Page 5 of Sweet on the Alpha

As if sensing my thoughts, Aiden makes a low, rumbling sound deep in his throat. I don’t know the reason for the growl, but I don’t feel afraid. I don’t feel threatened by the massive predator that could rip me limb from limb without effort.

His eyes flash with unmistakable hunger and before I can blink, he’s shifting back to human form.

Then he’s standing before me, human once more. Gloriously, breathtakinglynaked. I try valiantly to keep my gaze above his shoulders, but I can’t stop my eyes from drifting down, tracingthe sculpted planes of his chest, the ripple of his abs, the tantalizing trail of dark hair that leads to…

“Grace.” Aiden’s voice is a rasp, a plea and a warning all in one. “If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

My eyes snap back to his, my cheeks flushing hot. “Sorry,” I mumble. “I’ve just never seen… I mean, you’re very… that is to say…”

Is it hot? I’m feeling hot. And bothered. Both if I’m honest.

Aiden lets out a soft huff of laughter, though the heat in his gaze doesn’t diminish. “It’s okay, sunshine. I know this is a lot to take in. We can go as slow as you need.”

But even as he says the words, I can see the strain in his jaw, the tension coiled in his muscles. I think about how long he’s denied himself, how hard he’s fought against our connection—all for me, to keep a human safe in a shifter-filled world.

At that moment, something crystalizes within me, a certainty, bright and unshakable. This man, this wolf… he’s mine. And I’m his. There’s no going back.

Almost without conscious thought, I close the distance between us. Aiden goes still, his eyes wide and wary as I place my palms against his chest. The heat of his skin sears my hands, igniting a corresponding blaze deep in my core.

“Grace,” he warns, his voice strangled. “You don’t have to—”

“I know,” I interrupt, surprised by the steadiness of my own voice. “But I want to. I want this. I want…you.”

And then I’m stretching up on my toes, my hands sliding into the hair at the base of his neck as I press my lips to his. For a suspended heartbeat, he remains frozen, unyielding and not returning the kiss. But then, with a groan that rumbles through his chest and into mine, he wraps his arms around me and hauls me flush against him.

Oh lordy.

The kiss is searing, almost bruising in its intensity. Aiden claims my mouth like a man starved, his lips and tongue and teeth laying waste to any lingering doubts or hesitations. I can only cling to him, swept away in the maelstrom of sensation, my blood singing with the rightness of our connection.

I’ve been kissed in the past, but it’s never felt like this. Like I’m being devoured, possessed, and cherished all at once. Like I’m finally home after a lifetime of wandering.

Large hands skim down my back to cup my rear, squeezing and kneading in a way that sends jolts of pleasure zinging through me. Aiden growls into my mouth as he lifts me effortlessly, urging my legs around his waist.

I can feel him, hard and insistent, pressed against my core, separated only by the thin fabric of my sundress and panties.It’s too much and not enough all at once. I rock against him, desperate for more, even as some distant part of me marvels at my own boldness. Me! Grinding on my man in public!

Aiden tears his mouth from mine, trailing biting kisses along the column of my throat. When he reaches the juncture of my neck and shoulder, he pauses, his breath hot against my flesh.

“I want to mark you,” he rasps, his voice raw with need. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

A thrill courses through me at his words, primal and intoxicating. “Do it,” I manage to gasp out. “Make me yours, Aiden.”

He shudders against me, a full-body tremor of barely leashed control. For a moment, I think he’s going to throw me down right there in the grass and take me, potential audience be damned.

Instead, with obvious effort, he gentles his grip, easing me back until my feet touch the ground once more. We’re both breathing hard, our chests heaving in sync.

“Not here,” he says, though I can tell it takes every ounce of his willpower.

Dammit. Yes, here!

But I nod, understanding even through the haze of desire clouding my thoughts. As much as I want him, as much as every cell in my body screams to complete our bond right here and now, I know he’s right. Our first time together should be somewhere special, somewhere safe. Not in the middle of a public park where anyone could stumble upon us and gossip about us to everyone in town.

“Come on.” Aiden takes my hand and laces our fingers together. “Let’s get you home.”

He kisses the back of my hand and releases me, darting back behind the tree to gather his clothing and quickly redress. Then he’s back, and he grabs my fingers once more, warming me with his firm grip.

We walk back through the park in charged silence, the air between us crackling with unspent energy. When we reach the edge of the square, Aiden pauses, turning to face me.

“I know this is happening fast,” he says, his voice low and earnest. “And I don’t expect anything from you, Grace. If you need time to process, to adjust, I understand. I’ll wait for you, as long as it takes.”

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