Page 107 of Awakening

I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to hold out on me. What Ethan doesn’t realize is that I’m usually so wound up by the time he actually gives me a release, it’s so monumentally explosive that it feels like a reward. That’s okay, though. I’ll thoroughly enjoy playing along.

“Oh,” I say with a loud groan. “Don’t torture me like this.” I look up into his eyes from under my lashes. “You don’t need to do this, Ethan.”

“Oh, but I most definitely do need this,” he says, backing up a few steps. “Shirt off,” he commands. I lift it off and toss it aside as I ogle his expansive chest and glorious abs. “Now, the bra,” he says, so I reach behind me to unclasp it, letting it drop to the floor. He shakes his head and licks his bottom lip. “You are so fucking beautiful.” He leans on one leg and crosses his arms. “The pants,” he says as his eyes trail down my body. I unbutton my jeans, pulling the zipper down slowly before bending down as I slide them off my legs, leaving me in skimpy, baby blue, lace panties.

“Come here.” He takes my hand and pulls me away from the wall, walking in a circle around me. I gasp as he uses the lightest touch to barely skim my figure with his fingertips, sending a rush of goosebumps down my body. Circling back around in front of me, he backs up a few steps, and removes his jeans and boxer briefs. He kneels in front of me, then places gentle, sensual kisses on my stomach as he hooks his fingers into my panties. I throw my head back with a breathy moan as he drags the panties down my legs, his tongue ever so lightly tracing a path down my stomach, down one leg, and then back up the other leg.

Still kneeling in front of me, he places tiny electrifying kisses all over my lower abdomen. “You are so fucking gorgeous,” he says between kisses. “Do you have any idea how many men would love to have what’s mine?” He looks up at me while I balance myself on his shoulders as he massages my behind. My breathing becomes ragged as the heat of his breath teases my lower abdomen. “Answer me, Olivia.”

“Ethan, you already know I’m all yours. No one can have me,” I whisper as the fog of arousal takes over. “We’re mated.”

“What makes you think that would stop someone from trying?” he asks as he stands and lifts my chin to look at him.

“I’m marked. It’s obvious we’re together,” I say as a gnawing feeling climbs into my stomach.

“I don’t trust anyone to respect that anymore,” he says as his eyes burn into mine. “The rules of our society clearly don’t mean anything to some people.” Oh. He’s serious. It becomes clear to me that I’ve discounted what this whole experience has done to him.

Reaching up to cup his cheek in my palm, I give him a small smile. “Ethan, what happened with Ian and Austin is a unique situation, and it shouldn’t give you any evidence to indicate that other men will disrespect the rules of our society. The majority of people here are good, and they respect our commitment to one another.”

“What about men like Moretti?”

“Anthony was living in the past. I’m not. As I believe you once said, you are my present and my future.”

He sits on the bed and pulls me to stand between his legs as he looks up at me with those steel blue eyes. “As everything is coming to a resolution, I’m realizing just how close I was to losing you.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me to him as he kisses my neck. “I can’t imagine what life would have been like without you.” He buries his face in my chest. “You’re everything to me.”

My heart sinks as I wrap my arms around my mate, my Alpha, and my soon to be husband. “And you’re everything to me, Ethan.” I lift his chin, forcing him to look at me. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Climbing onto his lap, I straddle his eager erection. He wraps his arms around me, and I brace myself on his shoulders as I lower myself onto him. Breathing heavily, I close my eyes as I adjust to his size. “Do you feel this between us?” I ask, taking his face in my hands. “No one can ever come between this. Not ever.”

He searches my eyes. “Promise me,” he says as we begin to move together.

I wrap my arms around his neck as my forehead touches his, gasping at the depth of his penetration. “I promise. It’s you and me, Ethan. Always.”

He pulls my lips to his in a kiss that quickly turns feverish as his tongue plunges into my mouth, dancing with mine. We cling to one another as our bodies move as one, and find release together.

Collapsing onto the bed, he pulls me into his chest. His hold on me is possessively protective as he covers us with a blanket, and places a lingering kiss to my lips. “I love you, Olivia.”

“I love you too.”

He lifts my chin to meet his gaze. “So fucking much.”

I nod and kiss him again. “Me too.”

He releases a deep sigh, and I feel his muscles slowly start to relax around me. “So, tell me about the rest of your day. I hope you were able to accomplish something other than entertaining everyone at Tonic with your vocals,” he says, shaking his head.

I playfully smack him on the chest. “Of course, I did.”

“Good. I hope you’re about to tell me that we have a wedding date set for the coming weekend.”

“Well—” I hesitate, biting my bottom lip.

He pulls back to look at me. “Fuck. Really? How long?”

“Just two weeks instead of one. It was the first available option because the Combined Pack Council is having a retreat here next weekend. There was really nothing Holly could do.”

“Shit. I don’t know how I forgot about that. I actually have to make an appearance.”

“There’s kind of been a lot going on lately.” I place a soft kiss to his lips. “I have to meet with Holly again to go over the cake, flowers, music and any other details.”

“See. You have an extra week to get it all done now. Plenty of time,” he says with a grin.

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