Her breathing was haggard and rushed, and he knew that if he pushed her just a bit more, she’d give into him, but that wasn’t what he wanted, and that wasn’t how he was going to get her under him. It took a lot of strength for him to take a step back, because he badly wanted to be buried deep inside her body, but he and his bear were in agreement that rushing her was not the answer.
Before she could pull fully away from him, he sank to his knees in front of her and held her hips loosely in his hands. He was not letting her go. She was his.17Staring up at her showed him that Kenzie wore an expression of shock.
“What are you doing?” she asked. Her throat worked as she swallowed, and he smelled her confusion.
Bram had never gotten on his knees for anyone, let alone a female, but Kenzie was something different, something special.
He grabbed the edge of her shirt. It was one of his and far too big for her body. He couldn’t help but smile at the little knot she made out of the edge of the material to make it less baggy. He lifted the hem up, and she stopped his hands by placing hers over his.
“I know I’m asking a lot—fuck, I know I am—but trust me like you’ve never trusted any other person, and I promise I won’t ever disappoint you.”
It took her several seconds before she removed her hands slowly and let them fall to her sides. Bram resumed lifting her shirt up until the scar she revealed earlier was visible.
His vision turned red at the old injury, but instead of showing her his anger and pain that he hadn’t been there to protect her, he leaned forward and ran his tongue along the length of it.
She tensed, most likely wondering what the fuck he was doing, but Bram was intent on showing her that there was nothing he didn’t like about her. To him, she was perfect in every conceivable way. He kissed her over and over again, keeping his hands on her waist, feeling her smooth, warm skin beneath his palms, and wishing things had been so much different.
He moved his tongue along her belly until she relaxed once again and placed her hands on his shoulders. The scar tissue was raised beneath his tongue, but that just made him lick her more slowly and thoroughly. He vowed to himself, and would soon do the same to her, that once she was naked and in his bed, he would drag his tongue over every inch of her, memorizing her body the way it deserved, the way she deserved.
“I wish I could take it all away.” And he did, with every fiber of his being. “I’m sorry he hurt you.” He continued kissing her until his lips were numb and she trembled against him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to make sure you were safe.” He moved his hands in slowly so that he was now framing the scar. “I just want you to know you don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Pulling back and lifting just his eyes to her, he saw the fresh stream of tears falling down her cheeks. But despite her tears, there was no sadness, only a profound understanding that what he said was the truth.
“There is no need to run from me.” He stood and took both of her hands in his. “Instead, let’s go shopping, because I know girls like to do that shit.” He smiled, changing the mood to something lighter, because he wanted—no, he needed—to see her smile. She gave him what he wanted, and his heart thumped against his chest as her lips curved slightly.
He was lost for his girl, and it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. Mating could be a tricky fucker, but dammit he wouldn’t change it for anything, not when he actually felt like a man in her presence and not just a bear walking in a human’s body.
Then she said the words that meant more to him than anything else he had ever heard.
“Okay, Bram, I’ll trust you.”
Good, because without her trust, they’d have nothing.18Bram handed the cashier a wad of cash and took the shopping bags off the counter. When he first told Kenzie they would go shopping, she told him no, that she couldn’t accept something like that from him.
She didn’t have a job or money, and although it was mighty generous of him, Kenzie just didn’t feel right about it. He may be her mate, but she knew nothing about him and certainly couldn’t accept something so generous.
Of course, no one told Bram Wylde no, especially a deer shifter who was shit at staying firm to her word. In his defense, he was quite the negotiator. He went as far as telling her if she made him a home-cooked meal tonight, then they would be even. What he didn’t know was she had never cooked a day in her life.