Page 57 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

He grins, tugging me forward as we step into a small clearing. My breath catches as I take in the scene before me. There, spread across the grass, is a proper picnic blanket laid out with candles in glass holders glowing softly around the edges. A bucket of ice cradles a bottle of wine, and beside it, a plate of strawberries dipped in chocolate sits invitingly. Everything about it feels cozy and intimate, a world away from his last attempt.

“Alec,” I breathe, my eyes widening as I take it all in. “This is… unexpected.”

His gaze softens, and a slight smile tugs at his lips as he watches me. “I wanted to do something for us—something that wasn’t about duty or responsibility. Just you and me.”

He takes my hand, guiding me to sit down with him on the blanket. The candlelight flickers around us, sending soft shadows to dance across his face, making his eyes glimmer with something I can’t quite read. But there’s a weight in the air between us, a tension that feels charged, as though there’s something he’s holding back.

As I reach for a strawberry, he shifts to his side and slips his hand into his pocket, and before I can react, he’s kneeling in front of me, holding out a small velvet box.

My breath catches, and the world narrows down to just him, the soft glow of the candles, and that little box cradled in his hand.

“Isadora,” he says, his voice steady but threaded with a rare vulnerability that makes my heart race, “will you marry me again? For real this time. No obligations, no expectations. Just us, choosing each other because we want to.” He opens the box to reveal a ring, the diamond catching the light in a way that makes it look like a tiny star right there in his hand.

For a moment, all I can do is stare. The weight of his words, the intensity in his gaze, it all leaves me speechless. I manage to swallow, my voice barely a whisper as I say, “Alec, I… I don’t know what to say. I mean, we’re already married, you know.”

He lets out a soft, almost nervous laugh. “Obviously, I know that. But I want to renew our vows. I want you to marry me because it’s what you want, not out of some obligation.”

My heart swells, and a laugh bubbles out of me, soft but full of so much more than I can say. “Yes,” I whisper, nodding as the tears finally spill over. “Yes, Alec, of course. I want this. I want you.”

The relief in his expression is palpable, and he slips the ring onto my finger. And before I can say anything else, he’s pulling me close, his lips finding mine in a kiss that’s both fierce and tender, carrying all the things we’ve left unsaid. His arms wrap around me, and for a moment, the rest of the world falls away, leaving just the two of us tangled in each other.

I pull him in tighter, my hands roaming, tracing the shape of him, the warmth of him. Heat builds between us, a desire that goes deeper than simple want. I can feel his own urgency reflected back at me. His tongue is hot against mine, and hisfingers brush along the hem of my shirt. I break away long enough to peel the fabric over my head. His eyes go wide, raking over my bare skin.

“Out in the open, Mrs. Thornton? Aren’t you feeling bold?”

I grin, a flush of heat running through me. “Why not?”

His teeth sink into his lip, his voice a growl as he says, “Fair enough. Then get those pants off. Now.”

“Or what?” I ask, the teasing note in my voice making his eyes narrow.

“Or else you’ll find out firsthand,” he murmurs, leaning in until his breath ghosts against the hollow of my neck, the heat of his body making me tremble.

“Hmm,” I hum, pretending to consider it. “And if I decide I’m not interested in taking orders?”

He arches a brow, and a smile curves his lips. His gaze holds a challenge. “Then, my dear wife, you’d better prepare for the consequences.”

With a slow, deliberate motion, he unbuttons his shirt, exposing the hard planes of his chest, the sculpted lines of muscle that always draw a shiver from deep inside me.

“Consequences?” I echo, trying to ignore the way my pulse spikes, the ache building in me.

He shrugs, and the motion is so casual, it’s infuriating. “I’ll have to find ways to change your mind.”

“How, exactly?”

The corner of his mouth twitches, and a low, rumbling growl escapes him. “Oh, I have a few ideas.”

Before I can respond, his hands are on my hips, his fingers deftly unfastening the button on my jeans and slipping them off in one swift move. Then, his palms are pressed flat against my thighs, spreading me wide, and his breath is hot between my legs.

I gasp, arching against him. His tongue darts out, a flash of wet heat that sends a shudder through me.

“That’s… one,” I manage, my voice strained, my pulse racing.

“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs, his eyes locked on mine as he dips his head, his tongue trailing a searing line along my inner thigh.

“Two.”

The word comes out as a whimper, and I can’t stop myself from grinding against him, desperate for more.

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