maybe the magic of the mating would allow it—she sincerely hoped so. She wanted to give everything to him.
“I know it’s forever,” she said softly. “That’s why I want to do it.”
“You’ve only known me for a little over a week.”
She slid her fingers to hold his cheek. “I’m no expert on being a shifter, but from the very first moment, my wolf wanted you. She insisted on it. And when we made love, she simply knew—you were our mate. She knew it like she’d been waiting for you her whole life.”
His concerned expression softened. “Oh, Grace.” He seemed unable to say more.
“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?” she asked with wide eyes, concerned that maybe she had gotten this all wrong.
“No.” He kissed her softly. “That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.”
“Then, dammit, Jared River, take me. Claim me. Give my wolf what she really wants.”
He rumbled a growl in his chest again. “I was going to wait until after the wedding.”
She reached down and stroked his cock, making him groan, which flushed fresh pleasure through her. “I don’t want to wait. I want you now.” She kept a firm hand riding up and down him, reveling in the silky-steel feel and the fact that his eyes had quickly hooded with pleasure.
“Are you sure?” His breathing was stepping up.
Would he really do it this time? “I couldn’t be any more ready.” These were the same words she’d already said to him, twice now for different things, and it was even more true today. Physically, emotionally, deep inside her wolf—she was ready in every way to become Jared River’s mate.
He growled and yanked her hand away from his cock. She almost protested, but his large, strong hands quickly turned her over, propping her on her hands and knees. Then he thrust that gorgeous cock of his inside her. She shrieked with the suddenness of it, filling and stretching her with such completeness. He was so big that, even when he was gentle, it was still a shock to her system when he slid inside her. But now he was taking her hard and fast, growling and moaning, gripping her hips with his powerful hands as he thrust his enormous cock into her body—it was rougher than he’d ever taken her before, and she could hardly breathe with the pleasure of it.
“Is this what you want?” he growled as he pounded into her.
She could only whimper in response. Her climax was already building, rushing her entire body with the possession he was taking of it.
“You are mine, Grace. Mine. Always mine, just as I want you, just like this.” His breath was heaving as much as hers, his voice harsh with power and dominance.
God, his words alone were enough to make her come… and they made her body quiver even more under the pounding. She braced herself to meet each thrust. The entire bed was shaking, and she was barely holding on, barely aware of anything but Jared’s hands gripping her, his cock filling her… then her orgasm crashed and buried her like a wave, head to toe, her entire body fluttering. She cried out with it, her moan rising and falling with his thrusts working every pulse out of her.
Then he suddenly pulled out and stepped off the bed.
His cock was standing at attention, dripping wet with their lovemaking. His eyes were blazing, and his chest heaving.
“Submit to me, Grace,” he demanded.
Jared wanted all of it—her submission, her love, her body writhing under his. His magic filling her blood. He wanted to fulfill every fantasy she had—but ravishing her just now had only brought out his alpha in a way that he hadn’t felt in so long. She didn’t merely bring him alive… she was making him whole.
And he would have her, dammit, the way he wanted her.
She belonged to him… and he wouldn’t even exist without her.
She was his everything, and it was time he claimed her in the proper way.
“I… I don’t know how to submit,” she said, still on her hands and knees on the bed, her body flushed from the orgasm he’d just pounded into her. She was so damn sexy, her long, gorgeous hair mussed from their lovemaking and spilling everywhere; that soft, innocent look on her wide sky-blue eyes goading him into ravishing her again.