“Ah. I’m pretty sure this is what theBackwoods Survival Guidemeant when it listed ‘Be prepared for anything’ as the number one survival rule. It sounds like you weren’t prepared for me niggling my way into your mind. It’s all part of my charm—it sneaks up on you.”

“Oh, I’m prepared. I’m about to wrap my hand around my cock and release some of that tension you mentioned today in the hallway. For my own survival, of course.”

“Of course,” Kerrigan said in a breathy tone that only served to turn me on that much more. At the rustling of sheets and light squeak of bedsprings, I was about to cum in my underwear like a teenager with no control.

Not happening.“What I need is your voice in my ear as I get off. I’m thinking about you down on your knees, begging for mercy. Feel free to run with the scenario.”

“So, you’re saying you want me to pretend I’m afraid of the big bad wolf?”

Pure unadulterated need flared, radiating outward until my body pulsed with it. I kicked off my boxers and sat up. “I’d never ask you to fake it with me, baby. And trust me, you wouldn’t have to.”

“My, my, what sexy promises you make.”

“The better to seduce you with,” I growled as I fisted my protruding arousal.

“Now I’m getting all hot and bothered, too.”

“You’d better be alone. You never did answer my question about Craig Sullivan.” “You’re right, I didn’t,” she said, and I growled again. She had the audacity to giggle, and I was going to have to punish her for that the next time I plundered her sassy mouth. A red handprint on her ass to remember me by should do the trick.

“You’re not going to think it’s very funny if I rip off his arms. He’s a decent guy, so I’d experience a pinch of remorse, but the fact of the matter is that once I’ve got you in my sights, it’s a done deal.”

“Is that right? And how many done deals are you balancing right now? I bet you make a woman feel incredible by deliveringall the right lines and showering her with affection, but after you sleep with her, you forget to call.”

If she only knew how long it’d been—too much pressure came along with dating shifters. Everyone wanted to declare them my mate before the two of us even went on a couple of dates, and I’d heard several speeches about how it was my duty and other such nonsense. “Not my style. I’m more of a possessive asshole who sees what he wants and goes after it. And right now, what I want is the smart, funny, sexy doctor who talks circles around me. So, unless you tell me you’re not interested, I’m letting you know that I’m going to pursue this thing between us.”

Silence stretched over the line until the air vibrated with it.

My cock literally wept when I let it go. I’d thought she’d been onboard, but if she wasn’t, this had just gone from phone sex to a phone call. “Kerrigan. That giant space is your opening. I laid out all my cards and told you where I stand. Now it’s your turn.”

“Wow, you really can’t help your bossiness, can you?” she shot back.

“No,” I answered, not an ounce of hesitation. “Patience isn’t my forte, either. But I am trying to be respectful here.”

“That sounds...surprisingly reasonable for you. Being respectful while jacking off.”

“Reasonable.” I spat out the awful word. “I pride myself on being unreasonable. Do I need to wake up half the compound by shifting, howling at the moon, and then racing to your house to either devour you or maim whoever’s with you to prove it?”

“You want to hear that I’ve thought about you, your ripped body, and your notable, uh, asset far too often since the night we met?” she purred, and my heart beat out an erratic rhythm. “About how even after you were a total asshole, I spent the following days hoping to run into you? That I’ve replayed you fingering me on the Ferris wheel on an endless loop?”

A groan slipped out, and I returned my fist to my steely length for a long, languid stroke.

“That I can’t consider Mayor Sullivan or any other man as an option, because thoughts of you crowd out the possibility of anyone else,” she added, and the shakiness in her voice led me to believe our conversation had spurred her to touch herself as well.

“That’sexactlywhat I want to hear.” I stood and propped my phone against the wall, so it’d show me from mid-thigh up. Then I tapped the request to add video to the call. “And now I need to see you.”

A second passed, and then another, and then a mussed-haired Kerrigan finally filled the screen. Black spots danced across my vision, the sensual overload almost too much to handle, and I grunted, annoyed at anything that’d obscure my view of her.

Just as I expected, she had her hand down her panties. Two peaked nipples showed through her thin cotton tank top, and greedy bastard that I was, I wanted more. “Pull down that skimpy tank top so I can see those tits.”

“They’re more impressive in my bra. If you’ll just give me a sec?—”

“Now, Kerrigan.”

My hips jerked in time to the thrusts into my fists as she tugged down the shirt, revealing glorious pert breasts with pink nipples. “I’d like to be all agreeable since we’re getting along so well, but I have to tell you that you’re wrong.”

Kerrigan wrinkled her nose. “They’re just so small. Couldn’t some of my ass have gone to them? I have enough to spare there.”

“That’s enough nonsense,” I barked, unable to allow her to speak like that about one of my favorite assets of hers. “Your ass is perfect as it is.” The thought of seeing it without fabric in theway in the near future drove me closer to the edge. I gritted my teeth, holding on to that last unbroken thread of my control. “As for your breasts, all I need is a mouthful. Once I get the chance, I’ll show you how well yours fit in my hot mouth.”