Racing The Beast (Dirt Track Dogs #2) (10 page)

This was right. She could feel it deep in her bones. He was the one she could trust.

She snuggled deeper into his embrace. If she could crawl inside him, she would.

“Better?” he whispered.

“Yes.” Emotion gripped her throat. She swallowed, trying to make her voice work. “You make everything better. That’s what I’m coming to realize.”

He dropped a lingering kiss to her forehead. “I want to,” he said. “I want to make you happy. Even if…” he hesitated, forcing a swallow, “even if it means letting you go.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he put a finger over her lips.

“I meant what I said in the shop. I’d wait forever for you.” His voice shook. “But baby, if you need me to back off, I’ll do it. I’d want to make sure you were safe. Just check in on you every once in a while or… or get updates from Ella. My wolf needs to know you’re okay. If…” His brow crinkled until his gaze was forced away. “I’ve been thinking about this all fucking night, and… if you can agree to let me check on you, then I can live with it. I can… I can…”

His voice faded to nothing.

“No. I won’t agree to any of that.”

His frown deepened to a full on scowl. “Shit, baby. You don’t understand. How will I know you’re alright? The wolf in me has to know or I’ll go fucking crazy.”

“He’ll know, because I don’t want to go anywhere.” She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice stronger. “New deal, you claim me or whatever. Give me your mark.”

His mouth opened in shock, but he just stared. Releasing her, he pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed, lowering his head to his hands. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“Yes. I do. I want to be with you.” She wasn’t afraid anymore. She wasn’t worried about whether or not this would hurt her. Beast was her safe place.

He shook his head, dreads coming loose from the band he’d used to pull them back. “You’re half asleep. You had a nightmare. You don’t know what you’re committing to.”

Punk propped herself up on one elbow. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I want you to claim me as your mate.”

His gaze jerked to her. It was hot and so intense it felt like a physical touch. Without warning, he pounced on her, straddling her hips, his hands braced on either side of her head, his face inches from hers.

“Woman, don’t say that unless you mean it,” he growled.

Holy shit.
He’ll treat you like a princess and fuck you like an animal
.

Her heart pounded at the idea. She let her eyes glide across his chest. His muscles rippled with power as he hovered above her. He was magnificent. Heat shot between her legs making her squirm. She wanted to feel him there, the hardness of his body pressing against her, easing the ache he’d produced.

“I mean it.”

His eyes roamed all over her face, searching for any doubt. “You’re serious.” His gaze continued down her body. He hadn’t laid a finger on her, but with a simple look, she was on fire for him.

“Very.” She didn’t want to wait any longer. Finally, she was sure of what she wanted.

“Fuck,” he hissed, his eyes wide. “We can’t do this right now.”

“Why not?”

He shook his head slowly, his gaze still perusing her body. Her heaving chest. Lower, where his erection lay against her leg hard and heavy.

“We haven’t talked about all this.” He was trying to talk himself out of it, but he wanted it as much as she did. He lifted a shaking hand to graze her breast through the thin cotton of her shirt. “I don’t want you doing anything you’re not ready for.”

She moaned as he squeezed her breast, her hardened nipple rubbing against his hot palm. “I’m ready, Beast.
Please
.”

He locked eyes with hers, his breath coming in furious pants that hinted at his restraint. He fucking seared her with his gaze.

“Prove it.”

Beast stared at his mate, desperate for her. Somehow this was real. He wasn’t dreaming. She wanted him to mark her. She’d said those very words, but did she mean them? He had to be sure before he took her as his own because there was no undoing it.

“How? What can I do to prove it?” Her soft hands slipped around his neck, clutching him like he was her life preserver.

“Answer my questions.”

Her head moved in a solemn nod. Maybe she thought he needed details about what had happened to her, but he didn’t want any of that. He only wanted to think about their future.

“Every question, understand?”

Another nod while he held her eyes captive, unwilling to let her look anywhere but at him.

“What would you say if I asked what?”

She considered his question. “I’d say… I’d say this.”

“And if I asked when?”

“I’d say now.” Her voice was sure and strong.

Beast could hardly breathe for how badly he wanted this.

“And if I asked where?”

Her gentle hand came around to his chest, exploring his hard planes for the first time, and stopping just above where his heart was. “I’d say right here.”

“And if I asked why?”

Punk sighed, biting her lips nervously. “I’d say... because I love you. And I trust you. And I want you. And I love who I am when I’m with you. I feel whole.
Complete
. Fresh and new, and like life didn’t fuck me over like I thought it had.”

Beast’s chest locked up. She loved him. She trusted him. The admission was so beautiful he wanted to record it so he could hear it again and again. He’d make it his damn ringtone.

“You love me?” he rasped, hoping like hell he hadn’t heard her wrong.

She pressed her lips together and nodded, her expression so utterly vulnerable.

He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing gently, savoring the flavor of her lips.

“And if I asked what?” His whispered question filled the space between them.

“I’d say forever. Forever and ever and fucking ever.”

Forever. Yes. That’s what he wanted. What he demanded of her. If she could give him forever, he could love her that long and beyond.

“Did I pass?” Her lips trembled with her breathed question. Her eyes filled with fresh tears waiting for his answer.

Beast lowered his head and swiped his tongue over her lips before pulling back to answer. “You just mapped out our future, baby, and I really,
really
like where this is going.”

Rising up on his knees, his cock jutted out, revealing his desire for her. When her hot gaze landed on it, the thing jumped, as if it was trying to reach for her. She licked her lips, her eyes wide and hungry.

Damn, he’d wished for her to look at him like that, like she wanted to devour him in one delicious pleasurable bite. Now she was, and it was more than he could handle.

“This works both ways,” he husked. “If you’re mine, Punk baby, then I’m all yours.”

The corner of her mouth slid up in the sexiest fucking grin. “Mine?”

He nodded. Had to get her naked. Had to feel her soft skin sliding against his.

Pulling her to a sit, he peeled the scrap of a tank top up and over her head, revealing the breasts he’d barely acquainted himself with earlier. Damn beautiful sight, his mate’s body. Soft but toned at the same time. Feminine yet strong. She was his perfect match.

“I’m going to take you, Punk, make love to you. I’m going to have you trembling from head to toe, aching for my cock.”

A small whimper escaped her.

He slipped her tiny panties down her legs, running his palms along her smooth skin. Tossing them over his shoulders, he took each of her delicate ankles in hand, his fingers circling them like manacles.

“I’ll make you come again and again, watching you lose control so beautifully.” He gazed darkly into her eyes. “And then I’m going to fuck you. Hard. And if anything feels wrong you say the word and I stop. We clear?”

She had to understand the rules before they continued. He had to be sure she’d stop him if he went too far. He couldn’t hurt her.

“God, yes.”

She was already squirming, her skin pebbling with chills. Beast tightened his grip on her ankles.

“Promise me. If I do anything you don’t like, you’ll tell me.”

“I promise.”

“When we finish, if you still want me…”

“I will,” she gasped.

“I’ll mark you as mine.”

In a quick move, he jerked her ankles, pulling her legs apart so he could get a look at what was his. He was rewarded with a glimpse, but then she squeezed her thighs shut.

He found her face, his heart sinking at the sudden trepidation there.

Her hands flew up to cover her eyes. “I want this so bad,” she whispered, voice shaking like all hell. “But no man has been there since…”

His chest clenched at her vulnerability.

“Look at me, mate.”

She lowered her hands.

“You said you trusted me.”

“I
do
.”

He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. And another. And again, until the tension melted from her.

Pulling back, he smoothed his hands down her legs until he was back at her ankles.

“Then let me see you.”

Keeping his gaze glued to hers, he pulled her ankles apart, settling between her knees. He dragged his eyes down her body until they caught on the place he wanted to call home.

She was beautiful. Her dark triangle of hair was trimmed short but not completely bare, and he could see moisture glistening between the soft folds. His mouth watered for a taste.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “You’re perfect.”

Slowly, he moved one hand down the inside of her thigh, inching closer to that sweetness he wanted coating his lips. With the tip of one finger, he traced the crease between her leg and her center, repeating the action on the other side. Her thighs twitched in response, and then he drew his finger right up her wet slit, collecting the evidence of her arousal.

Beast jammed his finger between his lips, sucking her sweetness from it. His eyes fluttered closed in ecstasy. She tasted like pure hot lust. Like a lazy summer day. So fucking delicious it made him feral.

He opened his eyes to find her wide gaze staring at him. He’d shocked her. Well, that was fine because there’d be a hell of a lot more of that before the night was over.

“You taste. So. Fucking. Sweet.” His tone was sharp, his wolf coming through, but she didn’t seem frightened.

He reached between them, coating his finger again and making her writhe at his touch. Bringing his hand to her mouth, he spread her wetness over her lips.

“Lick,” he demanded.

Her eyes became hooded, but her tongue darted out to lap at her plump lips, licking away the silky moisture.

“Now suck.”

He offered his finger and Punk pulled it between those sweet as sin lips, rolling her tongue around and around until his erection was painfully hard. A moan left her throat when he pulled away, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to lick her.

Settling between her legs, he growled, “Wrap your legs around my shoulders.”

She obeyed, staring down at him in awe.

“Mine,” he whispered, fingering her soft folds. “This is mine, Punk baby. I belong here. No one but me. Understand? It’s mine to touch and lick. And fuck. Mine to pleasure. We agree?”

“
Yes
.” Her breathy moan wrapped around him, pumping his cock as good as any hand. He pushed it into the mattress. He wasn’t ready for it yet. Right now, he was tasting.

One long lick against her crease had him nearly blowing his load. This wasn’t Beast’s first time, but it might as well be. He’d lost his virginity when he was still a young. It was shortly before the fire, and afterward, he was too angry to consider touching a female. But he’d been trained like all the other males, in how to satisfy a woman.

Punk made it easy though. She was so expressive. As his tongue swirled her sensitive bud, she panted and writhed, gripping his dreads and pulling.

“Yes, Beast. Oh my god,
yes
.”

Her hips pushed into his face and he moaned against her core. So perfect. He wanted her fucking his face until she spun completely out of control.

Wrapping his hands around her thighs, he spread her wider, his tongue delving inside, earning him a deep groan of pleasure.

He had to stop. If she kept making sounds like that he was going to lose his mind. Beast crawled up her body, nipping at her hipbone, swirling his tongue around the dip of her naval, kissing her ribs, until he reached her tight nipples.

“Jesus, baby. Look at you. You take my fucking breath away.”

He nuzzled the curve of her breasts, burrowing in the valley between. “I love you, Punk.” His lips brushed her skin as he spoke. “You have to know that. I don’t want you to ever doubt my feelings. Maybe this seems fast to you, but I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. Know that I’m going to spend the rest of it showing you how much I care for you.”

Her gentle hand smoothed a dread back from his face and he gazed up at her.

“You’ve already shown me. I’ve never felt more loved than I have this last week. I’m sold, Beast. I’m ready for this. All of it.”

She flexed her hips, pushing up against him.

His mate was ready to take him. No more waiting.

“Turn over then, mate. I want to see your ass.”

Punk rolled over, popping her bottom in the air. Fucking hell.

Beast started at her calves and massaged his way up, stopping at her knee. He pressed a soft kiss to the tender skin there.

“When I healed your leg that first day,” he murmured, his tongue darting out to lick. “I promised myself one day I’d kiss you here.” He moved to the other knee, brushing his lips over velvety skin, making her muscles clench at the contact. “Checking that off my list.”

“What list?”

“My Things I Want To Do To Punk list. It’s long and very, very detailed. I’ve been adding to it since I left those damn cookies in your hospital room.”

Using his knee, he nudged her legs wider and continued his path up her body.

“What else is on…” she gasped at his mouth so close to her backside, “is on the list?”

Beast gave a long lick to her core before he answered. “Leaving my bite mark on your ass cheek.”

“Do it.” Her breath stalled in anticipation.

Her wish was his fucking command. He palmed her ass, squeezing, and his mouth came down on one soft globe, sucking hard before his teeth nipped. Hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to break the skin.

Punk’s whimpered gasp filled the room, and he pulled back to look at his bite. Shit, that was the hottest thing he’d ever seen. He couldn’t wait to mark her for good.

He licked the spot and noticed how her scent became stronger. His mate liked that.

“What else?” she breathed.

“Tangling my hand in your hair while I thrust against your body. Tonguing every single one of your piercings. Holding your hand while we come. Nipping your earlobe. Showering with you. Fucking you in the shower. Fucking you in a car. Fucking you in the woods.” He ran his nose along her spine. “Just to name a few.”

She sighed as he kissed her shoulder, sweeping the hair away from her neck.

“But number one on my list is this.” With his teeth, he tugged gently at the spot where her shoulder and neck met. “Right here is where I will mark you. If you decide you want that.”

“How…” She shivered in pleasure, her voice barely a breath. “How does that work?”

He peppered her nape with kisses before pulling her earlobe between his lips and sucking.

“When we come, I’ll bite you. This time it will break the skin. It’ll hurt, baby. We can’t get around that because I have to keep you in my hold until you’ve received my scent.”

“Your scent?”

Beast swallowed a lump at the mere thought of her carrying his mark for the rest of their lives. “I’ll come inside you. That takes care of the inside, giving you my scent to carry, while my bite marks the outside. It binds us together for life. Every shifter will scent you and immediately know that you belong to me.”

“But what about you? How will women know you belong to me? A… ring or something?”

Beast ground his cock against her ass, unable to keep still any longer.

“You’ll brand my skin. In a ceremony, later. But if you’re worried about ladies coming onto me, don’t. You’re the only one for me. And those aren’t just words, Punk.” He whispered against her ear, “When a shifter finds his mate, he can only be aroused for her. My cock only comes alive for your body. And that’s just the way I want it.”

She gasped when he nipped her ear. “You’re serious?”

“Deadly.”

“I… I don’t know how I feel about that.”