“We’re still grateful,” I told him. I glanced over at Jackson, who’d stayed at my side ever since returning. “And we’d like to talk about having the Savage pack join, after all. I’m starting to see the benefits.”
Beau looked pleased. “We’re having an alphas meeting of the various groups on Wednesday night. I’d love for you both to come.”
“We’ll be there,” Jackson said, his arm going around my waist.
They left, and the house was silent. The others were in bed, and it was late at night. Jackson locked the door and I moved through the house, checking everything before we met at the stairs and headed up to my room for the night.
As soon as we shut the door, I was on Jackson. My mouth went to his, and I began to tear at his shirt, overcome by a wealth of emotions. Pride in how he’d handled things tonight. Relief. Pleasure.
And overwhelming lust. Seeing him take control? A turn on. Seeing him return with baby Eddie in his arms, safe and secure? Turn on. Every time he put his arm around my waist or absently touched me, letting the others know I was his mate? Turn on.
And right now? I was incredibly, undoubtedly turned on. My tongue slicked against his, my movements more fierce than practiced. My nails dug into his shirt and I tore at the fabric, wanting it off of him.
He kissed me back, then pulled away, clearly surprised at my passion. “You okay, Alice?”
“I am so incredibly attracted to you right now,” I told him breathlessly.
“You are?” He looked surprised, though his hands went to my waist and he pulled me closer. “You’re not exhausted by tonight?”
Oh, I was. But more than that, I was aroused. Seeing Jackson be a leader? Leaning on Jackson while he handled things? It had done crazy stuff to my libido. “I’m ready to move forward with the mating. All of it. Everything.”
He pulled back, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “This…isn’t some sort of gratitude thing, is it? I want it to be your choice, Alice, not something you do because you think you have to—“
I kissed him again to shut him up, brushing my breasts against his chest. My tongue slid against his parted lips, and I whimpered at how delicious he tasted. “Can’t I just be aroused by you being all alpha?”
“You can,” he agreed, and his hands slid to my ass. “I just want to make sure you don’t feel coerced.”
“I’m not. Roscoe’s gone. The baby’s safe. The pack is good. And I…I want my alpha. Now shut up and kiss me.”
He chuckled, his lips moving closer to mine. “Ah, the sweet charms of the female alpha. So demanding.”
“Shut up,” I told him breathlessly. “You like it.”
“Hell yeah, I do,” he admitted. “But I might be equally demanding. Especially in bed.”
A shiver ran up my spine at the thought, and I gave another hard tug at his shirt. The material split down the front, his collar gaping. “I can give as good as I get,” I told him. The scared virgin that I’d been? Gone. All fear had somehow gone out the window, leaving me only ravenous with need and excited to experience everything that mating an alpha would bring me.
He wanted to take charge in bed? He’d have to fight me for it.
And I was so, so looking forward to that.
“You just ripped my favorite shirt,” Jackson said in a low voice. “Bad girl.” His hands fisted on my tee. “You wouldn’t like it if I did it to you, would you?”
I gave him an arch smile, though my skin was prickling with excitement and awareness. “Go ahead and try it.”
He did, his big hands ripping the front of my shirt away and exposing my bra. And oh god, that was such a turn on to see him ripping my clothing away from my body. My nipples were hard through the soft fabric of my bra, and my breathing was coming in short, excited pants.
“Learned your lesson?” There was a low growl in his voice that was oh-so-suggestive.
I snorted. “I learned that you tear clothes like a sissy,” I taunted. “Asking permission and then barely backing up your threats.”
“That so?” His big hand went to the front of my bra, and before I could say anything else, he tugged and snapped the material. My breasts flew free.
I gasped, startled at that move. I hadn’t been expecting that. My nipples ached, though, and when his hungry gaze turned there, I instantly got aroused. Oh boy.
But I couldn’t let him get the upper hand in the clothing-tearing war. I dragged my nails at his shirt, ripping away more of the material until his chest was fully bared. Then I stopped and admired, licking my lips. God, he was pretty to look at. Those hard pectorals, that sprinkling of chest hair. All of it was incredibly appealing. He stilled, letting me admire him unmolested, and I couldn’t help but rake my nails over one rock-hard slab of muscle. Just doing that made me shiver with want. “Is it weird that I like just looking at this?”
“Not at all,” he said in a husky voice. He reached out and cupped one of my loose breasts. “I know just how you feel.”
I whimpered at the sensation of his big hand on my breast. It was the first time I’d ever been touched there. It was ticklish and arousing and squirm-inducing all at once. And when his thumb lightly brushed over my nipple? I couldn’t suppress the gasp that escaped my throat - or the way my nipple hardened in response.
“So lovely, Alice. I want to put my mouth all over you,” Jackson whispered, moving in closer to me.
“So do it,” I goaded him.
“If you insist,” he said, and grabbed me by the ass, picking me up.
My arms automatically went around his neck, clinging to him as he lifted me and headed to the bed on the far side of the room. The movement pressed my bare breasts to his chest, and the warmth of his skin - combined with the tickle of his chest hair was just as arousing as his touch.
By the time he gently laid me down on the bed, I was squirming with need. My legs went around his jeans-clad hips, trapping him against me before he could move away. Jackson chuckled, and pressed his weight down against me, his hips resting between the cradle of my thighs, and I could feel the hard length of him there. My breath sucked in when he gave a suggestive thrust.
His mouth moved to my neck, and I moaned aloud when he bit and licked at my bare skin.
“Shhh,” he warned me. “You don’t want the others to hear us.”
Shit. Werewolf hearing was far too keen. I stretched an arm over the bed, fumbling for the clock radio there, and started smacking buttons until music began to play. Latin music wailed out through the small speakers, full of trumpets and Spanish words.
Jackson laughed against my throat. “Way to be obvious.”
I didn’t care if it was obvious. I just didn’t want him to stop. My hands went to his hair and I pushed his head lower, angling him toward my breasts. I wanted him to touch them again. “Too much talking, not enough licking,” I told him in a whisper.
“A man needs to keep his alpha female happy, doesn’t he?” Jackson murmured, and he obligingly moved his mouth to my breasts. He licked the tip of one.
I moaned again, unable to help myself. That felt incredible. Every time his lips touched my nipple, I felt it all the way down to my toes. I arched my back, pressing my breasts forward for his mouth, and he nuzzled one nipple, then moved to the other to give it equal attention. His lips moved over them, grazing, then suckling at each tip, and just when I’d whimper my appreciation, he’d change it up, nipping at my flesh or switching breasts. Soon enough, I was writhing on the bed under him, desperate with need.
“Jackson,” I breathed, my fingers digging into his shoulders. “Your mouth is driving me crazy.” I wanted him to stop. I wanted him to keep going forever.
“Baby,” he murmured, and leaned in to press a kiss to my breastbone. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You want me to drive you even wilder?”