Every muscle stiffened, every desire he had to take her roared back up to hundred percent.
“Thank you for the lovely run.” She whispered the words against his neck. He caressed her, his hands going instinctively to tangle in her hair. Their drinks were forgotten as he lifted her chin and kissed her.
Every time he touched her, it was easier to wait, and harder. Easier, because it was just so damn right. Mentally he was on board.
Physically? There was the issue. Waiting became harder—harder like his cock, which pressed against her hip. She had to feel it as she sat in his lap, had to know how much she affected him.
He reined his desires in. Made himself stop drowning in her taste. Pulled her to his chest and worked to calm his breathing.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you.” He stroked her hair over her shoulder. “Tell me about a dream you have—what you want to accomplish.”
Because while he wanted her, he wanted it all. And the sooner he filled his brain with All About Tessa, the better.
She sat up, head tilted as she looked him in the eye. “I want to feel like a success at something.”
The strange way she’d emphasized her words forced Mark to think through her comment before responding. “Don’t you mean be a success?”
Tessa shook her head. “I…” She paused. “I am successful. I’ve got a great education, a supportive family who runs a business I got to contribute to—and I didn’t screw up too badly in the end. From an outside-looking-in point of view, I think people see me and assume I’ve got it all together.”
He’d thought so. “But you don’t feel like that’s true?”
The bright amusement usually present in her face was missing, as was the squirming he’d already grown to expect. “If things work out well, but I didn’t do anything to make it happen, should I feel successful? Dumb luck isn’t something to be admired, Mark.”
Oh hell. “This is why the mating thing feels off to you, right? Why you want me to know about you and care about you before we make it official?”
“Mating’s got to be the purest form of dumb luck there is.” Tessa stroked a finger over his brow, rubbing away the tension. “It’s not wrong, but it’s just not right. It’s so…generic. Why does your wolf want me?”
Because it was right. They belonged together, but simply saying the words wasn’t going to convince her.
Besides, she had a point, even though those kind of things usually worked themselves out later with wolves. “Thank you for sharing. I’m honoured you trusted me.”
She snorted lightly. “Too honest for my own good, at times.”
“I had that on the list I’m making,” Mark said. Her brows went up and he hurried to reassure her. “Not the too-honest bit, but the honest part. I like that you don’t avoid issues, Tessa. It’s a good way to be. Keeps things in the open, makes it easier for me to fix my mistakes when I blow it with you down the road.”
That managed to bring a smile to her face. “You sure you’re going to be the one to screw up? Seems so far I’m the one dropping bombs left, right and center in this relationship.”
“So you admit this is a relationship?”
She poked him in the chest and leaned in closer. “I’m sitting in your lap telling you my deepest, darkest secrets. You’d better believe this is more than casual, buddy. I like dating.”
“Is it dating when it’s with your mate?” He wasn’t going to let her forget where this was headed.
“Hmmm, whatever we want to call it is fine.”
Her hands floated down his chest, fingertips tickling his sensitive skin, making him ache. The distance between them disappeared and their mouths connected again. Slow, thorough kisses that made his limbs loosen and other parts tighten. He returned the favour, stroking her back. Her waist. Sneaking a hand up over her belly until he cupped one breast in his palm. Her nipple tightened, poking against the fabric of the T-shirt she wore.
The entire time she kissed him, exploring with her tongue, letting him nip at her lips. He broke away to press a line of kisses along her jaw until he could catch hold of her earlobe and suck it into his mouth.
Her full-body shiver was more than enough reward.
“Tessa. Let me…” If he was going to beg, what should he beg for? Small steps forward meant he wouldn’t get what he wanted, which was to drive her crazy until she’d had a half dozen orgasms before burying himself in her and marking her thoroughly.
She grabbed the bottom of the shirt she wore and stripped it away. Her naked breasts popped into view, and all thoughts of begging fled, swallowed by raging need.
Tessa bit back her laughter. She was turned on and eager to play, but the expression on Mark’s face right now? Sheer puppy-dog eyes. Although she’d be nice and refrain from making that comment out loud.
Wolves could be sensitive about such things.
She’d planned on acting a little coy, flirting and showing off. She’d forgotten one vital bit of information. She had been teasing him all day.
He caught hold of her hips and suddenly she was airborne, lifted over his lap and held so she looked down at him as he stared eye level with her breasts. Anticipation built as he remained stationary.
“You seem unsure what to do next.” Tessa smoothed her palms over his head.
His gaze lifted the short distance needed to make direct contact with hers. “I know what to do, but I’m savouring.”
“Like a steak?”
“No objections on my part to eating you all up.”
“You big, bad wolf—oooh!”
He’d obviously stopped savouring because warm lips wrapped around her nipple. Mark sucked, and tingling lines of pleasure radiated out to steal around her torso. A moment’s reprieve came as he switched sides, licking firmly, his tongue rasping over the delicate tip. His grip on her hips remained tight enough to direct her where he wanted, yet the tender caress of his thumbs added to the erotic torment.
One side, then the other. Tessa closed her eyes and did her own savouring. The tenderness in his touch remained, but the urgency was there as well. Increased breathing, heart rates rising. Without taking his lips from her skin, he adjusted their position and made contact with the edge of her panties.
She shivered at the sensation. He played along the seam, back and forth, brushing his knuckles over the center of her sex at the same moment he closed his teeth on her nipple.
Direct line hit, pleasure fast overtaking her. He’d barely begun touching the really good bits, and she was poised to go off. A little firmer now, his fingers slipped under the material and separated her folds.
Mark hummed in approval. “So wet. Let me make you feel good.”
She would have agreed, yet she couldn’t say anything. Just a long, low catlike purr she’d have been self-conscious of except he’d found her clit.
Embarrassed? Only by how quickly she was going to climax.
He petted her with his fingertips, keeping his attention focused on the sensitive spot. Intense pleasure rose faster, egged on when he returned to kissing her breasts. Tessa held her breath as the moment hit, the pulse of her core shooting all kinds of incredible chemicals throughout her body. She clutched his head to her chest and rocked with delight.
He supported her until she stopped shaking, his right hand caressing everywhere he could. Her hips, her back, up her rib cage with a delicate whisper. Tessa drew in a deep breath and smiled contentedly at him.
Then she raised a brow and licked her lips. “My turn…”
There could be no mistaking the eager hope in his eyes. Tessa slipped backward off his lap, running her hands up his thighs. This time it was her turn to explore him. To see what he enjoyed and ease a little of the tension in his strong body. She tugged at his T-shirt, and it vanished between one second and the next.