Page 154 of Devoted

“Of course. We’re only going to fall in love once. I wanted to make the most of every moment.”

Fucking Gloria.I hated her for taking that from Zeke. From us. “We still can, we’ll just be bonded while we do it.”

“We do have other options. There’s a witch in Scotland who might be able to offer us sanctuary. Or we can stay here. This place is like a fortress. Even against Gloria, we can defend it for weeks if needed.”

“No,” I said, stroking his face. “I don’t need other options, Zeke. Being your mate is what I want, and the easiest solution. It just makes sense.”

‘But what if this is a mistake? What if Zeke is only doing this because of Gloria’s ultimatum? What if he doesn’t actually want you?’

I gritted my teeth, trying not to let the thoughts overwhelm me.

Zeke hummed. “I sense there’s abutthere somewhere.”

“But my brain is a fucking dick,” I forced out, dropping my head on his shoulder to hide my shame. “I should be stronger, Zeke. I’m so fucking sorry. You deserve someone better than me as your mate.”

“Nope.” He put his hand under my chin, guiding my head up until I was forced to meet his gaze. “I deserve you, just as you deserve me. Like I’ve said before—you’re not to apologise for things out of your control. You’re not doing this intentionally.”

“I’m not,” I said miserably. “Believe me, I wish I could just say yes right here and now. It’d make things easier.”

“But you can’t, and that’s okay.” His trusting eyes didn’t look away for a second. “I love you, Sam. Tell me what you need.”

I loosed a breath. This man was just too perfect. “A few hours. Would that be okay? By then hopefully my brain will be on board and?—”

Zeke’s sudden burst of laughter had me pausing with a frown. “What? What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry, baby,” he said, wiping at his eyes. “I thought you were going to ask for a few months. A year maybe.”

I rolled my eyes, jamming my fingers into his ribs and tickling him until he yelped. “Don’t laugh at me.”

He sobered immediately. “Sorry, Sam. Honestly, I wasn’t laughing at you. More at myself for assuming the worst.”

I grinned. “Aw, now you’re starting to act like me.”

“Seriously though, a few hours is more than fine. I wasn’t expecting you to want to do it right here and now.”

“You weren’t?”

“Of course not,” Zeke said softly. “I know I haven’t had much of a chance to romance you, but I’d hoped to do it somewhere better than here on this sofa.”

My voice dropped an octave, remembering how he’d sucked me off here yesterday. “I dunno, I’ve got some pretty fond memories of this sofa.”

Both our phones vibrated on the table, making us simultaneously groan as we reached for them. I sighed as I scrolled through the message, mentally tallying up the hours it was going to take to get through it all. “Fuck, guess I need to get to work.”

“Me too,” Zeke said with a sigh. “Micah’s called a meeting about Gloria. They’ve all been working on different scenarios, just in case you decide you need more time than a few hours.”

I rubbed my chest at their thoughtfulness. “I won’t. I promise, Zeke. A few hours for my brain to adjust is all I need.”

“I know.” He pecked my lips. “But it’s good for us to be prepared for any eventuality. Will you be okay here on your own for a bit?”

My phone vibrated again.

“I think I’ll be okay,” I said drily, shaking my phone in his direction. “I probably won’t even notice you’re gone.”

“Rude,” Zeke muttered, carding his fingers through my hair. “I better give you something to remember me by.”

After kissing me until I was panting and breathless, Zeke promptly departed for his meeting. He left me hot and aching, with an erection that could punch through steel.

And successfully made sure I’d have difficulty thinking about anythingbuthim while he was gone.Even more frustrating was the ache in my rear. Not a single part of Zeke could be considered small, which meant I needed a break before taking him how I really wanted to again.

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