Truth was, I was craving Levi’s touch. Was craving his attention. I wanted his arousal. I wanted his scent to surround me, wrap me in, while I pushed him higher and higher, eliciting moans and screams for him. I wanted to send him over the edge, wanted to see him fall apart beneath me, wanted to be the reason his hair looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.

Fuck. Shifting in my seat, I tried finding a comfortable position, but it was to no avail. My cock kept pressing against the zipper of my jeans, an ache radiating from my groin, a constant reminder of what I wanted to do—bury it inside my mate, and finally claim him.

Not that I will do that today or without his explicit consent, I sternly told myself and my wolf.

He whined inside of me, but the urge to mate and claim lessened a bit, my control snapping in place more firmly.

Tension thickened the air until it was hard for me to breathe. Every time I drew a breath, I got hit by a wave of his unique scent mixed with arousal, and my own need got pushed further and further.

By the time we finally reached the Inn, I was close to losing it.

Fresh air!

I needed to get out of the car and away from Levi to clear my head, but that was the last thing I wanted to do. Everything inside of me screamed at me to get closer to him, not to get away from him.

Hearing him shift in his seat, I turned my head, my eyes searching for his. His face was still flushed, I realized, but that was not what drew my attention.

Sucking in a harsh breath, I stared right into his eyes. His glowing eyes—at least to me they looked like they were glowing in the darkness—filled with want and need and…

I snapped. Or maybe he did.

Maybe we both did.

Fact was, one moment I was staring at him, the next our mouths crashed together in a fiery kiss.

Yes, yes, yes! my wolf chanted, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

A moan escaped Levi’s lips, the sound hitting me like a punch in the gut, making the world stop for a moment, the air whooshing from my lungs.

The next breath I drew, I inhaled him. Everything was Levi. Petrichor and apple, mixed with sweet desire and arousal. Intoxicating. Addicting.

Diving in again, I drew his bottom lip between mine, nibbling on it, making him squirm, his hands roaming over my shoulders, my sides, my back, scratching at the fabric of my shirt.

Oh, how I wished to be naked right now. To feel his nails digging into my skin, marking me up just like I wanted to mark him.

I didn’t know how, but suddenly, there was a weight on my lap, and Levi pressed even closer against me, his hard cock rubbing against mine through our jeans. Gripping his ass, I moaned, drawing his body flush against mine, keeping him there, desperately humping against him.

Mine, mine, mine.

Mate, mate, mate.

My wolf was chanting inside my head, elated at this new development.

Thoughts escaped me, time escaped me. There was just Levi. My mate. My fated one. His weight, his smell, his moans.

Finally, Levi drew his head back to draw in a breath. He was panting, chest raising and falling rapidly against mine. His eyes stayed locked on mine, glancing into my very soul.

His swollen, glistening lips turned into a smile full of promise—and hesitation.

“I… that was…” He cleared his throat, fingers twitching against my back, his hard erection rubbing against mine for a last time before he shifted again, creating a space between us I didn’t want or need.

But, apparently, he did. Biting his bottom lip, he shifted again, pulling back a little more until his back hit the steering wheel.

I nodded. I got it. Kind of. It had to be a lot for him. If he wanted me as much as I wanted him, if he truly felt the bond between us, this had to be overwhelming. From what I knew, the desire and need for your fated was a whole different story than just being horny. At least it was for me.

However, I’d been prepared for this. For the all-encompassing desire, for my very essence, my soul wanting and needing someone else. I’d known I’d feel this way. But it was all new for Levi.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, bracing myself against the onslaught of outrage I was about to face.