Page 32 of Take All of Me

She giggles against my mouth, pulling back just enough to murmur, “Just a kiss, hmm?”

I straighten her back up, resting my forehead against hers. “I’m trying to be romantic but I didn’t think you’d be so addicting.”

“Brogan said the same thing,” she teases.

“And he’s not wrong,” I say, kissing her again, softer this time, but the need for more is there and if I don’t pull away, I might take a step she’s not ready for. “Let me go before I don’t leave.” Because I want to stay—god, I do—but she’s been through too much and I won’t push, not now, not ever.

She chews her bottom lip, her eyes glinting with a spark that Dakota has told me exists. “What if you didn’t?”

“What?”

“What if you didn’t leave,” she repeats, stepping out of reach. She tilts her head, curls falling with the movement, delicately bunching around her face. The light coming through her blinds hits her face just right, heightening that glow beneath her light brown skin.

My nostrils flare as her scent sweetens further and that’s when my control snaps. I kick the door shut behind us, not bothering to lock it because Dakota will absolutely find his way over now that I’m not even showing up. I drag her back to me, smashing my lips to hers, mirroring her need with mine. God, I wish she could smell me the same way, could feel the mahogany pulse of my desire, the way it surges for her. I’ve seen her with the other three, brief moments that have carved itself into me, a desperate hope that this—us, this pack—can work, because I want it so fucking bad, want her in a way that scares me with its depth.

My hand moves slowly, down to cup her neck, but she flinches, a harsh gasp tearing from her throat that has me pausing. “Fuck, sorry gorgeous,” I murmur against her lips. My heart drops into my stomach when she pulls away again but there’s a determination on her face that wasn’t there before.

She reaches for the hem of her hoodie, slowly revealing her body to me, including the jagged scar along her neck. The thick cotton bra left accentuates her perfect curves, showing off a beauty I’ve been thinking about for days. Then she meets my gaze, a flicker of hope and fear running through those big brown eyes. “Brogan told me it wasn’t a bad thing, that it showed I was a survivor, a warrior.”

Brogan’s right and I’m proud of her, prouder than I can say. “You are,” I say, stepping closer, my voice dropping a few octaves as I push my purr into it. “You’re so fucking strong, Maya, in ways you don’t even know. That’s not a brand of defeat.” My hands itch to touch her, to show her how I see her—not broken, but whole, radiant,mine.

Her shoulders sag, her eyes sad, glistening with unshed tears, and I can’t stand the distance. I step up, cupping her cheeks in my hands, my thumbs brushing across her face. “You don’t need to tell me everything. Just know I don’t think of you any less because of that scar or what you went through. We all go through hard times, regret pieces of it, learn from the rest.” I mean every word because she’s not her past, not Nox’s shadow, not the pain she’s carried. She’s Maya and I’m here for all of it.

She lets out a shuddering breath, tilting her neck—a move of submission, of trust—and my heart stumbles, because it’s a gift, her opening to me like this. I trace the scar lightly with my fingers, the raised tissue a testament to everything she’s been through. I can’t imagine the fear she endured, the resilience it took to face the surgery. Removing a bond bite isn’t simple, not a one-and-done. It’s months of pain, whispers of a connection severed, a bridge to nothing, uncomfortable as hell from what I’ve gleaned.

Her eyes flutter closed beneath my touch, breath hitching but this time not from fear. Needing to kiss her again, I take her lips, pouring all of the emotions I’ve been holding back since I firstcaught her scent off Dakota. She responds just as fiercely, fingers curling into my shirt as I walk her back to the bed, my lips never leaving hers.

I twist us around and sit on the edge, pulling her to me, my hands sliding up her back, feeling the warmth of skin beneath my fingers. She peels off my shirt with a sigh, her eyes roaming my chest and I feel her gaze like the ghost of a touch, fire left in the wake. Silence blooms between us, only the soft kisses and rustle of clothing meeting my ears as I slip off her bra and then ease down her pants with her panties, baring her to me.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” I murmur, reaching forward to press my lips to her collarbone, trailing farther down to reach one of her breasts. My tongue flicks over her nipple, Maya letting out one of the most delicious sounds I’ve ever heard. In response, a rumble starts up in my chest, my Alpha’s purr that has me awkwardly trying to shimmy out of my pants so that I can slip inside her.

The giggles that fall from her lips are everything as I drag her onto my lap, her pussy hovering over my cock. When she grinds down over me, I nearly lose it, my fingers digging into her waist but I’m trying to make this last, to caress her the way she deserves. I’m slowly losing that battle.

Maya strings her arms around the back of my neck, her fingers cradling my head, pulling me into another kiss. Her breasts press against my chest, a jolt of need that surging through me as one of my hands slides lower to cup her ass. I groan into her mouth, the sound swallowed by her answering sigh as I thrust upward, my cock slipping through her slick folds, teasing the both of us. She lets out another one of those delicious sounds, a sound that shoots straight to cock. “You want this, gorgeous?”

She nods, her eyes dark with want, the hum of her response all that I need as I reach between us to line myself up with her entrance. I thrust up, slow at first, sinking into her sweet, tightwarmth, and—fuck, it’s heaven, her body gripping me like she was made for me. She lets out a soft, desperate sound, her head falling to the crook of my neck, lips brushing my skin before she starts sucking, a gentle pull that sends sparks down my spine. I set a slow, deep rhythm, each thrust drawing a gasp from her, her breasts dragging against my chest, her curves perfect in my arms.

“Been dreaming of this,” I murmur, lips grazing her ear. “You, like this, all soft and needy for me. Watched you with the others and I wanted you—fuck, Maya, I wanted you so bad it hurt.” Each of her little sounds spur me on, my control nearly shot. “You feel so good, Maya, so fucking perfect.”

She’s trembling, little moans vibrating against my neck as I lose myself in her sounds, in the way she clings to me, her nails biting into my shoulders just enough to sting. My knot’s thickening, pressing against her entrance, a primal ache I’m fighting to control, because I want this to last, want to savor every second of her. The fantasy of stuffing her with my knot looms but that’s not a conversation we’ve had and the last thing I want is to terrify her.

Her kisses trail up my neck, lips brushing my ear. “One day,” she whispers, “not today, but one day, I want to take your knot. Maybe take two of you.”

My rhythm falters, a groan ripping from me, because her words will be the end of me. “Gorgeous,” I rasp, gripping her hips tighter, “I’m not gonna last long with words like that.” She chuckles, a soft, wicked sound that turns into a shudder, her body tightening around me, and I feel how close she is, unraveling in my arms.

We’re both chasing our pleasure as she falls apart against me, a sweet cry muffled against my shoulder as her body clenches, pulling me over the edge. I come hard, heat spilling into her, and we ride the wave together, her trembling matching mine. I burymy face in her chest, her heartbeat thumping against my lips. “I wanted this to be more romantic—dinner, conversation, not just… this.”

She laughs, her fingers playing with the short hair at the base of my neck. “You can eat me later if that helps,” she teases, and I growl, half-laughing, my hands squeezing her waist.

“Don’t fucking tempt me,” I say, lifting my head to meet her eyes, sparkling with mischief but softer now, more open than yesterday, like she’s starting to see it the beauty and strength she carries all on her own. Her laughter’s a melody, freer than it’s been, and it hits me how much I want to hear it every day.

Her brows furrow as she shifts on my lap, my cock twitching inside of her, a playful smirk tugging her lips. “How are you still hard?”

“Because I’m not done with you yet,” I growl, making sure to add a purr at the end so she knows I’m playing. Her eyes darken, a flush creeping up her cheeks as I drag her into another kiss.

Maya

Sprawled out on my bed, basking in the post-sex haze, every part of me humming with a delicious ache. Holt’s beside me, propped on one elbow, tracing lazy circles on my arm with his fingertips, each touch sparking tiny shivers that ripple through me. His lips brush the side of my jaw, his mahogany scent wrapping around me like a warm blanket, and I sigh, sinking deeper into the sheets, my vanilla mingling with his musk. I fucking love being able to smell him, reveling in this quiet moment after Holt trying to lovingly fuck my brains out.

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