Page 74 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

“Easy, angel,” he says, voice rough. He props himself on his elbow, using his other hand to smooth my hair back from my face. The feeling of him inside me…it’s still so much, too much pleasure. I could come again in an instant, one little movement… “I know it’s intense.”

His thumb brushes gently over my cheek, tracing the curve of my jawline in a soothing gesture. His eyes, blue as a summer sky even in the middle of the night, never leave mine.

They're filled with such adoration and warmth that it makes my chest ache.

"You're so beautiful," he murmurs, voice barely above a whisper. "So damn beautiful."

My heart swells at his words, a blush heating my cheeks as I reach up to tangle my fingers in his hair. I let out a soft sigh, my body relaxing beneath him as his hand continues to explore. The movement is idle, casual, as if we share one body…

“You know I love you, right?”

The words stop me cold.

I look up at him, eyes wide. “You do?”

“I’m just sayin’,” he adds quickly, his voice rough, almost defensive. “It’s not like…I mean, I’m not good at this kinda thing, but I figure you oughta know. In case it wasn’t obvious.”

A laugh bubbles out of me, soft and breathless, because of course this is how he says it. Of course he tries to downplay it, make it seem casual, like he didn’t just knock the ground out from under me. But it doesn’t feel casual. It feels like everything.

I lean in before I can overthink it, framing his face with my hands, my forehead pressing against his. “It’s obvious,” I whisper, my voice shaking just a little. “But I still like hearing you say it.”

His grin is small, shy, and it melts me completely. “Yeah? Well, don’t get used to it. I’m not gonna turn into some poet overnight.”

I laugh again, the sound mixing with the crickets and the rustling leaves, and then I kiss him. Soft and sweet and full of everything I can’t say. When I pull back, I meet his eyes, letting him see everything I feel.

“I love you, too,” I say, the words falling from my lips like they were always meant to.

Colt’s lips curve into the softest smile, a quiet, crooked thing that makes my heart ache in the best way. He leans down, brushing a kiss over my forehead like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like this is something we’ve always done and always will.

"Good," he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly. "’Cause I don’t think I could stop loving you if I tried, Magnolia."

I don’t know why those words make my throat tighten, but they do. Maybe it’s the sincerity in his voice, the way he says my name like it’s sacred. Maybe it’s the way his hands slide over me, grounding me even as my emotions threaten to carry me away. Or maybe it’s just him. Everything about him.

He shifts slightly, his knot still locked inside me, and the sensation pulls a gasp from my throat. The intimate connection between us feels deeper now, more significant. His mark on my neck tingles faintly, a constant reminder that I’m his—and he’s mine.

“You’re stuck with me now,” I whisper, my hands sliding down his arms, marveling at the strength there, the warmth. “Forever.”

“Forever,” he agrees, his voice softening. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

But just as the words settle over us, I feel it…like a shadow skittering across the edge of my thoughts.

Uncertainty.

Guilt.

It’s fleeting, gone before I can grasp it fully, but it leaves a strange tightness in my chest.

I lift my eyes to his, searching his expression for something—anything—that might explain it. He’s looking at me like I’m his entire world, but there’s a flicker in his gaze, a crack in the armor. And through the bond, I can feel his wolf shifting uneasily, like it’s caught between contentment and restlessness.

“Colt?” I ask, my voice tentative. “Is everything okay?”

His smile doesn’t falter, but his hands tighten slightly on my waist, his grip firm but not harsh. “Everything’s perfect,” he says—but it feels too carefully measured. “Don’t overthink it, angel. Just…let me have this.”

Let me have this. The words hang between us, and I know there’s more he isn’t saying. My wolf stirs, sensing the undercurrent of conflict in him, but I don’t push. Not yet.

Instead, I reach up, brushing my fingers along his jaw, and offer him a small smile of my own.

“Okay,” I whisper, letting my hand linger against his skin. “But…you don’t have to keep secrets from me, alright? I’m on your side.”

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