But Derren no longer had that concern. She’d tried to protect him from Cain’s anger, had defended his honor, and had proudly declared they were mated. Even the mere fact that she’d healed Derren before she’d healed Cain indicated that he came first to her. Derren needed to know that he was as important to her as she was to him, that their bond, despite being incomplete, was still stronger than any she might have with anyone else.
He cupped her face, staring into those almond eyes he loved. “I didn’t think anything could be this essential to me.” Intellectually, he’d known his mate—if he ever found her—would be important to him in every way. But he hadn’t imagined that such an incredible depth of emotion was possible for anyone to feel, particularly him. There was something else he’d been wrong about. “I always figured that love was sappy and gooey. But it’s not.” What he felt for Ally was a feral, hissing, clawing, boundless emotion that probably should have scared him but didn’t.
Her features softened, turning vulnerable. “You love me?”
He smiled. “Fuck yeah.”
“I’m glad, because it’s rare for one-sided relationships to work out well.”
His smile widened. “Is that your very poor way of telling me you love me?”
“It was pretty poor, wasn’t it?” Rubbing her nose against his, she said, “I love you.” With a rough groan, he brought his mouth down hard on hers. Fingers digging into her hips, he held her flush against him as he dominated and consumed her mouth with every stroke of his tongue and every nip of his teeth. Need unfurled, inflamed, and fired through her body fast and furiously.
Shoving his hand under her T-shirt, Derren tugged down her bra and cupped one firm breast. It fit perfectly in his hand, reminding him that she was made for him. She was his. Would always belong to him. And he knew he would never have been whole without her.
He tasted her, caressed her, and breathed her in—igniting and filling his senses with her. His body tightened with the molten lust that was ripping through him, making him need more. “I want you slick for me.”
The breath rushed out of Ally’s lungs as he backed her into the wall, caging her there with his broad, powerful body. Literally clawing away her jeans and panties, he then clamped his hand around her *, pushing up against her with his palm.
“You’re already wet,” he rumbled. “But I want you even slicker.” He slipped one finger inside her, loving how hot she was. “Take off the T-shirt and bra, Ally.” She obeyed without hesitation. “That’s my girl.” Swooping down, he flicked her nipple with his tongue. Threading her hands through his hair, she arched toward him, hinting for more. He gave her what she wanted.
Ally groaned as his hot mouth latched onto her nipple, and he drove another finger inside her. Thrust. Suck. Thrust. Suck. Thrust. Suck. The rhythm was torture. And when that rhythm sped up, a relentless, raw ache began to build deep inside her *. Wanting his skin against hers, she bit out, “Shirt. Off.” She jolted as he scored her nipple with the edge of his teeth.
“I’m busy, baby.”
“Take it off or I’ll rip it off.” Two dark brooding eyes met hers; both were alive with heat, hunger, and caution—he didn’t like her issuing an order.
Refusing to be intimidated, she bit his lower lip. “I want to touch you.” His eyes flared, and she knew she had him. Withdrawing his fingers, he whipped off his T-shirt. But before she even had the chance to experience a moment of triumph, a strong hand roughly tangled in her hair hard enough to make her scalp prickle.
“You know I don’t like it when you give me orders.” He also knew that was exactly why the little minx did it. Holding her head in place, he tugged her bottom lip with his teeth and then drove his tongue inside her mouth to stroke hers. He licked, sipped, and bit. She tasted of everything he wanted and needed, of sin and sex.
A growl rumbled out of him when she sucked on his tongue, conjuring images and fantasies in his mind. She knew damn well what she was doing. Pulling back, he tore open his fly. “I need your mouth.”
Ally licked over his lower lip. “You have it.”
“I need it on my cock.” She hadn’t yet sucked him off, since dominant females did oral sex on their own terms and in their own sweet time. She’d licked him a few times, teasing him with what she would one day give him, and he’d known she wanted him to be so desperate for it that he’d eventually do exactly what he was doing now—lose control.
“Oh, you do?” she drawled, not at all liking the expectancy of obedience in his expression. Her wolf wasn’t too pleased about it either.
“Yes. I want your mouth.” The words came out harshly through clenched teeth, and her mesmerizing eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Yeah? Well, I want to fuck.”
“And you’ll get fucked . . . when I’ve had what I want. You’re mine. This gorgeous mouth is mine. And I want it.” Using the hand bunched in her hair, he pushed down, urging her to drop to her knees. She didn’t. “Now, Ally.” He felt like he’d go out of his goddamn mind if he didn’t feel that plush mouth around him right then.
Ally arched an imperious brow. “Or what?”