Dance Around - Susi Hawke Page 0,37

a kiss. Or maybe I did. Either way, a kiss needed to happen.

I grinned as he finished with a final kiss to my tip before lifting onto all fours and crawling over me. When we were face to face, he stopped, caging me under his larger body in the way I was growing to love after a week spent in bed.

"Good morning, Blondie. I'm loving the new look."

Lifting my hand, I ran my fingertips over the brand-new claiming scar he'd given me last night after I finally admitted I loved him. "This old thing? I suppose it suits me. I like the mark on your neck too, now that you mention it."

"Thank you. It's actually new. The love of my life gave it to me last night when we finally claimed each other after the longest slow burn in history. Zero out of ten. I do not recommend waiting twenty-three years to claim your true mate. I never knew how long our time apart truly was until he claimed my ass and properly bonded me to him."

Smiling, I played along. "Sounds like your mate is on the bossy side. You might want to keep an eye on him, just saying."

"Trust me, I don't take my eyes off my little Blondie. Sexy things like him deserve watching. Worshipful watching, I mean."

I caught his face in both hands and tugged him down. Brushing my lips against his, I couldn't help whispering a final thought before I truly kissed him. "Sounds to me like your mate is the luckiest omega on earth, to have a mate who talks about him with so much love in his eyes."

After last night’s sexcapades, when we finally made love for the first time, I forgot about morning breath and whether or not my body might stink. Our time on the island was hot monkey sex. The night before had been about our hands and mouths slowly mapping each other's bodies, sharing our love and exploring the places which made each other gasp with pleasure.

By the end of our kiss, Dan had wrapped his arms around me and rolled us over so I was stretched out on top of his body the way he liked it. I wiggled down so I could lay my cheek against his chest and listen to his strong heartbeat.

We lay there quietly for several minutes while Dan stroked my hair and whispered endearments, making my heart sing.

The moment was over when he spoke aloud. "I know you said it was okay, but are you sure it wasn't too soon for intercourse?"

Body shaking with laughter, I lifted my head and grinned at my silly mate. "Intercourse? What are you, eighty?"

"Eighty-four, to be exact. And yes, I'm fully aware I robbed your barely legal cradle."

I narrowed my eyes. "In most cases, I would knee you in the nuts for reminding me how, until the Council's most recent update, I wouldn't have been considered legal in most shifter societies in the world before age fifty. But since I know you were complimenting my ageless beauty, I'll allow it."

When I realized he was honestly still concerned, I quit teasing him and rushed to set his mind at ease. "Seriously, Danny boy. I'm a bunny shifter. I was good to go within three days."

"Wait. You mean I spent all week snuggling with you, and we could've been dancing the horizontal tango instead? It’s okay. I enjoyed every second of our cuddle sessions while we got used to sleeping together. What changed your mind last night?"

"Honestly? I wanted to take it slow, but then we exchanged ‘I love yous’ and I wanted to wear your claim bite more than I wanted to linger. Plus, I really didn't feel like waiting another day to see my mark on you, either." I scooted up for another kiss.

Right as our lips touched, a full concert of cries sounded over the baby monitor. Dan banged his head against the pillow a few times. "I can't believe our kids are already cockblocking us, and they're only eight days old."

"Kiss-blocking. Get it correct. Now come on. Blaze and Mia sound pissed. I bet they're both soaked."

The sun was just setting, and the sky looked magical. And the party around us was in full swing. With both families present, the gathering couldn’t possibly be anything but wild. I glared across the patio table while Morty explained, yet again, how COME had promised to reconvene next year to discuss the possibility of permanently ending the dowry system.

I’d