decided to go back. That’s when I saw you running in the lot.”
I study him. “Why? Why follow me in the first place?”
He shrugs. “I couldn’t help it. My animal,” he explains. “I needed to make sure you were okay. And separating hurt more than I expected, to be honest,” he says, tapping at a spot on his chest. The same spot where my own mate bond had ached.
I grimace a little because regardless of how the others feel about me, I know that they must be having a hard time with the separation too. I’ve heard that it’s even worse for the males, because their protective instincts kick in. And not only is it caused by the mate-call, but they soaked in all my pheromones last night as I rode my first wave, so I’ve put them into a rut. Their animals probably went nuts when I left.
I tug on a strand of my hair. “I’m sorry for the whole surprise mate-call thing. And for putting you in a rut.”
He reaches forward and takes the hair out of my hand so I stop pulling on it, and tucks it behind my ear. It’s such a sweet and intimate gesture that my breath catches. “Believe me, I don’t mind,” he says quietly, surprising me.
“You don’t mind being suddenly mated to a stranger?”
“You’re not a stranger,” he says, taking a step forward so that we’re only inches apart. Having him this close makes my heart thump hard against my chest and the mate bond starts humming under my skin.
I clear my throat and try to maintain a composed façade. “Still, it was irresponsible of me to be out in public when I knew my heat was coming. And as for the accidental mate-call that I put out…” I grimace. “What if you’d had a girlfriend or something? You didn’t ask for this. I put you in a bad position.”
“Oh, we were in all kinds of positions,” he says devilishly, his eyes flashing with lust as he reaches out to grip my hips and pull me flush against him. “But like I said, I’m not complaining.” He leans in to scrape his scratchy beard against my jaw. The skin-to-skin contact instantly stimulates my heatwave, and I have to suppress the urge to shift.
I shiver and my eyes flutter closed. “I’m gross.”
His tongue darts out to lick the sensitive spot below my ear. “No, you’re not.”
“I’m covered in sex juices.” My argument doesn’t do much since I also tilt my head to the side to give him better access to my neck.
“You’re marked with our scent. With my scent. Our cum and sweat and saliva is soaked into your skin, mixed with your heat pheromones, and it’s the sexiest fucking thing in the world. Not to mention your mate-call is like a drug all on its own. I have to touch you. I have to be in you again,” he adds, nipping at my neck.
His erotic words make me whimper. His touch is like a drug that I’m quickly learning to crave. Lafe’s hands move from my hips to grip my ass, and I’m reminded once again that I have no panties on when wetness starts to gather between my thighs. As if he can sense it, he trails a finger up the leg of the boxer shorts and seeks out my slick heat. He growls appreciatively at what he finds there, and my skin grows fevered.
“People weren’t joking about having a mate during heat,” I say, trying to laugh off the sensations that he’s filling me with, but failing miserably when his finger starts teasing my clit. “Holy guacamole,” I breathe, making him chuckle.
“You’re the sexiest damn surprise mate I’ve ever seen,” he says in my ear.
I tip my chin up, because I need to feel his lips on mine. He brings a hand up to cradle my jaw, but before he can follow through and press his lips on mine, we hear the front door open and slam shut, making me jump back.
Lafe shakes his head. “Those assholes have the worst timing.”
“I can be quiet,” I whisper, not wanting to stop yet. His brown eyes flash with mischievous hunger, as mine dart toward the still open door.
“How about we make it a game? You try to be quiet while I try to make you scream?”
I nod enthusiastically, because that seems like a very good game. “Okie dokie. Sounds like a plan.”
He chuckles and moves to grip my hips again, but then