Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
She sank into the wall, her muscles going limp.
“Baby…” Cody eased his hand from her eyes. “Oh, God, you’re crying.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
But Cody thumbed tears away from her face.
“I’m sorry. Are you hurt? I mean, of course you’re hurt. Fuck.” He pulled out of her and shifted to scoop under her knees. “It’s okay, baby. You’re going to be all right.” The anxiety on his face as he peered at her made her heart twist.
He cursed.
“Cody,” she mumbled, wanting to soothe him. “I’m okay.”
“Can you stand? Just for a second, so I can get your clothes back on?”
He dressed her, then swung her back up in his arms and carried her out to his truck. Although it was completely insane, and she tried to tell him so, Cody insisted on driving with her cradled on his lap, her back leaning against the door, feet spilling into the passenger side. Fortunately, it was less than a mile to his house.
He carried her into his house and onto his bed, where he sat with her nestled in his arms, dropping kisses on the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep, floating on a euphoria of love and peace.
Cody balanced the hot coffee and bag of breakfast sandwiches and muffins in one hand to unlock the door. The sound of the shower running made him smile. His mate was up.
Yes, mate.
The concept still stunned him on a minute by minute basis. He’d spent the entire night holding Melissa, watching her wounds close and start to heal, painfully slowly compared to a shifter, but still far faster than they would on a human.
Ben and Ashley had shown up at his door not long after they’d returned, but he’d refused to let them in. He’d been covered in his own blood and hers, and Ashley had been terrified, but Stone guessed at what had happened.
“You marked her,” he’d said, nostrils flaring.
He half-expected Stone to challenge him, and his inner wolf growled, willing to fight to the death for her. But once he’d assured them she was all right, just sleeping off the serum and healing, they left.
The shower turned off. He set the coffee and goodies on the dresser and waited for her to emerge.
She came out with a towel wrapped under her armpits, her pale skin flushed from the water. The smile she flashed him dazzled.
He stepped over to her and moved her hair from her shoulder, examining her wounds for the millionth time, then kissing each one. “How are you, baby?”
“I feel wonderful, actually.” She beamed up at him. She did, in fact, radiate good health and well-being. Her skin glowed, her eyes were bright, smile so full of joy, he wanted to be sure he never wiped it from her face again. “How are you?”
He’d showered and changed but hadn’t slept—his worry over her had kept him up all night. “I’m fine—see.” He grinned and pulled up his shirt to show her the bullet wounds had completely healed.
She reached out to brush her fingertips over his abs, sending a shudder of the deepest recognition through his being.
Mate.
He gripped the edges of her towel and pulled her up against his body. Her damp heat permeated his clothes, made his skin itch to be in direct contact. “We do have a score to settle before we can move forward.”
Her eyes dilated, nipples stiffened against his ribs. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Her voice was husky.
He slid his hand under the back of her hair and stroked her nape. Her arousal filled the room. He opened the corners of her towel wide, then let it drop, drinking in the sight of her. Now that he’d marked her, the itchiness was gone, but incinerating desire still flamed bright.
He kicked his shoes off and crawled up on the bed, settling with his back against the headboard and patting his knees.
She crawled over to him, her breasts bouncing with the movement, hair falling over her shoulders like a curtain. With a tug, he pulled her over his lap and popped each cheek with a loud smack.
She squirmed, hands flying back to cover her ass.
“Uh uh.” He caught her wrists and pinned them against the small of her back with one hand, and delivered a few spanks with the other. “You don’t get to cover.”
“Ow,” she cried. “Mercy!”
He laughed and rubbed her ass again. “I admit I am inclined to show you mercy. In fact, I’m prepared to worship between your legs for hours on end today.”
She moaned and parted her legs.
His fingers slid between them, delving into her sweet nectar and rubbing it over her clit.
She raised her ass higher and parted her legs more.
“Baby, what happens after you’ve been punished?”
“My reward,” she gasped immediately, as if she’d been waiting for it with great anticipation.