Page 25 of Cimmerian

I ran to him, leaping into his arms. “Where did you go?”

“I just wanted to make sure they were actually gone.” He pressed a kiss against my collarbone, and I sighed into his touch.

“And? What’s the verdict?” I held my breath, hoping for the best but knowing anything could happen in this crazy world.

“They’re gone.” Jasper gave me a broad smile, kissing me over and over again until I was laughing. “You did it, baby.”

“I’m pretty sure we did it.”

He put me down on the ground, pulling on my hand and dragging me toward the house. “I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“Now?” I looked around at my friends, celebrating our win. “Shouldn’t we stay with them?”

Jasper was on a mission, his one-track mind in full swing. “They’ll be fine. There’s no more danger. Tonight at least.”

I rolled my eyes but squeezed his hand. “Fine.” He led me into the house, stopping when we reached our bedroom. I only just noticed he had brought my comforter from my apartment. We would have to buy a new one. This one had a lot of good memories, but a lot of bad ones too. It was something I had picked out on my own, and I wanted something from us together. One that was ours, just like this home would be. A fresh start -- for both of us. I sat on the worn bedspread, feeling the soft fabric. It had been with me for so long. “So what’s up?”

Jasper leaned over me, pressing a hand into each side of the bed -- trapping me where I sat. “I wanted to kiss you.”

I laughed, but still tilted my face up to press my lips against his. “It’s never just a kiss with you.”

“It could be!” he protested. But already his eyes were turning dark with need, and my own desire was making my body hot.

“Lying doesn’t suit you,” I whispered, tugging his arms so that he lay on top of me.

“You’re right. My plan all along was to get you into bed, naked, so that I could have my deviant, wolf-like way with you.” He gave me a crooked smile that spoke to his hunger, already stripping me of my pants.

“That’s more like it.” I raised my arms above my head, letting him pull my shirt off. My sports bra snapped off in the front, leaving me bare to Jasper’s eager stare.

“You’re beautiful.” He pressed a kiss against my collarbone, and trailed kisses down to my chest. He took one of my nipples into his mouth, sucking on it softly and drawing a gasp from my lips. “And I also think you like the idea of my wolf-like ways more than you’d admit.” He was dragging his hand down between my legs, stroking my wetness there as I spread open for him, eager for his touch. I was always desperate for his touch.

“Please, Jasp,” I begged.

“Please, what?” He was fisting his heavy cock, watching me with a heavy-lidded gaze. Shit, he looked good. I needed him inside me.Now.

“Please fuck me. I don’t want your fingers or your mouth. I wantyou.”

Jasper nodded, sliding the head of his cock between my legs as I moaned and writhed, desperate for him. He pushed against my stomach, forcing me to stay still as he froze me with his stare.

He finally began to ease inside of me with a slowness and a grace I wasn’t sure he had -- in bed, at least. Our bodies moved as one, urging each other to release. I scraped my nails down his arms as he thrust inside of me leisurely. When Jasper spoke, it was quiet, reverent in the midst of our lovemaking. “I did have something to talk to you about.”

“Mhm.” I wasn’t sure this was the best time for conversation, not when Jasper was sucking at my nipple and running his fingers between us, rubbing circles on my aching clit.

“Marry me,” he whispered, moving inside of me so softly I could’ve been imagining it.

I froze. “What did you just say?” My voice was too loud for the sanctity of the moment, but I couldn’t control it. I was desperate for something to keep me centred in this moment, searing it to my skin.

“You heard me, Green.” Jasper nipped at my bottom lip. “Marry me.”

I dug my fingertips into his skin. “But… but we’re already mates.”

Jasper pulled back, pushing a loose lock of hair out of my face. “I want you to be mine in every sense of the word. Human, Venator -- I don’t care about either of them. The only title that matters to me is that you’re mine.”

I rolled my hips against him, desperate for him to move within me once more. “Of course I’m yours.”

He smiled at me, the crooked smile I loved so Goddamn much, his honey eyes melting as they stared at me -- through me. “Is that a yes?”

I grinned back. “You seem to have me at a bit of a disadvantage, Jasp. Withholding orgasms seems to be a cruel way to get what you want.”

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