Page 21 of Austin's Answer
He took the stairs two at a time, tightening his hold on my legs to keep me secure. Once in my bedroom, he slid me slowly down his front. My breath caught as I felt every inch of him.
He bent his head, and his lips found mine again, but the urgency was tempered now, and he meandered, nibbling at my lips. I savored the feel of him. The taste of him. The hint of coffee and the surprising softness of his lips.
I slid my arms around his neck, and he lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, tightening my thighs’ grip on him as he walked forward. My back met the wall, and his hips rocked, pinning me tighter between him and the surface behind me. We stayed there, trading languid kisses, learning the taste of each other.
He kissed the way he listened. All in. He gave himself to me in a way that made tears prick my eyes. I hugged him tighter, wanting no distance between us. He trailed kisses over my jaw, down my throat, and I dropped my head back as he settled on a spot at the junction of my neck and shoulder. “This is where you’ll bear my mark.”
I gasped as he bit down, though not hard enough to break skin. Yet. I held his head to me as he sucked and nipped at the spot before returning to my lips. Now his kiss was more demanding, asking me to give him everything. I answered, and our mouths fused, connecting us together almost completely. But I wanted more.
I slid my hands down and tugged at his shirt, my hands diving beneath the fabric to stroke over his skin. He was smooth over hard muscles, which bunched and flexed beneath my touch. He spun me away from the wall, and together we tumbled onto the bed. He caught his weight with his hands before he crushed me into the mattress. I reached for him greedily, not liking the distance between us.
He pulled back enough to yank his shirt over his head, and I hummed my approval of the perfect specimen in front of me. His hands found the hem of my T-shirt, tossing it aside before sliding the straps of my bra down my arms to my elbows, trapping them against my sides while my breasts sprang free. He cupped one in his hand, kneading, squeezing, and stroking, as if committing it to memory. His mouth closed around the otherbreast, sucking me deep into his hot mouth, and my back arched as I let out a cry. “Austin!”
He grinned around my nipple and looked up, giving me a wink when he dove back in. I rubbed my legs together, craving the friction, needing it to relieve the ache in my core. He switched breasts, leaving nothing untouched by his lips and tongue. I struggled to free my arms, desperate to touch him.
His lips traced a path down my stomach, and he slid my pants over my hips, taking my underwear with them. I twisted, yanking my arms out of my bra straps and unsnapping it, tossing it over his shoulder. He finished removing my clothes and threw them on the floor. I spread my legs, and he filled the space I made, blowing gently over my core. I bucked beneath him as my body chased its climax.
“You’re mine now.” His gaze held mine as he lowered his mouth to me. He groaned as if he was tasting something amazing and lapped at my core. He dedicated himself to the task in front of him, driving me higher and higher until I was about to explode.
“Yes! Oh my… Yes! I’m yours!” The words flew from me, a plea for release, for more, for anything he desired to give me. I clutched at his head, alternating between holding him to me and pulling him away so I could catch my breath.
He rolled us, lifting me over him to straddle his hips. His hard cock rubbed against me, and I whimpered, rocking back and forth, seeking relief. I went up on my knees, and he fit himself against my entrance. Our eyes met, and as I slid down, he moved his hands to my hips, guiding me, slowing my descent so I could adjust to him. Time slowed as my body stretched and shifted, making room for him inside me.
We held still for a minute, and I luxuriated in the feel of being filled by him, connected to him. His eyes burned, but underneath the passion was his love for me. His promise for ourfuture. The corners of my mouth lifted, and I breathed out the words, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Em.”
I planted my palms against his chest and followed the urge in my body to move. His grip tightened as I picked up the pace, and I could feel each finger pressing into my skin. I squeezed my muscles around him, and he growled, flipping us over and lifting one of my legs over his shoulder. He drove forward, thrusting into me over and over again.
My hands covered my breasts, and I played with them. His eyes heated as he watched me, and he captured my lips in a demanding kiss, his tongue mimicking the movements of his cock as it filled me. He lowered my leg, and I tightened my thighs around his hips.
His kisses moved to my neck, and he sucked at the skin, scraping his teeth along my marking spot. I tilted my head, granting him access. A flash of nerves shot through my body, but I pushed them away. This was Austin. I loved him. I trusted him. And I wanted to be his forever.
I met his thrusts, my hips rocking wildly as his rhythm grew more erratic. My skin tightened, every inch sensitive, as if the slightest breath of air would send me over the edge. He growled, and his teeth sank into me as the sensations in my body gathered, coalescing into a tight ball before shattering in a cascade of pleasure.
A few more thrusts and he followed, spilling into me. His body pushed mine into the mattress as his arms trembled, struggling to hold him up. He flopped onto his back, and I curled into him, resting my head on his chest. His arm held me tight to his side.
My muscles were loose, and my body melted into him. It was like something connected us on a level deeper than the physical.He was part of me now, and I was part of him. “This connection I feel… is it the bond?”
He rubbed his cheek against the top of my head. “Yes. The mark allows you to feel it fully.”
“I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s like my love grew by leaps and bounds.”
“I swear to do everything in my power to keep it growing. I’ll tend to it like a plant. My sweet prairie rose.”
I kissed his chest over his heart and peered up at him. “I didn’t know you had a sappy side.”
He grinned that cheeky grin of his and winked. “Only for you. My Emily. My second chance. My everything.”
EPILOGUE
Austin
I tugged Emily closer to my side and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her hair smelled like apples, a scent I recognized from our shower that morning when she washed her hair. She smiled up at me before turning back to her conversation with Hannah, who was holding her newborn daughter. Ethan was hovering behind Hannah, keeping a close eye on both his girls.
Declan manned the barbecue as Mae and Chloe laid out the side dishes. Mason nursed a beer in the corner. He still struggled with the revelation that Vince was the saboteur. Gabriel and Sierra chatted with Emily’s father, whose speech had mostly returned. He was recovered enough to oversee the new manager at his ranch, allowing Emily and me to move into a cottage at Shifter Ranch.
Luke stood beside me, trying to convince me to do the airport run the next day to pick up the new guests. “You like talking to people. People like talking to you. It’s a perfect match.”
