Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(44)

He began to undress slowly, dropping his clothes one piece at a time near the picnic, my eyes not veering from him the entire time. It took every bit of restraint I had not to reach out and run my fingers along his abs before licking him all over. When his jeans dropped, his erection bounced up and down, calling to me. I slammed my hands in my pockets to avoid reaching out, gathering his pre-cum on my finger, and bringing it to my lips.

He took three steps and, for a hot second, I thought all plans of gatoring were over and making love under the stars took its place. No, not making love, mating, becoming one, committing.

As he brushed past me, muttering something about me being too fucking sexy and not looking at him like that before, a crack echoed in my ear and a gator stood where he once had. I must’ve blinked too long because it was like he was there, and then poof—gator.

He was huge. I’d been face-to-face with a gator before—Justice. Not that I’d known that at the time. This time, I knew who was standing there, and instead of the abject terror I’d felt the last time I saw a gator, I was filled with awe.

I sat on the deck, crisscross applesauce, and watched him as he watched me.

“You can come over.” I finally broke our silence, and he walked over slowly. “I’m not scared, silly mate. Can I touch you?” We probably should’ve discussed ground rules before he changed, but with the BLTs and firelight and his bum nestled in those jeans so perfectly, talking wasn’t a thing that was gonna happen.

He came close enough for me to reach, and I placed my hand on his chin or whatever it is you call it on a gator. His skin was smoother than I expected. “You’re beautiful.” And huge, but I didn’t need to give him a bigger head than he had. “Now stand back.”

As he took three steps back, I yanked my tank top off, showing him my fanciest bra, the one I ordered just for him. I couldn’t wait to show him the matching panties.

“I bet you’re wondering if the panties match.” I barely got out the words before he was back in human form, his lips on my neck.

“You don’t play fucking fair.” He nibbled where his mark was going to go. “You’re fucking perfect.”

I reached down and gave his erection a little attention. His lips slammed into mine, owning them and setting my body on fire.

“I need you,” I gasped when the kiss broke, both of us out of breath, his scent on steroids.

“We need each other.” His hand snaked to my shorts, popping the button before unzipping them, not taking time to remove them before his hand found its way into my panties, finding me true to my word.

“So wet for me, my mate.” His finger slipped inside me easily, my body instinctively beginning to move. “So greedy for me.”

Words didn’t come, my brain too addled with need. I grabbed his head, pulling him to me, telling him all I needed to with my lips, his hand continuing to torment me so sweetly, until I began to crest and pulled his hand away, finding my words.

“I don’t want to come until you’re inside me. Make that happen.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, my shorts and panties off faster than I thought possible, his teeth teasing my nipples through my bra.

“I was going to woo you, woman,” he growled before divesting me of my bra. “And you had to go be sexy as fuck and smelling like the world’s best cinnamon roll.”

I wrapped my legs around him, rubbing myself on his cock, which was now settled at my core, leaving no question as to what I wanted.

“You’re. Mine.” He entered me in one quick motion, and for the first time, I felt complete. He moved slowly at first, before finding a rhythm that was too perfect, my climax rushing at me too soon, too hard, my need to claim him, superseding all else.

“Mine,” I screamed as I came, harder than I had imagined possible, my teeth breaking the skin in his shoulder just as his body shuttered his release, and my shoulder felt a pinch before I went over the edge for a second time.

Mine. Mine. Mine. My brain played over and over again. He was mine.

Yours.





Etienne



I didn’t ever want to let her go. We lay together, under the moon, naked and glistening with the afterglow of our joining.

She spoke to me in my mind. I heard it. Maybe I was imagining it.

I love you and all, Eti, but your big burly body is suffocating me, I’m sweating to death, and I think you just fell asleep a little, farted, and woke yourself up.

That scenario actually sounded plausible.

I unwrapped my arms from around her waist and fumbled around for my jeans.

“I′m making a run for it,” she said, and took off in a sprint toward the house buck-assed naked. Before I could zip my pants, she was in the house and the door had slammed behind her.

So much for romance.

I picked up her clothes and the dinner we′d left untouched and went inside.

Get in here, Mate.

The sound of her voice in my head stopped me in my tracks. I’d heard of shifter mates speaking telepathically before, but my mate was human, well, somewhat human. I didn’t know it was possible.

I rushed into the house and saw her, still bare and ready for me, lying on that old couch, making it look brand new.

“You can speak to me.” There was no question in my voice. I knew she could.

“Apparently, I can. You bit me.” She pointed to her shoulder. Speckles of blood marred her skin, but my mark was there. She was mine, for everyone to know.