Page 43 of Stolen Mate

Derek used his tongue to trace the outline of her ear before nipping the lobe. Tess made a small whimper before grinding her ass against his hard length. So his mate wanted more, did she? That was good, because he meant to give it to her. He felt like a live wire, waiting to go off as he felt the arc between them connect, setting them both on fire.

One hand continued to play with her clit, sinking down to play in the folds of her sex. The other played with her nipple as he held her prisoner in his sensual embrace. He continued to play her body like the fine instrument it was, plucking and strumming as her body moved in perfect harmony with his.

Sensing her increasing arousal, he increased his attention—moving his upper hand between her two breasts while his lower hand pressed and stroked her clit, swirling around it until her body arched back, her every muscle tightening as pleasure pushed her over the edge into ecstasy and she cried out. As the sound evaporated into a sigh, she slumped back into him, all the tension gone.

Derek turned her in his arms and swept her up, depositing her on the bed. He gazed down at her and liked what he saw—a naked Tess, splayed over his bed, her body flushed with her first orgasm of the night. It was the second time he’d made her climax in real life; it would definitely not be the last. She was the visual depiction of lust and temptation, which seemed appropriate as she was an illustrator.

“My beautiful mate,” he murmured as he covered her body with his, taking the place that belonged only to him.

He slid his cock along her wet folds, preparing it and her for his first possession. His eyes never wavering from hers, he thrust up into her, making them one. Tess cried out and clutched at his shoulders—not in pain though he could be a lot to take—but in carnal bliss as he drove home, filling her completely.

Derek focused on giving her pleasure, kissing her as he drew back and then surged forward again. His libido was in a frenzy, and he fought down the need to take her hard and fast. There would be times in the future when he gave in to that need, but tonight was about reconnecting with her from all the lives they’d shared before. He thrust in and out, finding a rhythm with Tess that made her keen with pleasure and that he’d never known before.

Her body trembled and she tightened around him, her pussy clamping down on his, and he lost the battle of wills with his cock and his bear. He pounded into her at a feral and primitive pace, glorying in the fact that her body raced to meet his at the edge of the abyss so they could leap into forever together. His orgasm hit as she cried out again, sending him over the edge as he spilled himself inside her.

When her pussy had coaxed every last drop of his release into her, Derek allowed himself to give her the weight of his body and was surrounded by the warmth they shared. He rested there for a moment before rolling off her, dragging her up against his side, wishing they could stay in this cocoon of pleasure and warmth forever.

Even as he drifted off to sleep, he knew it wouldn’t last. Trouble was coming. He could feel it.

CHAPTER 17

DEREK

Morning. The light filtered through the windows as Tess snuggled into him, replete from the last time they’d made love not more than an hour ago.

“I think you made good on your promise,” she murmured against his skin as she whispered kisses along it.

“What promise?” he asked lazily, not really caring as she said he’d fulfilled it.

“The one where you told me you wanted to make, and I quote, ‘wild, passionate love to me until I was too sore and tired to ever want to leave your bed,’ or something close to that. I mean the quote is close; you exceeded the actual deed.”

Derek couldn’t contain the self-satisfied grin or the soft chuckle that escaped his lips.

“I didn’t bother to ask last night, but how did you get here? Why didn’t you text me? I was going to take you to dinner in Kodiak, show you I know how to court my mate.”

She burrowed closer. “This is and was much better. I didn’t see any reason to wait until Friday.”

“Did you have a chance to talk to your sister?”

“I did. In fact, Lara came with me. I told her everything—you, me, shifters, and Zak’s offer. She’s not sure about the being turned part, but I think she’s leaning that way. I called Annie and she picked us up. She dropped me at the dock and was taking Lara up to the lighthouse.”

“Zak will take care of her.”

“Of that, I have no doubt. She accepted it even better than I thought she might. Like I said, she reads romance books about shifters all the time and just loves them. And I’ve always seen my bear in the darkest corners of my mind. I just thought she was my spirit animal which, I suppose, she is.”

He smiled down at her—happier than any bear had a right to be. Derek felt as if he’d finally passed that last test of becoming a bear-shifter and warrior. He had his fated mate curled up beside him, basking not only in the sunlight, but in the aftermath of their long night of lovemaking. She was only half awake, and he knew that came from having settled within herself where her place in this world was—with him.

He heard tires crunching on the gravel drive. He didn’t care. Whoever it was could just fuck off and die. Anyone who was a serious threat would have come overland on foot or by boat. He supposed he could get up and see who it was, but he wasn’t inclined to get out of bed and have Tess wake up completely.

Somebody stomped up the steps to the cabin. Derek decided ‘somebody’ was going to die—well maybe not die but get hurt anyway. A fist pounded on the door. Tess’s eyes flew open wide in alarm.

“It’s all right, baby. Bad guys don’t usually announce their presence by driving down on a gravel road, clomping up the steps, or pounding on the door.”

She grinned up at him and he leaned over to give her a kiss before giving her a squeeze and rolling out of bed. If ‘somebody’ was going to come to his cabin to roust him out of bed with his mate, then ‘somebody’ was just going to have to deal with the fact that he was naked and aroused.

Again, with not having a peephole. The next time he was in town he was getting one and installing it. Come to think of it, he’d best install an alarm system. If Tess was going to be out here on her own, he’d need to make sure she was safe. Of course, there were several old buildings in town that might work for her to have a studio.

He threw open the door, growling, “What?”

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