Authors: Aline Hunter
Marked (18 page)
Balance. Unity. Devotion.
Being his mate took on an entirely new meaning.
He removed his teeth from her shoulder, reminding her that
she needed to do the same. After she released him he lifted her from his cock.
His still-hard length slipped from her body, slapping against her thigh. She
sagged against him, their sweat-slicked chests sliding against each other’s.
Her body was sore all over. She’d feel what they’d done for days.
And she didn’t want it any other way.
“Chloe?” he panted, catching his breath.
It was difficult to talk but she did her best. “Hmm?”
“There’s something I need to tell you. I have something
important to ask.”
Pulling away from him took more energy than she’d expected
but she wanted to look him in the eye. He wrapped a hand in her hair, golden
irises shining.
“Our mating is official within the packs but I’d like to keep
my word to your grandfather and make it legal too.” His lips curved, expression
turning sweet. “Will you marry me?”
It took all her willpower not to close the distance and kiss
him. Her heart was brimming, all her worries fading away.
“Gramps would like that but I don’t know. It’s a big
decision.” Perhaps it was dangerous to tease him but she was willing to take
her chances. “What’s in it for me?”
His smile turned into a panty-dropping grin. “How about a
man who wants to give you the world?” He lowered his voice, the hand at her
neck drawing her closer. “You own me. You have since the moment you entered my
dreams. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
The man certainly had a way with words. “Is that so?”
“Absolutely.”
With an answer like that, how could she refuse? “Then yes,
I’ll marry you.”
Their lips met, brushed and parted. She clutched his
shoulders, sighing as tingles erupted in her stomach. The rays of the moon bled
through the window, covering their bodies. The impulse to shift and run through
the forest remained but it wasn’t strong enough to tear her away from Jackson.
The man destined to be her mate.
The one person she couldn’t exist without.
“Shower first,” he cradled her against his chest as he rose
from the bed, “then food.”
“And after?”
He nuzzled her nose, his breath warm against her mouth. “We
can talk, watch a movie, go outside and play. We’ll do anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
All kinds of naughty thoughts drifted through her head. “I
can live with that.”
He entered the shower and turned the faucets, rotating so
his back protected her while the cold water heated. When the heavy streams were
hot he bent at the waist and set her on her feet. She kept her arms around his
neck, going onto her tiptoe.
“You know I feel the same way, don’t you?” she asked,
staring at up him.
He caressed her cheek, his touch feathersoft. “Tell me.”
“My life started when I met you. I never knew it could be
like this.”
“Now that you know, how do you feel?”
“Amazing. Safe.” She hesitated and said softly, “Loved.”
Bowing his head, he whispered, “I love you with everything I
am.”
“That’s a relief.”
“That’s all you have to say?” He winced, acting wounded.
“Are you going to make me shake the words out of you, woman? What does a man
have to do for three little words?”
Reaching up, she rested her fingers on his jaw. He was
joking but she was serious. Skimming her nails along the dark bristles that had
grown, she peered into his eyes, wanting him to know what she had to say went
deeper than words.
“I love you.”
A broad, heart-stopping smile spread across his face. She
yelped when his arms went around her waist and hiked her into the air. He
whipped her around, pressing her against the chilly shower tiles.
“Ask me for anything and I’ll give it to you.”
“Anything?
He nodded and she grinned. “You owe me a tattoo.”
“That’s right. I do.” He pulled away and gazed down her
body, his eyes hovering over her breasts. “Any idea where you want it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see my entire body.”
“That’s too bad,” he murmured, voice deep. “It’s a beautiful
sight.”
“Do you think you could help me decide?”
“Oh yeah.” The glide of his calloused hands over her rib
cage made her tremble. “Hell yeah.”
She groaned when his mouth brushed her collarbone, his
tongue darting out to dance along her skin. Her sex dampened, clenching as she
imagined him lodged firmly inside her. They weren’t leaving this stall without
some heavy hanky-panky but she didn’t care.
So what if the shower and food had to wait? She had a golden
ticket to pure, unadulterated bliss. She’d be insane to pass that up.
Look out world, here we come.
All aboard the Jackson express.
Epilogue
Rachel bolted upright, gasping for breath, heart pounding
frantically in her chest. She swept her arm across her nightstand, cursing as
she tried to turn on the light and knocked her alarm clock to the floor. The
bulb glowed when she flicked the switch, bringing her drab bedroom into focus.
He wasn’t here. It wasn’t real.
A dream. It was just a dream.
She threw the covers aside, uncaring that it was colder than
hell.
The house she’d inherited from her father—a house she’d had
to have her mother evicted from—was poorly constructed. The insulation wasn’t
fit to house an animal inside, much less a person or family. Adding insult to
injury, the roof needed to be replaced. The only real way to stay warm was to
drink tons of hot chocolate, layer her clothing as thickly as possible and
sleep beneath heavy blankets.
She returned the alarm clock to its proper place before she
walked through her home. She turned on every light along the way. It was a
silly habit, one she’d developed shortly after her father’s death. Maybe that
was why she hated supernatural creatures so much. Bad things lived in the dark.
Things that would snatch you up and eat you alive.
You can run but you can’t hide, Just Rachel.
“Piss off,” she snapped, wondering why in the hell she’d
started having dreams about the arrogant, condescending and impossibly gorgeous
werewolf she’d met at the tattoo shop. She didn’t trust men in general, which
meant she sure as hell wouldn’t trust a member of the male populace who changed
into an animal. Besides, he wasn’t her type.
Not your type? He’s a goddamn werewolf!
“Get a grip, Rachel,” she muttered, hating that she had
resorted to talking to herself after spending too much time alone. “Make your
chocolate fix and go to bed.”
Despite trying to focus on the task at hand, she kept
envisioning Tall, Dark and Arrogant. In her dreams his face was covered in a
thick, attractive shadow. His eyes were as she remembered—a vibrant shade of
gold. With his T-shirt missing, clothed only in jeans and boots, she’d been
able to see all of his tattoos. The intricate sleeves wound around the front
and the back of his shoulders, creating one large pattern. The black ink suited
his tanned skin, bringing attention to his muscular arms, broad shoulders and
six-pack abs. Just below were the visible bones of his pelvis. Bones that
created a sexy V that vanished beneath his jeans.
“Okay, that’s it.” She slammed a fist onto the counter. It
was lust. Plain and simple. Nature was finally making its demands on her body.
“Tomorrow I’m getting a vibrator. Enough’s enough.”
Once the hot chocolate was made she scurried to her bedroom,
turning off the lights as she went. She placed the mug on the nightstand as she
wrapped the blankets around her, grateful she’d decided to splurge on quality
handmade quilts instead of cheaper comforters.
Sinking into the pillows, she brought the drink to her lips
and her thoughts shifted to Chloe. If things were different she would have
called her best friend and told her what was going on. It wasn’t unusual for
them to call each other at weird times. As a matter of fact, they’d been known
to spend hours on the phone talking about this and that.
A sharp pain lanced her chest.
Would Jackson resent early morning phone calls? Would he get
pissed off if Chloe wanted to visit Rachel’s home for a girls movie night?
Although they weren’t related by blood, the women were as close as sisters.
They talked to each other almost every single day. Surely he wouldn’t try to
come between them?
“If he does, I’ll shoot him,” she grumbled.
As usual, the hot chocolate was gone before she was ready.
She always wanted more of the stuff. It was her one indulgence. The only thing
she spent hard-earned money on. With an exhausted groan, she placed her mug on
nightstand, turned off the light and sank into the bed.
It was dark, the night quiet.
She glanced at the window, trying not to think about the
full moon. She really needed to get some sleep. The shop was always busy in the
summer and winter. Tomorrow wasn’t going to be any different. Unless she sold
the house and shop and moved—something she’d considered but hadn’t had the
courage to do—this would forever be her life.
She closed her eyes, safe and sound in her snuggly warm bed,
trying to return to the land of dreams. Mr. Tattoo Man was a coincidence.
Nothing more. Just another weird thing that sometimes happened to people. Like
déjà vu. Besides, if he showed up again she’d tell him to go fuck himself.
You can run but you can’t hide, Just Rachel.
Who the hell did he think he was? She wasn’t running? No
way.
She grinned into her pillow, waiting for sleep to claim her.
In dreams she could do whatever she wanted, which meant normal rules didn’t
apply. As soon as she drifted off she’d search for a drink to throw directly
into his face. After he was good and doused she’d tell him where to go and how
to get there. If she was lucky, they’d be in a public place.
She focused on a location, choosing a bar down the road. It
was always full of human patrons. Putting him in his place in front of mere
mortals would be full of awesome, bordering on epic.
Now
that
would wipe the smile off his face.
About Aline Hunter
Aline Hunter is the alias of multi-published author J.A.
Saare, who has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance
anthologies and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone,
which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music and
choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,”
“gritty and sexy” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Currently she is penning multiple projects within the urban
fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and paranormal romance categories.
Aline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Marked
ISBN 9781419941153
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Marked Copyright © 2012 Aline Hunter
Edited by Ann Leveille
Cover design by Fiona Jayde
Photo: Les3Photo8/Dreamstime.com and Four Oaks/Shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication November 2012
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