She could feel it, the connection between them. She knew he was experiencing everything he was doing to her. The exquisite pleasure was blinding, building up and up. They fed off each other’s pending orgasm, the waves crashing through them both. They wanted. They needed. She was gasping, begging for more, his low growls pushing at her. Before she could voice the need his hands were on her ass, smacking her, gently, harshly, alternating pats with slaps, inching her closer and closer to an explosion that just might kill her. His teeth clamped down on her shoulder again, pinning her in place and sending her into her third orgasm. She screamed breathlessly, pulsing around the hard flesh that continued to batter into her, her mind and heart shattering along with her body.
She began begging, pleading with him to move faster, harder, the pleasure rolling on and on until she thought she might black out. Her claws shredded the bedspread uncontrollably as she felt the beginnings of his orgasm rip through him, the sensations shoving her into a fourth orgasm so hard she saw stars.
“Fuck, fuck!” His head whipped up, his Puma screaming as he emptied himself into her body. The fact that he’d lost enough control that his Puma nearly came out was an immense source of satisfaction to her.
Gabe rarely lost control.
He collapsed to the side, pulling her down with him, curling around her body as they both struggled for breath. His cock twitched inside her, his arm around her waist preventing her from pulling away. “No.
Stay where you are.”
She had the feeling the drugged-sounding command wasn’t just about her body.
She settled down against her mate, loving the feel of his flesh inside her, the little flash of panic he’d felt smoothing out into a contented rumble. Little nibbling kisses against the back of her neck soothed her.
With a small smile she allowed herself to drift peacefully, secure in the knowledge that her mate would keep her safe. Hell, she even allowed herself to purr.
Take that, Chloe’s of the world. Gabe is mine.
“What’s that smug look for?”
She smiled, the feel of her lips curving tickling his skin. “I’m not sure I should answer that.”
He turned her, wanting to see her face. It was important that he see her face now, almost as important as the feel of her in his mind. He’d never experienced anything like what she’d done to him. She’d more than mated him, she owned him now, in ways he wasn’t certain he understood. “Do you believe me now?”
“About what?”
He grimaced. “Chloe.”
She bit her lip.
Gabe sighed. Obviously not. “Why is it you still feel I have something going with Chloe?”
She winced. “I don’t, not really.”
“But something is still bothering you. What is it?”
“The bracelet.”
Ah. He’d wondered when they’d get around to that. “Yes, I gave her a bracelet. She’s a friend; someone who I thought was doing me a favor. I swear to you, nothing has ever happened between us.
Nothing . It would be like having sex with my kid sister.”
“You don’t have a kid sister.”
He growled. “You know what I mean.” He tipped her chin up. “Believe me. You can ask her if you like.
She already knows who her mate is, and it isn’t me. She’s just trying to figure out how to claim him.”
“Who?” Her eyes went wide. “Jim really is her mate?”
He nodded, choosing to ignore the fact that she’d suspected as much. There’d been enough grief between them over Jim and Chloe. “She volunteers as a vet’s assistant while she’s earning her doctorate in veterinary medicine, so they’re together constantly. She says he turned her down, told her she’s too young for him.”
She made a face. “He did. And I called him on it, too, but he’s stuck in the belief that she’s not mature enough for him or something like that.”
He caressed that beautiful face, dragging his thumb over her lips just to feel her smile. “Whenever I talked to her we discussed mostly you and Jim. Now do you believe me?”
She stroked his chest, relaxing against him with a nod. “Okay. I believe you.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, hoping he’d finally laid her fears to rest. “I love you, Sarah.” He opened his heart, hoping that she’d finally feel it.
When she gave him that mysterious, feminine little smile, his heart nearly exploded from happiness. “I know.”
He bent to her, determined to drink from that happiness and never let it go.
It was two-thirty in the morning, but Gabe couldn’t sleep. He breathed in deep, the scent of his mate surrounding him. Her salty skin was under his tongue. Her heated ass nestled against his groin. And she’d trusted him enough to fall asleep.
Or at least he hoped it was trust, and not sleepy fucked-out exhaustion. Well, okay, I could live with fucked-out exhaustion. He smirked, listening to her even breathing.
It was a heady feeling, holding her in his arms while awake. What was even headier was the knowledge that, even though she could take him down with a thought, render him helpless and begging and crying like a wimp, she’d allowed him to dominate her. And he wasn’t going to even try and fool himself on that one, either. If she’d wished to she could have stopped him cold at any point. His mate was a lot stronger than he’d dared give her credit for. Just one day of watching her with Jim had proven it beyond a doubt.
If he’d had to go through months of that, he’d have wound up insane, or a murderer. Or both. The sex they’d had earlier just cemented it. She’d taken him, pulled him into her, held tight and given him the ride of his fucking life.
Thank God she hadn’t given up on him. Because she could have. She had the strength to walk away and never looked back. And it would have been his own God damn fault for listening to the fucking Bear instead of his own instincts.
He shuddered at the thought of living without Sarah. What had he been thinking, holding off on the mating? He’d been so busy protecting her from their separation that he’d failed to see what it would do to her.
In the end he’d nearly destroyed them both, and for what?
Well, he was determined now that Sarah would never have any doubts about exactly how much he wanted her. Needed her.
He knew that, at certain times, he’d have to bow down to her. She was the Omega. He was merely the Marshall’s Second. He rolled over onto his back, pulling the covers over them both before settling down, arms over his head. He stared at the ceiling, trying to determine exactly how he felt about that. The more he thought about it, the more the lack of anxiety was a relief. He’d have no problems with it. He might be the dominant partner in their physical relationship but when it came to the Pride she outranked him. If needed, he would bow down happily, knowing his baby would be back in his bed and begging for him, if she didn’t have him begging first.
He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He didn’t want a doormat for a spouse, and Fate had seen to it he hadn’t gotten one. Sarah had proven to him, and to herself, that she was strong enough to hold him off, but also strong enough to let herself go for him.
He blinked. Damn. He tried to hold back his groan but some slipped past. He’d forgotten to give her the ring he’d bought for her for Christmas. He’d have to give it to her first thing in the morning. Maybe he’d take her to France in Epcot for breakfast and feed her beignets before asking her to marry him. He hoped she liked the simple, square-cut diamond set in yellow gold he’d gotten her.