Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Nothing had made him feel good about himself in a long time. Not emotionally. Until Quinley.
Possession roaring through him, he zeroed in on her claiming brand. Licked it. Suckled on it. Grazed it with his teeth. Swirled his tongue over it.
All the while, he took her with slow and sure strokes, spurred on by every moan, gasp, whimper; every ripple, flutter, spasm. He blew cool air over the wet brand, and a mini shiver rode her spine.
“You’re torturing me,” she rasped.
“Not torturing you,” he said with a swivel of his hips. “I’m not doing anything to you. None of this is for you. It’s for me.”
He took her that little bit harder, drilling his cock deep. Swear to Christ, nothing had ever felt better. She was so tight and hot and wet and his.
He gripped the skin of her shoulder with his teeth but didn’t bite down—which annoyed his eager-to-mark-her-again cat. A frustrated sound crawled up her throat and she arched, pushing into his teeth.
He didn’t give her what she hinted for. He just kept fucking her slow and steady, keeping her pinned in place with the gentle holding bite. But then she dragged her claws from his nape all the way down his back—breaking skin, drawing blood.
And he lost it.
Isaiah bit down and violently powered into her. He was lost in the heat and tightness of her, the taste and scent of her blood, her breathy cries and gasps and demands for more.
He snarled into her ear. “You belong to me, Quin. Never forget it.”
She came just like that, her pussy contracting around his dick, her mouth open in a silent scream, her claws slicing into his back yet again.
His own release hit him, then. The onslaught of mind-numbing bliss rushed at him at full-force. He exploded with a growl, grinding and flexing his hips, wanting his come as deep as it could go.
He collapsed on top of her, shoving his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her shea butter shampoo. The throbbing sting of the rake marks on his nape and back made him feel nothing but pure satisfaction—much as they did his cat. The slices were deep enough that they’d scar. Isaiah fucking loved that.
When he’d finally scrounged up the energy to move, he raised his head. She dazedly blinked up at him, the image of sated. He gave her a soft kiss. “I’d say I’m sorry I woke you, but I’m not.”
She gave a weak shrug. “No apologies necessary,” she all but purred. “I’d say I’m sorry for making you bleed a little, but I’m not.”
Smiling, he pulled out of her. “No apologies necessary.” He retrieved a cloth from the bathroom, cleaned her up, and then tossed the cloth in the hamper. Once he’d righted her tee, he lay beside her again. “Go back to sleep,” he coaxed, dragging the bedcovers over them.
“Will do.” She was out seconds later.
Isaiah carefully drew her to him, keeping her burrowed into his side. Yawning, he closed his eyes. Sleep took him in moments.
“You gonna walk round with that look on your face all day?”
His elbows on the counter, Isaiah peered at her over the rim of his mug. “What look?”
“Pure male smugness,” replied Quinley, stood at the opposite side of the breakfast bar.
His lips curling, he lifted and dropped one shoulder. “Probably.”
On the one hand, Quinley adored that he was so pleased she’d left permanent marks on him. It was a relief, and it hit her in the feels that the brands so clearly meant something to him. Just the same, her cat was delighted.
On the other hand … “My sisters and Lori are gonna ask why you look so smug. My clients are gonna ask why. Any pride mates we come across are gonna ask why. What are you going to tell them?”
“That you clawed my back to shit and the marks are going to scar.”
Yeah, she’d figured he wouldn’t lie. Shifters loved to be marked by those they were possessive of; loved showing off the marks and bragging about it. Normally, she wouldn’t care. But these brands were deep and long and gah she was gonna get teased mercilessly.
“People will notice them anyway.”
Some peeked out the back of his collar, so people wouldn’t miss those. But that wasn’t so bad, because no one would realize they spanned his entire back unless he told him. Which he clearly intended to do. “I can’t convince you to keep it to yourself?”
“Nope.”
She was afraid of that.
“What shifter male wouldn’t be proud that their mate is so territorial she carved permanent grooves into the full-length of his back?”
“I’m good with you being proud, I’m just not good with everyone knowing.” She rolled her shoulders. “Raya and Adaline will tease me something fierce.”
His head twitched slightly to the side. “Why?”