Page 25 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

His words weren’t any different than Aunt Maribel’s, even so, they hit harder.

“You’re my mate,” he muttered, and time seemed to stop. “That’s why I can’t walk away from you. My bobcat chose you, and so have I.”

The significance of what he said—of what I knew being his mate meant—washed over me. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt as though a part of me had been waiting for this truth all along.

Ellis’s eyes searched mine, and I noticed he was bracing himself for the sting of rejection.

That sting wasn’t going to come, though.

Instead of speaking, I leaned in and kissed him. I didn’t immediately feel riddled with guilt this time.

Instead, it felt right.

Ellis cupped my face in his warm hands and I melted into the kiss deeper, losing myself in the way his lips moved against mine. Their soft, urgent rhythm.

He’d been holding back last time.

When his thumb stroked my cheek, causing tiny sparks of electricity to jolt across my skin, the urge for more surged through me.

But then reality crashed in.

Aunt Maribel and Serenity were inside the cottage, and we were here, in the driveway, tangled up in the cab of his truck. I pulled back, breathless, my lips tingling from our fiery kiss.

“We can’t do this,” I whispered. His eyes clouded with confusion, but there was desire burning through their color too. “Not here.” I clarified.

He hesitated, searching my eyes. “Okay?—”

“Follow me,” I interrupted, not giving him a chance to say anything more.

I slipped out of the truck and made my way behind the cottage to the old shed. There was a small loft above it that was hardly used. It was a quiet place hidden away from prying eyes.

Pushing open the door, I stepped inside and flicked the light on. A warm glow filled the space. The scent of mildew hit my nose as I crossed to the wall mounted ladder leading to the loft, but I tried to ignore it and hoped Ellis could too. The loft was tiny, and the ceiling sloped low, but there was no chance of Aunt Maribel or Serenity seeing us up here. There were a few crates and old blankets scattered around, but other than that the space was empty.

Ellis followed me up the ladder, his gaze meeting mine when he reached the loft. The heat in his eyes I’d noticed when we were in his truck was still there as he stalked toward me. As his hands found my waist his lips claimed mine. We stumbled backward until I was against the wall, crates and blankets forced out of our way. Shockwaves of heat surged through me from being pinned between the coldness of the wall and thehard planes of his body. His lips trailed down my neck, barely skimming my hot skin, causing goose bumps to prickle.

“Ellis—” I whispered, sounding breathy and needy.

His fingertips slid beneath the hem of my shirt and up along my ribcage. Electricity danced through me, and my need for him became almost overwhelming.

“You have no idea how much I want you right now,” he murmured.

“I want you, too.”

He pulled away and a slow, hopeful-looking smile crooked his lips. I crushed my mouth against his without thought, unable to stop myself. His tongue invaded my mouth as he skimmed his hand from my hip to my thigh and then hooked my leg around his waist. A hard bulge pressed against my center, signifying he was as turned on as I was.

There hadn’t been any doubt, but still.

When his hand slid under my shirt again and past my bra straight to the pebbled nipple waiting beneath, I released a soft moan.

“Are you sure you’re okay with what we’re about to do?” he asked, pulling back to meet my gaze, his eyes fixed on mine with an intense heat.

I nodded.

“I need to hear you say it,” he said, still rolling and tugging at my nipple sending shockwaves of pleasure to my core.

“I’m more than okay,” I said.

To prove it, I reached for the button on his jeans. His breath hitched as I undid it, and the sound sent a thrill through me. My fingers trembled slightly as I lowered his zipper, feeling the hard evidence of his desire for me straining against the fabric of his boxers.

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