for a number of reasons. But you’ve been shooting mine to shit since day one.”
The surprise of that made her halt. She frowned. “How? By poking at you?”
And then he was eating up her personal space. “No. By making me hard as a fucking rock against my own damn will. Yeah, that’s right, I can’t control my body around you. I never have been able to.”
Pure shock hit her first. But it quickly gave way to sheer incredulity when she realized … “Oh my God, you’re mad at me for this,” she said, backpedaling again. “How is it my fault?”
“It’s not. But I wish it was, because then I could be pissed at you. And maybe if I was pissed at you, I wouldn’t want you so damn much I can barely fucking think straight. It’s like you’re imprinted in my system. I can’t get you out, and I don’t even want to.” His anger melted away, replaced by a firm resolve that made her scalp prickle. “Come here.”
Her pulse jumped. “Why?”
“So I can claim what belongs to me. I know why that scares you. You hear the word ‘mate’, and you don’t think ‘safe.’ Why would you? I don’t know your family well, but it’s no secret that your mother’s relationships have been nothing short of dysfunctional—all violence and verbal abuse and binge drinking. It’s also no secret that your father wasn’t faithful to his past partners and that he struggled to settle down. Although he’s now mated, you’re probably not confident that it’ll last.”
Khloé opened her mouth to argue … but she couldn’t. He was right. He was right about all of it.
He closed the space between them in one slow step. “People have been walking in and out of your life since you were a kid. Some were good, some weren’t. It probably became a reflex for you not to form attachments to anyone new, because taking a chance on them sticking around usually never worked out. And that’s mostly why you fear taking me as your mate—you don’t have any faith that I won’t leave you at some point.”
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment. She hated that he’d seen right through her. It made her feel too exposed.
“It’s no easier for me to take this risk, Khloé. I know what it’s like to get used to having people around, to learn to trust them, only to have them shit on that trust. I can’t promise you that our mating will be all flowers and rainbows. I can only assure you that I’ll give this all I have; that I’d never give up on us.”
He swept his thumb over her jaw. “We could play it safe and just go on as we are, sure. But neither of us would happily waltz through life with no regrets that we didn’t take a shot at mating. You know that.” He framed her face with his hands. “What scares you most? That there’ll be no going back—and there won’t be, Khloé; neither me nor my demon would ever let you go—or that you love me?”
She jerked back, but he didn’t release her face. “Love you?” she echoed. “You think I love you?”
“Don’t you?”
She spluttered. “Well, I … it’s … I don’t … Why are you …” She closed her eyes. “Fuck.”
“You love me,” he said softly. “And I get why you’d find that scary. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything, and it fucking terrifies me.”
Her eyes popped open. “You … you love me?”
He let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah. How could I not?”
“Easily. I’m the ultimate pain in the ass. Proudly. I put a whole lot of effort into it, as it happens.”
“Hmm, yes, you do. But you’re my pain in the ass.” He took her mouth, sweeping his tongue inside to flick her own, feasting and consuming and dominating.
Khloé broke the kiss as a spicy, aphrodisiac scent laced the air and seemed to curl around her. The room instantly felt too warm and humid. Heat flashed through her system, making her breasts ache, her nipples harden, her clit pulse, and her core spasm. “Wait. We’re not done talking.”
“Sure we are,” he said easily, sliding his fingers into her hair. “What is there to talk about?”
A phantom finger slid through her folds and then circled her clit. She sucked in a breath and moaned. “Not fair.”
His brows lifted. “Did you think I’d play fair when it comes to something this important