Page 58 of Destined Mate

WHEN THE world rematerialized around him, he was still panting beneath Wesley, sticky and sated.

Somewhere just below the rush of his pulse that still hadn’t slowed completely, the bond he’d been noticing pulsed brighter and stronger than ever before, and it had an answering call now: one that was rich with affection and absolute devotion.

Jerome touched the bite. It wasn’t a few gentle tooth marks like Li Li’s had been; this one was ragged around the edges from teeth tearing flesh in eager insistence—a mark meant to last forever.

He stroked a finger along its edge, and oh wow. It zinged all the way down to his toes. Never had it been like that before—and now? Now it would be every day for eternity.

He’d never realized what kind of shoddy secondhand life he’d been living until this moment.

“Well?” came a breathless voice just above his ear. “Too good to be true?”

Jerome burst into laughter, an elated, exhilarated sound that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside him. He wriggled beneath Wesley, twisting his body until they were face-to-face and their noses were nearly touching. He knew the grin on his face was impossibly wide.

He couldn’t believe how intensely their lives had intertwined so quickly, or that this kind of unbelievable happiness was real.

Closing the remaining gap between them, he caught Wesley’s lips with his own, capturing them in a fierce, fervent kiss. He poured everything into that kiss—his joy, his disbelief, the spark of something that was more than lust or affection, the unexpected completeness that reached down to his very bones.

When he finally released Wesley’s lips, he was breathless and completely unwilling to let his mate move even an inch away from him. Wesley’s breath ghosted over his flushed cheek.

But drying come was not fun.

He relaxed his grip on Wesley and let his mate get up. Wesley retrieved a damp cloth, its coolness contrasting with the warmth of the room, and gently wiped the remnants of their passion from Jerome’s skin. The tender care spoke volumes. It told Jerome he mattered.

Once Jerome was clean, they nestled under the soft covers, the night wrapping around them like a comforting embrace. He drifted into a peaceful sleep, the rhythm of their breaths gradually syncing in the quiet room.

JEROME WOKE Wednesday morning with Wesley spooned against his back, a solid, comforting weight. When he tried to get up, Wesley’s arm tightened, pulling him even more snugly against his chest.

Jerome’s stomach did that weird little somersault thing it’d been doing since last night. Wesley didn’t want to let Jerome go—not only did he feel the tightness in Wesley’s arm, but he also sensed Wesley didn’t want to let him go through the bond.

There was no doubt now; they were mated.

He heard something like a soft sigh just above his head and then felt the puff of a breath against his hair. Wesley nuzzled into the back of Jerome’s neck, apparently unwilling to let go in sleep.

The twinge of anxiety that had accompanied Jerome all week vanished, replaced by an entirely different sort of nervous energy—one that made him want to whoop and yell and embrace every damn person he ran into today.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Mmmm.”

There was sleepy amusement in the sound. Jerome tried to turn so he could see Wesley’s eyes, but Wesley didn’t seem inclined to let him move even that much.

“Good morning,” Wesley finally managed.

“Morning.”

Wesley said nothing else but hugged Jerome closer. They stayed like that for several long minutes until neither could pretend they didn’t need food—or coffee.

“We’ve got a lot to do today,” Jerome reminded Wesley. “And I’m hungry.”

Chapter Sixteen

Wesley

“THEN LET’S get my mate fed.” Was it bad that those words gave Wesley a little thrill?

Their lovemaking had lasted long into the night, and Wesley wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day doing more of the same. They didn’t have that luxury, however. A new day was upon them, and there were things that demanded their immediate attention.

He reluctantly released his hold on Jerome’s warm body and sat up in bed. Jerome also sat up and stretched. Once again,Wesley’s breath caught in his throat at how stunning—and perfect—Jerome truly was.

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