Page 87 of Confusing Hearts

“Why did you bring the dampener?”

I looked at her like she was crazy. “Why do you think? Liam and Maddie stayed over for Christmas and he leaves his, in his office.” I shuddered. “I’m not doing that to Lily or my parents.”

She laughed. “You actually think we’re having sex with your parents down the hall?”

Instead of answering her, I stripped down to nothing before her eyes.

“Do you really think I even bothered to pack pajamas?”

Her eyes widened, and she licked her lips. The smell of her arousal immediately started filling the room, but there was a stubborn determination lingering there, too.

“We are not doing that with your parents down the hall.”

“Wanna bet?” I asked, jumping onto the bed and grabbing her around the waist before she could escape. She giggled and thrashed, trying to get out of my grasp before eventually settling down and conceding. I kissed her softly. “I know we’re both tired and it’s late, but it’s gonna be a long, hard weekend if you insist on being that stubborn, and don’t think for a moment I’m not going to try everything in my power to get my way.”

It was both a threat and a promise of things to come. We slept peacefully that night in each other’s arms.

Each day in San Marco was better than the last. Jenna truly fit right in with my family. I don’t think she ever realized just how easy she was to love.

My sisters adored her, spending all day Saturday spoiling and pampering her with a girls’ day at a spa in the city. My brothers and I met up with the girls at a nice restaurant when they were done. By the time I saw Jenna, she was glowing and happier than I had ever seen her with anyone besides me. Her hair was sleek and shiny, and her violet eyes accentuated by some kind of makeup on her face. She was breathtaking. And my heart nearly stopped in my chest at the first sight of her walking in.

It had been a surreal moment, one I would not soon forget. We danced, we laughed, and we celebrated life that night. I didn’t want the evening to end, but I also could only stand sharing her for so long before we headed back home.

The door to my bedroom had barely shut behind her before I had her pinned against it, capturing her with a kiss. She gave no resistance when my tongue parted her lips and sought to explore her delicious mouth. Her usual scent combined with a slightly strange but appealing smell. Usually perfumes and smelly stuff hurt my head and made me sneeze, but whatever this was, it seemed to highlight her natural scent and drive me mad.

Breathless, she placed both palms flat against my chest and pushed back. She kept pushing until the back of my legs hit the bed and I sat down hard. She stood before me with a sultry look on her face and desire in her eyes. I tried to stand up and go to her, but she stuck out a perfectly polished finger, and shook it side to side without saying a word, so I sat back down. A new sort of confidence surrounded her actions.

Slowly she turned as I took her all in, devouring her with my eyes. She backed up to me and signaled for me to unzip her dress as she watched me over her shoulder. I wanted to touch her so badly and feel her soft skin under my fingertips, but as soon as the zipper was lowered she stepped away and turned around to face me again. Her stare had me pinned to my seat.

She lowered one shoulder, exposing my bond mark as my breath quickened. With a sly grin, she dropped the dress entirely. My heart nearly leapt from my chest when I saw the black lacy lingerie she wore beneath the dress. It was the hottest thing I had ever seen in my life.

The fabric was nearly see-through and left little to the imagination, not that I hadn’t already memorized every inch of her body. Stockings rose to mid-thigh, attached to the upper part with some little clamps. They looked intricate and like potential trouble for my shaking hands. I briefly wondered how disappointed she would be when I ripped them from her body. The hooks attached on the other end to the lacy, see-through material that covered much of her body. The material stopped just above her nipples where her breasts crested the top like an open invitation. And, as my eyes washed back down, my breath caught as I realized the outfit was entirely crotchless.

Unable to sit still much longer, I rose and growled as I closed the gap between us. She didn’t push me away this time, but her breath caught with my unexpected roughness when I grabbed her by the ass and lifted her easily. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I carried her back to the bed.

I stood back, my breathing already erratic and I hadn’t even touched her yet. Seeing her laying there, dressed up for me, she looked like the embodiment of every sexual fantasy I’d ever had.

Without grace or a care, I quickly discarded my own clothes and climbed into bed with her. When I went to touch, she smacked my hand away, pushing my shoulder until I rolled over on my back.

She climbed on top of me, straddling my waist. “I’ve been spoiled and pampered all day. Now it’s your turn,” she said with a sly grin.

I gulped as she started at my bond mark and worked her way down my body, kissing and licking every inch. It felt as if she were marking me in a whole new way. Our eyes locked and I couldn’t look away, transported to some other plane of existence that only included Jenna. It was the most erotic experience of my life.

Later, when we were both sated and covered in a light sheen of sweat, before sleep pulled her under, I held her close and told her how much I loved her. My heart was full. I’m not sure what I had expected in a mate, honestly. I was still young enough that I had never given it much thought, but somehow, I knew this was far more than I could ever have hoped for.

In that moment, I knew what I needed to do. Jenna said she’d always imagined she’d get married someday. I had watched enough Hallmark channel movies with my mother over the years to understand what that meant and how girls could obsess over such a thing from even a young age. If that’s what she wanted, I would see to it.

Liam’s wedding really hadn’t been so bad, it had even been a little fun. But it was even more than that, because resting there, exhausted from the best night of my life, holding my mate, I knew I wanted this every day of my life. Yes, she was my mate and that was a greater bond than any human tradition, but I wanted her to be my wife, too. I wanted her to carry my name and someday my children. Closing my eyes, I could see our entire future before me. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

Jenna

Chapter 26

Coming to San Marco was probably the best decision I ever made. Chase was right! Everyone I met had been welcoming and friendly. I didn’t think I ever felt so accepted anywhere in my entire life.

Rumors had already spread about Chase mating outside of the wolves, so there were a lot of strange looks and questions, but nothing rude or unsupportive. Just genuine curiosity.

I had a lot to learn about the wolves, and when Kyle and Chase finally sat me down to discuss their customs and what they called the challenges, I think I took it better than they expected. It wasn’t that I was completely naïve to other shifter customs. Wolves, bears, lions, gorillas: lots of the bigger predatory animals had similar archaic rites of passages.

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