On a shuddering breath, she bows her head and pinches the bridge of her nose as if to stop herself from crying again. “I’m not afraid of your fangs,” she whispers.
“I know, baby,” I say softly. “You’re afraid of yours.”
Sam couldn’t have heard her, but after my response, she must have realized Alicia said something to me. “Okay, and now I feel gross for airing your private shit, so I won’t say any more. Except this, Ranger Ranger. Kids are fucking cruel. And they pulled some Carrie shit on her—”
“Oh god.” While her sister’s still talking, a laugh shakes through Alicia and she tilts her head back again. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“—and all she ever wanted was for someone to look at her as if she was amazing. As if there was nothing in the world they wanted more than her. So the only reason I’m telling you this is because you look at her like that. Like she finally deserves. But, yeah. It might take a while for her to trust it.”
All right, then. I glance at Brandon. “You got this covered?” That’s the only downside to jumping naked off a balcony—a wallet doesn’t come along with you. “I’m taking my woman upstairs again. You might not see us again for a couple of days.”
“I’ll keep myself busy. Maybe I’ll try to find out what’s at the other end of that email address.” He glances hopefully to Samantha as I slide out of the booth. “If they answer, are you gonna tag along with me, make sure they don’t steal my pelt?”
“I’ve got work.”
“We’ll wait for your day off. Until then, check out this cute shit.”
As I head outside, Brandon’s got her looking at some chunky puppies—and Alicia’s waiting for me about two steps past the door. Her hurt’s eased up some, though it’s not gone. But now arousal and anticipation filter through her scent, too.
She bites her lip, the green of her eyes glowing like an aurora. “So you’re taking your woman upstairs?”
In a minute. First I catch her beautiful face in my hands, kiss her until she’s clinging to me, her body soft and hot against mine. But I wasn’t lying to her beast last night. I need more from Alicia than just heat and hunger. And she needs more than that from me—but I’m guessing sex is easier for Alicia to deal with right now than everything else I laid on her.
And, shit. I want sex, too. We get upstairs, I’m going to start fucking that sweet little pussy and it’ll be a hell of a long time before I stop. I don’t want her thinking for a second that’s all I’m here for, though. I’m here for her. The woman who’s knotted me up for a year. And I’ve been waiting my whole goddamn life for a woman who’ll be everything to me that Alicia is.
And now that I’ve found her, I’m never letting her go.
I lift my head, rubbing my thumb over her full bottom lip, feeling her hot breath shudder over my skin. “Let me tell you, Alicia—it’s not just a new job that I showed up with. I also came with every intention of putting my ring on your finger by the end of this summer.” Her eyes widen, then she goes utterly still as I press my thumb between her lips, teasing the edge of her teeth. “And those fangs you’ve got don’t change a damn thing. All they do is make it easier to explain what I am. You think I wasn’t terrified you’d run away as fast as you could when I confessed to being a werewolf?”
Her expression softens. “I still would have wanted you. No matter what.”
“You think it’s any different for me?” My gaze falls to her lips. “You saw me with a muzzle and fangs and still kissed me again. Do you think I won’t kiss you now? Do you think that seeing you sprout fur and claws is going to keep me from touching you? Do you think having a beast is going to stop me from getting inside you?”
Her eyes squeeze shut. “It’s not how I look. Not just that. It’s what I am.”
“You’re not a monster, baby. And after you tame your beast, you’ll see it doesn’t matter, anyway. When that chain appears around my neck, all it needs is me accepting you and loving you—and I already do,” I tell her gruffly and watch her eyes fly open again, watch them fill with wonder. “So you’ve just got to fall for me.”
Her gaze brightens with tears. A rasp thickens her voice. “But…that’s how I know taming can’t really be as simple as you say. Because I already have fallen for you.”
In love with me. Sheer joy grips my throat and I don’t know how my heart doesn’t swell out of my chest. Maybe because of those tears.