Page 25 of Forcing Fate
That would explain her whole change in attitude. “I can’t wait to meet her,” I whisper, touching my forehead to hers. It feels impossible, but here we are.
Or are we? Because she opens her eyes and pulls her head back and shakes her head slightly. “I need you to understand something. I want to be with you, and I know there’s no breaking our bond. When I saw you out there in the clearing… You were unconscious, I didn’t even know if you were alive or if you would be for much longer. I felt like I was going to die if you did.”
She furrows her brow, giving me one of her typical heavy stares. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what happened in the past. I don’t think I ever will be able to.”
“I’m not asking you to forget.” Taking her hands in mine, I squeeze them tight, like that will make her understand. “I’m only asking you to understand how sorry I am. How really, truly sorry. I know I can’t erase the past, but I can and will do everything possible for the rest of my life to make it up to you. I will never hurt you again. Anyone who tries to hurt you won’t breathe for much longer. Understand what I mean?”
“I do, because that’s exactly how I felt. I would’ve killed anybody who tried to hurt you last night. Nothing mattered as much as your safety.”
She gets it. I know she does. And when I kiss her, when she kisses me back, I can almost feel her wolf inside her. It makes me think of all the years ahead of us. Everything I can’t wait to show her about being who we are.
The only thing that can stop us is a knock at the door. Declan comes in, clearing his throat a little awkwardly. “I just thought you should know Tara is awake.”
“Is she all right?” I ask.
“She’ll be fine, just like you.” He gives Nora a reassuringgrin before adding, “The pack meeting is tonight. We’ve already spread the word.”
Nora takes a quick breath, something short of a gasp. She forgot about that. “You don’t have to worry about it,” I murmur once Declan leaves us alone again. “Nobody’s trying to force you to do anything.”
“I know. But still…” She looks down at our joined hands but says nothing.
“You know what? I could use a shower.” I have to change the subject to keep her from spiraling into self-doubt. “Why don’t you join me?”
When her eyes light up, I know it was the right thing to say. The air around us changes, gets hotter. She follows me off the bed and into the bathroom, where we both waste no time stripping down while the water heats up. There’s something so natural about this now. The last wall between us has fallen.
And she proves it when, once we’re in the shower and being pelted by hot water, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a slow, sensual kiss. She pours all of herself into it, running her fingers through my hair, whimpering when our tongues touch, and she parts her lips wider to let me inside. Her body comes alive under my hands, sliding over her curves, and she goes with it when I press her against the wall.
My mate. Mine. My cock throbs between us, demanding to join us together, demanding to sink into her heat.
“I love you,” I whisper between kisses, trailing my lips down her throat, savoring each sweet moan that makes her flesh vibrate under my tongue.
When I lift my head, searching for the truth in her blue eyes, she twists my hair in her fingers and pulls my head downuntil there’s nothing but a breath between us. “I love you too,” she whispers before our mouths collide again.
I could explode with joy here and now. Reaching between us, I find her clit, swollen, begging for my touch. When I circle the bundle of nerves, her back arches, pressing her perfect body against mine. “Oh… Cole, that’s so good…”
This is all I want forever. Pleasuring her, watching her, feeling her come alive and then fall apart in my arms. Her hips jerk faster while her mouth falls open in a silent moan. I feel it. I feel her pleasure rising, I feel the tension building. “Come for me,” I pant against her neck, and that’s it. That’s all it takes.
She goes still, straining against me—and then it breaks, and I hold her as she falls apart so beautifully. My mate. My forever. My fingers are coated with her juices by the time I pull my hand back, and the intoxicating aroma is too much to resist. I lift them to my lips and lap them clean, but that isn’t enough.
She gasps in surprise when I drop to my knees, draping one of her legs over my shoulder so I can feast on her. “Oh, Cole!” she gasps again, her hands finding the back of my head so she can pull me closer to the center of her need. I could do this forever and never get tired of it. Tasting her, indulging myself in her sweetness. Listening to her soft, needful grunts as she humps my face, determined to get her pleasure. My tongue delves into her folds until she starts to tremble, pulling my head closer, almost crushing it in her hands.
A rush of warmth coats my tongue when she comes again, moaning my name. “Oh, yes,” she whispers, going limp against the wall, almost sliding down its length before I stand and support her.
She gives me an almost drowsy smile, full of satisfaction. “That was incredible.”
“You’re incredible.” I lift her leg again, this time wrapping it around my hip. Opening her so I can plunge inside and join us again.
Everything around me fades away when she’s wrapped around me like this. Still quivering, drawing me deeper. I move slowly, savoring every inch of her wet heat while she clings to me, panting harder with every stroke. Water splashes noisily between our bodies in time with the wet slapping sound made every time we crash together. When I sink so deep, I don’t know where I end, and she begins.
“Nora,” I groan, and she responds with a guttural moan that makes my balls tighten in preparation. Her muscles start to clench around me until I can barely move.
“Please…” she buries her face in my neck, her nails dragging over my back until pain tinges the pleasure.
I can’t silence the roar that erupts from me when I come with her pulsing and fluttering around my cock. There’s a feeling of triumph to this, a sense of everything being right. This time, when it’s all over, and I look into her eyes, there’s no regret. No disappointment. Only love.
Finally, I have my mate, and she wants me, and we have nothing but a lifetime of this to look forward to.
“Thank you all for coming.” Standing at the top of the front steps, Declan looks out over our front lawn, where the pack has assembled in the twilight. I look over their familiar faces and notice the way they can’t help but glance at Nora. It’s like they’re telling themselves not to, but they can’t help it, their attention bouncing back and forth.
