Page 37 of Stolen Mate

Tess wrapped her legs around him under his powerful buttocks and her arms came up to drape over his shoulders before clasping her hands behind his neck. The hand he had under her skirt slid its way closer to her sex and he smiled as he realized she wasn’t wearing any panties. She’d given up doing so a long, long time ago.

He covered her mound with his hand before strumming his thumb across her clit. It was all Tess could do not to come all over his hand as she cried out his name. Given that her lips were parted, Derek once more allowed his tongue to invade her mouth, tasting and exploring as he tightened his grip on her hair and allowed his fingers to slide down to her pussy, tracing light lines up and down until she was all but squirming.

“Hmm, does my mate like having me play with her pussy?” he purred.

She knew that polar bears didn’t purr, but she was pretty sure her mate had just done so. ‘Her mate?’ Why did that suddenly sound like the most natural thing in the world? Thank god she hadn’t said it out loud. Tess moaned and rubbed her swollen labia against the heel of his hand.

Derek lightly flicked her clit with his thumb as he used his fingers to part her lower lips and ease into her pussy. He plunged them about halfway in, curling them up before drawing them out, making her tremble as he pressed them back inside.

“Such a nice hot, wet pussy. I can’t wait to get balls deep in you and ride you hard. Would you like that, Tess?”

He didn’t really expect her to answer him, did he? Because speech was absolutely not possible; she was having trouble with breathing. All that she could process was the way his hand was tugging gently at her hair and his fingers—those long, lovely fingers—were playing inside her again. He fucked her with them as his thumb strummed her clit as if she were a stringed musical instrument.

“Come for me, Tess,” he crooned as his fingers foraged deep, and curled up as he dragged them back over and over again.

Tess ground herself against his hand as he continued to stroke her deeply. When he used his thumb to press down hard on her clit, her world came undone. She grasped Derek’s shoulders with her hands, flinging her head back, arching her back and crying out as pure pleasure surged through her being.

Her body was still shaking as he pulled his fingers out, licking her juices from them before kissing her again. “You see that you’re back by Friday. I’ll pick you up in Kodiak and we can have dinner in what passes for the big city in these parts.”

He stepped back, rethought it, stepped back in between her still-splayed legs, kissed her deeply, and then left her sitting on the edge of the dresser, wondering what he’d done to her. Tess was bemused, angry and—despite having just experienced the most powerful orgasm of her life—incredibly aroused. He better be planning on making good on an earlier promise to ‘make wild, passionate love to her until she was too sore and tired to ever want to leave.’ Yes, that sounded like an excellent plan for her return.

CHAPTER 15

TESS

Journal Entry, January 5th

I’m free. I don’t know why the Shadow Sisters abandoned me. They said they would be there, but there was no one outside the compound to help me get away. I ran as fast and as far as I could. I knew it would only be a matter of time before they came after me.

I will keep my baby safe and free. My only regret is that I don’t believe he or she will ever be safe with me. Perhaps I should make my way back to the lower forty-eight and see if I can’t find a wonderful family to adopt her. One with two parents, a house, and a yard with a swing in it—maybe even a sibling or two.

The only problem is I have no money; no way to get to someplace… no one to help me. Even if I could, who could I trust? No, baby mine, we’re on our own, you and me. We’ll be fine.

Tess closed the journal as the plane leveled off. Normally she needed a stiff drink or two to get her through a flight, but she found Teresa’s journal so fascinating that she didn’t need anything to calm her nerves. She was too engrossed in the story.

When she arrived at the airport to use her open-ended ticket, she was informed that her seat had been upgraded to first class, and a message had been delivered for her. The ticket agent was grinning from ear-to-ear as she handed Tess a single sunflower—a symbol of undying love—and a note.

Missing you already. Your open-end return flight is also first class.

Text me the details of your return flight. I’ll be waiting.

Derek

“I don’t know who Derek is, but he’s gotta be a keeper.”

Tess could feel the blush staining her cheeks. “I think he is.”

“Ms. Dixon, welcome back,” said the same flight attendant who’d been so kind to her on her flight up. “You had a quick trip.”

“Yeah, I’m headed to Seattle to see my sister. I may be moving to Alaska permanently.”

“Really? That’s great. If your sister is there, will you be traveling with us often? I looked you up on Amazon and some of the books you illustrated are among my niece’s favorites. If I brought them with me, would you mind signing them?”

Although not as often an occurrence as authors being asked to sign a book, illustrators were sometimes asked. It was still rare enough that Tess was always excited and a little humbled.

“I’d be delighted to. If we miss when I’m headed back, just call the sheriff’s office in Mystic River or Otter Cove. Both will know how to get hold of me.”

“Was there some kind of trouble?”

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