Page 46 of Stripe for the Picking
They left the restaurant hand in hand, wandering down a luminous riverbank that wound away from the city lights. The alien flora glowed softly in the darkness—trees with silver bark that pulsed like heartbeats and flowers that chimed like wind bells when the breeze touched them.
"This place is truly heaven," Wren murmured, leaning into Rylan's warmth as they strolled along the glowing water.
"Everything's heaven with you," he replied, his arm tightening around her waist.
Their conversation grew more playful and charged with sexual tension. Rylan's fingers intertwined with hers, his thumb continuously stroking over her engagement ring in a gesture thatfelt both possessive and reverent. When she stumbled slightly on the uneven path, his hands immediately steadied her, lingering on her shoulders and back with heated touches that made her skin tingle.
"Careful," he murmured against her ear, his breath sending shivers through her. "Can't have my fiancée getting hurt before we win the Trials."
The way he says 'my fiancée' like a claim of ownership makes me want to rip his clothes off right here.
They paused under a massive tree whose branches dripped with luminescent blossoms, the soft light casting dancing shadows across their faces. Wren turned in his arms, her hands splaying across his broad chest, feeling his heart thundering beneath the fine fabric of his charcoal suit.
"Rylan," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle chiming of the alien flowers.
His blue eyes darkened to midnight as he cupped her face with his hands. "Are you comfortable, beautiful? Do you want this tonight, want me?"
The careful questions, the way he checked for consent even in the midst of their desperate attraction, made her heart clench with love.
"Yes," she breathed. "I want you."
Something primal flashed in his eyes at her words. He took her hand, leading her deeper into the glowing forest until they reached a secluded clearing that felt ancient and sacred. Crystalline formations jutted from the ground like natural altars, and the air hummed with otherworldly energy.
Rylan turned to face her, his expression fierce with possession and tender with love. "Wren, I want to fully claim you tonight. Mark you as mine forever, complete our mate bond in every way." His voice dropped to a gravelly whisper. "Will you let me make you my mate in the most primal way possible?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation, her entire body trembling with anticipation. "I'm yours, Rylan. Completely and forever yours."
TWENTY
RYLAN
Rylan could hardly believe all of this was real as he stood there in the ancient clearing where generations of his ancestors had claimed their fated mates. The air around him and Wren hummed with a primal energy that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat. The crystalline formations jutting from the mossy ground glowed faintly under the twin moons, casting an ethereal light over her. Her emerald dress shimmered like liquid starlight, and her long hair flowed down her back like dark silk. She was a vision of feminine perfection, and she was ready to become his in every way possible.
When she'd said yes to his marriage proposal at dinner, he'd felt like the universe had finally aligned. And now, standing in this sacred space, she'd agreed to let him fully claim her and to mark her as his mate for all eternity. His tiger was roaring with approval, demanding he claim her and mark her quickly, not wanting to wait another moment sooner. But Rylan forced himself to slow down and to savor this moment completely. She deserved more than raw urgency; she deserved reverence and worship.
"Wren," he murmured, his voice deep with barely contained desire.
He stepped closer, his hands finding her waist as he pulled her flush against his body. Her warmth seeped into him, and he leaned down and crashed his lips into hers with a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was possessive and hungry, a claiming in itself. Her lips parted for him instantly, and his tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers in a rhythm that left them both starved for oxygen.
Her hands moved to his tie, her fingers fumbling slightly as she tugged it loose. He broke the kiss long enough to let her slide the silk fabric from around his neck, then her hands were on his suit jacket, pushing it off his broad shoulders. It fell to the mossy ground, forgotten. His hands went to the zipper of her dress, slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving hers as he lowered it inch by torturous inch. The dress soon pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but her black lace bra and panties, making his mouth water instantly.
"You're so unbelievably breathtaking," he whispered as he unhooked her bra and then slid her panties down her legs.
His hands found her hips, pulling her closer as he dipped his head to kiss the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. She trembled against him, her hands moving to the buttons of his white dress shirt.
"Your turn," she whispered, her voice trembling with the same desire coursing through him.
He let her undress him, watching as her fingers worked their way down his chest, exposing him to the cool night air. When she reached his pants, he kicked off his shoes and let her slide them down, along with his boxers, until they were both standing there, bare and vulnerable in the most intimate way.
Rylan took a moment to drink her in under the bright moonlight—every perfect detail. Then he gently guided her down onto the soft moss, laying her back with a reverence that made her green eyes soften with deep affection.
"Rylan," she breathed, her voice a mix of desire and anticipation.
He didn't answer, but instead began a slow, deliberate exploration of her body. His lips and tongue traced a path from her collarbone to her breasts, and she gasped, arching into him. He took his time lavishing attention on her breasts, slowly circling the hardened nipples with his tongue, and then taking them into his mouth and sucking gently until she was moaning and fisting her hands into his hair. He then moved lower down her body, kissing and licking every inch of her soft skin, savoring the sweet taste of her, and the way her body responded to his every touch with primal need.
When he finally settled between her thighs, he took his time again, savoring the intimacy of this moment. His tongue teased her sensitive folds, circling her clit until she was trembling beneath him, her hands grabbing his hair tight.
"Rylan," she moaned. "Please..."
