He’d never seen her as a cat before. Probably for the better, because if he’d had the same reaction to her as he did now, he would have jumped her on the spot. Damn, there was just something incredibly sexy about those whiskers and sassy little tail. Stepping forward, he nudged her cheek before nuzzling her cute button nose. She paid him back with a flirtatious nip on his ear before dashing down the steps.
So it was a chase she wanted. He was more than happy to oblige.
Rumbling a growl, he leapt from the porch and galloped after her. For someone who bitched and moaned about going for a run, she was remarkably proficient at it. With light bounding steps, she darted through the trees, making her way deeper into the woods. The predator existing inside him took over, the thrill of the hunt like a fire in his blood. Tracking the scent of his mate ratcheted his horniness into overdrive. Drifting snowflakes melted on his lolling tongue, but the only taste he hungered for was Lilly. Keeping her trained in his sights, he leapt over a fallen log and plowed through the deeper bank of snow on the other side. She disappeared from view, and he sped up his pace until he came to a small clearing. Standing at the mouth of the ravine, he peered down into the valley.
It took a moment to spot her, thanks to the way her fur practically blended with the snow. She’d chosen a pile of old leaves to help disguise her even further. Curled into a tight ball, she peeked at him beneath her improvised pelt of leaves. He swore he detected her snicker. Little vixen was convinced she’d outsmarted him. Ha.
He slashed his gaze in the opposite direction and lifted his muzzle to the sky, pretending to sniff the air. Ducking his head low, he cantered off toward the far end of the ridge. He traversed to the bottom of the steep slope, and once out of the range of Lilly’s vision, circled back, using his own tracks to cover his reapproach. A good-sized boulder provided the ideal concealment for him to camp out and wait.
Several minutes passed before he detected the crunch of cautious footsteps. His heart pounding with excitement, he inched closer to the edge of the rock. A flash of tawny fur appeared. With a triumphant howl, he launched himself at Lilly, rolling her into the snow. She gave a yelping hiss and tried to swat him away, but he only pinned her down with his forelegs and nuzzled her neck. Her purr rumbled in his ear.
At that exact moment, he knew he was a goner. He’d gone and done the impossible—fallen head over tail in love with Lilly Prescott.
Who would have thunk it? Certainly not him. But for some odd reason, nothing made better sense. Or felt more infinitely right.
He lifted his head and stared down at her. If he could have gotten his way, he would have shifted and coaxed her to do the same so he could commemorate this historic moment by fucking her mindless in the snow.
Somehow he doubted she would appreciate that, much less go for it. Rising to his feet, he cocked his head in invitation before barreling in the direction of the house. Halfway there, Lilly bulleted past him and beat him to the porch. By the time he reached the entrance, she’d already reverted to her human form and opened the door. Shifting from his wolf, he took the steps two at a time and raced over the threshold.
The door slammed behind him, and he turned just as Lilly jumped into his arms. Sliding her fingers through his hair, she kissed him with desperate, hungry little whimpers and mewls. Her lips were cold and tasted of snow and pine-scented air. He rubbed his mouth over her frigid skin, attempting to bring the warmth back. Their tongues touched, stroked and offered the promise of more.
Clinging to him, she tugged him toward the living room. They got no farther than the rug in front of the fireplace. His need for her outshouting all else, he dropped to his knees and dragged her down with him. Before her back even met the floor, his mouth latched on to her nipple. Curling his tongue, he worked the distended nub into a stiff peak. Lilly’s breathless gasps and murmurs fired his desire into maximum drive. His sole existence became focused on pleasing his mate. Gorging on her until he was drunk and intoxicated. He coasted his lips down her belly and rubbed his cheek on the thin strip of hair covering her mound. She let her legs fall open, and he closed his mouth over her pussy, eagerly lapping up her addictive honey. She squirmed and gasped, her thighs reflexively tightening around his head.
Pride and victory sang through him when her clit pulsed beneath his tongue, signaling her climax. He wanted to keep her coming—give her at least a dozen more orgasms before he came up for air—but she nudged his shoulders, easing him away from her. The second he rolled onto his side, she scooted lower and swung her leg over his. Planting her palms in the middle of his chest, she pushed him flat and straddled him. Her wetness bathing him, she slowly sank onto his cock and closed her eyes on an ecstatic cry. The sound tripped along his spine, making him thicken inside her.
He loved watching the uninhibited pleasure washing across her face. Loved the silken clasp of her pussy muscles gripping him as she rode his shaft. If he spent the rest of his days buried within her, it still wouldn’t be long enough. He traced the feminine swells of her hips before squeezing the softness of her ass. Massaging each cheek with his hands, he countered her rocking motions and plunged deeper into her wetness. Her nails grazed his nipples. Lowering her head, she nipped his jaw. He groaned, his grip on her tightening. Her lips brushed lower an instant before her sharp little teeth sank into the side of his neck. A warning tingle shot along the base of his spine. She purred against his flesh. That was all it took to make him come. Hard.
His cock pulsing, he poured his essence and love into her. Lilly shuddered in his arms, joining him on the tail end of his orgasm. Stroking her skin tenderly, he listened to her heart beating in perfect syncopation to his.
After a moment, she lifted her head and stared at him. Her fingers moved to his neck and traced her bite mark. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why? We’re mates.”
“None of this is real, Dante.”
“It could be.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“Would it be so horrible?”
“Yes.”
He caressed her cheek. “This is about your parents’ relationship, isn’t it? You’re afraid of ending up like them.”
“And with good reason. I don’t want to be my mother.”
“You’re not her. Just like I’m not your father. Or my father, for that matter, thank Christ.”
She bit her lip. “People do stupid things when they’re in love.”
He brushed the hair away from her eyes. “Do you love me?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Well, I do. I’m madly, utterly and ridiculously in love with you, pussycat.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I wish you hadn’t said that.”
“Most women like hearing it.”
“You should know by now that I’m not like most women.” Whisking a wayward tear from the end of her nose, she climbed off him. “It was easier playacting at all this. I don’t even know how a normal marriage works, much less make it pan out for us.”
“I’m a novice at this too, sweetheart. We’ll just have to make it up as we go along.”
The doubts continued to brew in her gaze. “I…I just need some time to let this all sink in. Okay?”