Page 30 of The Alpha's Sin
I guess I can’t blame her. He really did her dirty. But God, it hurts my heart to know she can’t fully trust me. I want to be her rock—her protector. I want to keep her safe from anyone who might dare to try and harm her…
And that thought gives me an idea.
19
POPPY
Logan looks at me across the firelit living room, his pale eyes serious, his jaw set like he’s bracing for an argument.
“There’s something I need to do,” he rumbles. “Something to keep you safe. Those bastards today only came at you because they didn’t smell me on you. If you’d carried my scent—the scent of an Alpha—they would have backed the hell off.”
I blink at him.
“What are you saying?”
His big hands flex against his thighs before he speaks again.
“I’m saying I need to scent-mark you. Cover you with my scent so every male within a hundred miles knows you’re mine. It’s like putting up a neon sign that says, ‘Keep the fuck away.’”
My heart starts beating faster.
“Yours?” I whisper, tasting the word.
“Not really,” he growls quickly, then softens his voice. “Not unless you want it that way.” He looks at me seriously. “This isn’t about ownership, Poppy—it’s about protection. I won’t do it if you’re not comfortable. Consent matters.”
Consent. That one word makes me feel safe, even as heat coils low in my belly. The thing is… I do want it. God help me, I want him—want to belong to him. For days now I’ve felt restless and needy in my own skin, like there’s a low-level fire burning inside me. I don’t know if it’s Heat, exactly, but I’ve never been this horny in my life. I’m hungry for his touch—starving for it.
“I’m comfortable,” I murmur, my voice husky. “I want you to do this—I want you to mark me.”
His pale eyes flare with heat.
“Sweetheart, if I do this, it has to be done right. The glands are strongest around my mouth and my groin. I’ll need to rub against you. Skin to skin. That means…we’ll have to get naked—both of us.”
A shiver runs through me. Naked. With Logan. My brother-in-law. Wrong according to the Were laws, maybe, but my body doesn’t care. My body is already screaming yes.
“All right,” I breathe. “Let’s do it.”
Logan leads me to his bedroom, the big space glowing dimly from the single lamp on the nightstand. I haven’t been in here since the night he gave me the massage and back then, I was the only one who was naked. Now we’re both going to be bare. The bed looks enormous, draped in a dark comforter. I suddenly feel tiny, trembling with anticipation and uncertainty as he shuts the door.
“You’re sure?” he asks one last time, giving me every chance to back out. “You want this? Want me to mark you?”
I nod, my pulse racing.
“I’m sure.” I’m surprised at how steady my voice sounds when my heart is pounding.
He strips off his shirt in one easy move, and my mouth goes dry at the sight of his chest—broad, sculpted, and dusted with a line of dark hair that disappears into his jeans. He toes off his work boots, unbuckles his belt, and shoves the denim down. He’s already hard, tenting the black boxer briefs that are the only thing left on his massive frame.
I swallow hard. My turn. My fingers tremble as I take off my shirt, then my jeans. Standing there in my plain cotton bra and panties, I feel self-conscious…but the way he’s looking at me makes heat pool between my thighs.
“God, kitten…” His voice is thick, almost reverent. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I somehow manage to get out.
I can’t breathe right—I feel slightly dizzy. I unclasp my bra and let it fall to the floor. Then I slide my panties down, leaving myself bare before him.
Logan growls low in his chest and sheds the last barrier between us. His cock springs free—thick and long and dark with need.
The sight makes my mouth water, my whole-body clench with yearning. I really must be in Heat, I think. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to seeing a man naked before. Then again, not every man looks as good as Logan does bare.
