Page 58 of Can't Help Growling in Love
I stare at her, dumbstruck. “What?”
“I read it in that first book I borrowed.” She shrugs, though she won’t meet my gaze. “It’s just biology. Nature’s way of ensuring good breeding.”
A fuzzy sort of ringing noise fills my ears at her words. “Baby, you should really stop talking about breeding right about now.”
My cock thickens at the thought of fucking June without contraceptives, filling her up with my cum until she’s pregnant with our child. Round and perfect and all mine.
June’s eyes widen, and her cheeks turn a delicious shade of pink. “Sorry. I mean, it’s a biological imperative.” She pauses, then draws a circle over my heart with the tip of her finger. “But, um, just out of curiosity, is the B-word something you’re interested in? As a kink? Because I think I might be.”
“Oh, I’m interested.” I nudge my hips forward, letting her feel how hard I am for her. To know that she’s also into it is driving me wild, but I need to clarify something first. “June, I’m not attracted to you because of some biological imperative. I don’t know how the mate bond works, but I like you.”
She stares at me, her lips parted.
I swallow down the fear of rejection and continue. “I’m probably saying this way too soon, but I’m falling for you. You’re cute and hot and so fucking good to me.” I palm her cheek and grin. “You borrowed what looks like half the books in the library to learn about me. I want to be with you. This mate thingis fucking with my head, that’s why I didn’t tell you. The full moon is coming, and that’s always an issue for me, but this time around…”
She mirrors my gesture and puts her palm against my cheek, waiting for the rest of my explanation. I nuzzle into her touch, comforted by her scent.
“I keep thinking about biting you,” I admit hoarsely. “And not the skin-sucking love bites that humans give to each other. I want to mark your skin and make you bleed, and I don’t want to hurt you, but I might, so…”
I shut up, because I’m afraid I already said too much, but she needs to know. Swallowing thickly, I force myself to finish what I started.
“I wasn’t avoiding the issue because I wasn’t sure about you.” I lean my forehead against hers. “I just didn’t want to scare you away when I only just found you.”
June is silent for a long moment, her gaze steady on me. She rubs her thumb over my cheek slowly, the touch so fucking soothing, I close my eyes, letting it calm my nerves. When I open my eyes again, her lips are tipped up in a smile.
“I like you, too,” she murmurs. “I’m falling just as fast.”
I clear my suddenly tight throat. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I even paid my late fees at the library for you.”
I snort out a laugh. “A measure of true love.”
“Stop.” She pinches me lightly, but she’s grinning, too. “Look, I won’t lie and say that the thought of those fangs near my jugular isn’t slightly terrifying. But Itrust you.”
I lean in to kiss her, and she meets me halfway, opening her mouth to me. Her lips taste sweet, and I want to stay here forever, learning every single thing that gives her pleasure. But the sticky feeling of cum drying on my fur finally forces me to break the kiss.
“We need a shower,” I murmur against her lips. “And probably food.”
June nods, her eyes still closed. “And we need to read more of those books to figure out what to do about the full moon.”
“Deal.” I force myself to roll away from her, even though my body is screaming at me to keep touching my mate. “You can go first. If we shower together, I don’t think we’ll get to the food or the books anytime soon.”
June giggles but disappears into the bathroom. I wipe myself down with the top sheet and toss it in the hamper, then move to the kitchen and wash my hands before scrounging up a snack we can eat in bed. After that orgasm, I’m craving protein, so I open a bag of beef jerky and quickly pop some leftover chicken kabobs into the microwave, then add apple slices and a cup of trail mix for balance, mostly so June won’t feel like she’s forced to go full carnivore in my house. I grab a box of cookies and stack it on top of the tray with two glasses and a pitcher of water.
I might be new to this sex thing, but I’ve narrated enough romance books to know that a guy is supposed to take care of his partner.
I pile everything on my bedside table, then knock on the bathroom door. At June’s “Yeah?” I push inside and find her already showered, her hair pinned on top of her head in a messy bun, a large blue towel wrapped around her body.
She gives me a wicked grin and smacks my naked ass as she walks past me into the bedroom. “I’ll wait for you in bed.”
Those have to be the sexiest words I’ve ever heard. I hurry with my shower, scrubbing myself down to wash the dried cum from my fur. When I return to the bedroom, I find June sitting against the headboard, propped up by my pillows, a book in her hands. She’s covered herself with the blanket, but a bare, round shoulder peeks from under it, and I know she’s still naked underneath.
I get in beside her, my cock already half hard. When June climbs into my lap and uses me as an additional pillow, I groan, adjusting myself behind her.
“I can move if you’d like,” she murmurs, peering at me over her shoulder.
I wrap my arms around her. “No way. I’ll endure a hard-on if it means I get to hold you like this.”
