spicy scent of his arousal filling me. “I always have.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “This isn’t a one time deal, Ember. I know this is a shitty place for us to find each other again, but I don’t want anyone else—only you.” He tugged gently on my hair, so that I had no choice but to look him in the eyes. I saw something there that had my heart flipping in my chest, something he would never show anyone else. Vulnerability. His other hand left my waist and gently traced the contours of my face.
I studied him, unsure what to say. Was he asking for me to mate him? His touch was so tender, my chest tightened painfully, but I couldn’t promise him anything. I wanted him, he was the only one I’d ever wanted, but our lives weren’t our own, and I had a promise to keep.
“No promises, Connor, then neither of us can break them.”
For a moment he froze and his face went blank. We held each other’s gazes and my heart squeezed. I wanted to give myself to him fully, but there were so many unknowns, I couldn’t make a promise I couldn’t keep. What if I had to leave him? If we were mated that would rip my heart out, his too. Maybe he would agree to come with me? But I couldn’t ask him. I couldn’t afford for him to say no, or to stop me. His alpha compulsion was already hard for me to defy. If he claimed me, it would be almost impossible. Seconds passed and my stomach knotted up, then he nodded.
“Agreed, no promises between us—for now. But we’ll talk more about it, and you can tell me who you have made a promise to. Maybe I can help.”
I smiled and exhaled with relief. “Okay. It’s a deal.” I took my time and slowly perused his body. “So I get to enjoy this body more than once?”
Slowly, he grinned, the heat returning to his gaze. “You get to enjoy me as many times as you like, Firecracker.”
“Hmm.” I bit my bottom lip suggestively. “So you’ll be at my beck and call, Prime?”
He pulled my hair until my head was tilted, giving him access to my neck. He peppered tiny kisses along my skin, nipping my ear lobe with his teeth. “Never.” But I felt him smile against my skin.
“We’ll see.” And I let go of his hair to peel off my top. His hands gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my soft flesh, his gaze intense as I unclipped the cheap white bra he’d given me. I swallowed hard, holding the scrap of material against my skin, not because I was embarrassed by my body, I hadn’t been for a long time, but this was Connor, the guy I’d crushed on since I was twelve years old.
He cocked his head, watching me, his grip loosening, though his hands remained where they were. He was giving me a choice.
I dropped my arms and let the material slide away.
His gaze devoured me, and he swallowed repeatedly. “Mother Wolf,” he breathed, his voice shaking. “You’re breathtaking.” His hands slid up my back urging me towards him. His lips brushed my skin, dropping small kisses down my throat and across the soft swell of my breast, branding me. I moaned as he took my nipple in his mouth, sucking and biting down firmly. Desire shot to my core making my thighs quiver. His hooded eyes met mine as he slowly moved his way across to my other breast, his tongue tasting me along the way.
My hands found the hem of his tee, and he stopped long enough to let me lift it off him. I wanted to kiss my way across that beautiful, sculptured chest. I growled and pushed him back when he tried to keep kissing me.
“My turn.”
His blue eyes glittered, his lips swollen from our kisses. I shoved the chair back and kneeled with him. With his chest right in front of me, I went to town. The sensation of putting my tongue to his skin, tasting what I had scented for so long, that salty yet spicy flavor that was Connor, was nearly overwhelming. I used my tongue to tease his nipples before biting down—hard. He hissed, stretching his neck as his head fell back like he was lost in complete ecstasy.
I scratched my nails down his back making him shudder before using one hand to palm the hard length of his