Mine for Eternity [Council Enforcers] (Siren Publishing Classic) (9 page)

Her scent washed over him, bringing with it a sense of calm, and Mitch breathed deep. He hadn’t realized he had closed his eyes until he opened them and stared into Tessa’s concerned face. He could see the reflection of his eyes glowing in hers. Mitch knew she was seeing him in a partial shift, but she never took her hands off his face. He didn’t smell fear coming from her, and it gave him to courage to tell her. His mate was a strong woman. He just hoped she was strong enough to hear what he had to say.

“Mitch, answer me. Is everything okay? You look like you’re in pain.”

“I’m okay.” His voice had a growl to it proving how close his lion was to the surface. “I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen. Whatever you do, promise that you won’t run. My lion is too close to taking over, and I don’t think I can hold him back if I had to chase you.”

Tessa didn’t even hesitate giving him an answer. “I promise I won’t go anywhere. You haven’t given me a reason to not trust you, so whatever you say can’t be that bad.”

Mitch spoke before he could talk himself out of it. “There is no easy way to explain this, so I’m just going to come out and say it. You are my mate, Tessa.”

“Like wolves? Not you guys but real ones? I mean not that you guys aren’t real or anything but…you know what I mean.”

Mitch laughed at Tessa’s babbling. He could tell she was trying her best not to offend him. “Yeah, baby. Just like real wolves. All shifters believe that there is one person out there that fate has decided is perfect for them. We believe there is one person out there meant to complete us and end our loneliness.”

Mitch paused and gauged Tessa’s reaction. She didn’t look like she was about to bolt. Instead, she looked truly interested in what he had to say, so he continued, “Like I told you before, we don’t get sick. We can’t catch human diseases, and we heal pretty much instantly. Because of that, we can live for a really long time. We aren’t immortal, but barring a horrific accident or someone killing us, we can live practically forever. Knowing there is someone out there specifically meant for us gives shifters something to look forward to rather than the burden of living forever alone.”

“And you think I’m your mate?” Tessa whispered.

“Yes. The day you showed up, I smelled your scent on Nico, and all I wanted to do was pull him under me and purr. He set off my protective instincts, and I didn’t know why until you came out of the bathroom screaming. When you bent down to pick him up, your scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew instantly you were my mate.”

He watched as Tessa gulped. She still hadn’t taken her hand off his face, and she kept running her thumb up and down his jaw. He had a feeling she didn’t even realize she was doing it, and he was scared to move in case she stopped. Mitch became distracted when he saw her tiny, pink tongue glide across her bottom lip, leaving a trail of moisture behind. Without thinking, he leaned in and took the same path with his own tongue. Her sweet taste exploded in his mouth, causing him to growl and grab the back of her head. He fisted both hands in her hair, using it to position her where he wanted. His little mate gasped, and Mitch took full advantage by thrusting his tongue in her mouth. The kiss was brutal and wild. He surged his tongue in and out mimicking what he hoped he would soon be doing with his cock.

Mitch traced every inch of her mouth leaving no surface unexplored. Only when the need to breathe became too much did he loosen his grip and pull back. Tessa’s eyes were glazed over, and she looked dazed as she panted for breath. He could feel the sense of pride coming from his lion for making their mate look that way as he settled and let Mitch have full control.

“Tessa,” he said when he could use his voice again. “Mates are meant to be cherished. Let me love you. Let me show you how good I can make life for you and Nico. I know we just met, but say yes and I will make you the happiest woman in the world. You and Nico will never want for anything.”

“I don’t know what to say, Mitch. I’m still not completely sure what being a mate means. This all seems too good to be true, but what if you get tired of me? You don’t even know me. How can you already say you want to spend eternity with me?”

“I can say it because you are my mate. I already feel love growing for you, and deep down, if you are willing to admit it, you can feel it, too. It’s not just attraction drawing us toward each other. It’s fate. We are meant to be together. When we mate, your body will change until you become more like me. You will inherit a few shifter traits. That’s all. Mating isn’t some hard, complicated process. It’s a simple bite to your shoulder that will bind us together, and you become mine.” He kissed her again long and hard. “Just say yes, and we can be together. I promise I won’t allow anything to tear us apart.”

Mitch ran kisses along Tessa’s jaw while he waited for her answer. He knew it was a dirty move, but he didn’t want her thinking too hard. He had a feeling she was looking for the smallest excuse to say no, but he had no intentions of letting her. Now that he had his mate in his arms, he was not letting her go. She just needed to realize that. When he got to her ear, he swirled his tongue inside before gently nipping her lobe. He held back his smile when she shivered in his lap.

“Oh, God. It may make me the craziest person alive, but
yes
!” The last word ended with a shout when Mitch bit down on the soft spot where her shoulder and neck met. The spot seemed to be already sensitive, but Mitch knew that, when he put his mark there, it would become an erogenous zone for her. He couldn’t wait, knowing he was going to have a lot of fun with that spot in the future.

Without giving Tessa a chance to have second thoughts, he rolled her over so he was lying over her in the bed. “Thank you, baby, you have made me and my lion the happiest shifter in the world. I promise you won’t regret this decision.” Mitch kissed her softly and slowly this time, putting all of his gratitude into the kiss.

Tessa had a feeling she had truly gone off the deep end, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Deep in her heart she knew Mitch was telling her the truth. She could feel it in her soul. To know that, after enduring a lifetime of loneliness, fate was finally giving her someone who was specifically made just for her was almost overwhelming. She loved her son to death, and he filled a void in her heart with unconditional love, but what Mitch was offering was totally different. He was offering her something that only a lover could. He filled something that she had no idea she had been missing until she had met him.

As Mitch continued his assault on her neck, Tessa did what she had wanted to do since the first day he ran down the stairs after her shirtless. She lifted his T-shirt and ran her hands over the smooth, warm skin of his stomach. She could feel every ridge and groove of his six-pack, and her mouth watered to trace each line with her tongue.

“That feels so good,” she moaned when Mitch made his way down her throat to her chest and took one of her nipples into his mouth. She could feel the moist heat of his mouth through her T-shirt and bra and wished at that moment that she was completely bare for him. Her need for him escalated, and she could feel moisture flooding her cunt, preparing herself to take him. Tessa wanted him inside her.

“Please, Mitch. It’s been so long. Don’t make me wait.”

Mitch didn’t respond. Instead, he lifted off her and grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt. Tessa sat up in the bed, eager to help him out. The sooner she got out of her clothes and helped him out of his, the sooner she could have him buried inside her. Her pussy clenched at the thought.

“How long, baby?” Mitch asked before he latched onto her other nipple. Now that her breasts were bare, Tessa nearly came from the sensation. Normally her nipples weren’t very sensitive, but the rasp of Mitch’s rough tongue went straight to her pussy and had her close to orgasm in no time. She had a feeling the roughness was a feline trait due to his lion. Mitch let off her nipple with a pop, and she wanted to scream and jerk his head back down. The bastard grinned at her then, letting her know he knew exactly what he was doing.

He trailed his tongue down her stomach and along the waistband of her jeans as he worked her button. “Tessa, answer my question. I don’t want to hurt you.”

What? Hurt me?
It took her mind a minute to catch up. She couldn’t focus when Mitch was slowly lowering her zipper. The sound seemed to echo in the room. “Oh, um, since I found out I was pregnant with Nico.”

“You’re killing me, baby. Are you telling me you haven’t had sex in almost three years?”

“Yeah.” Tessa panted and lifted her hips, hinting for him to continue. “Is that a problem?”

“No, no problem. It just makes me want you even more to know that I’m going to be the first guy to give you pleasure in such a long time. I have a feeling I’m not going to last long once I’m inside you.”

“If it helps, I barely remember the last guy. We were only together for a couple weeks, and he was long gone before I realized I was pregnant. I didn’t even bother trying to find him to tell him about Nico.”
What the hell? Why did I just tell him that? Shut up! Don’t say anything else.
Tessa berated herself. Mitch probably thought she was a slut and a bad mother. She had never felt guilty over keeping something as important as a child from someone until she had just confessed it to Mitch. It wasn’t like she had known how to locate her son’s father to tell him, but she had to admit that, even if she had, she still would have kept it to herself. What if Mitch didn’t want her anymore now that he knew?

Her question was answered when he pulled her jeans and panties down her legs at the same time. His movements seemed frantic as he lifted himself off the bed and hurriedly ripped his own T-shirt and jeans off. Tossing his clothes across the room, he climbed back on Tessa and buried his nose in her crotch.

“Damn,” Mitch moaned. “You smell and taste like heaven. I could stay down here and lick this sweet pussy all day.”

He proved it by lapping at her clit with his rough tongue. Tessa screamed and lifted her hips off the bed. She buried her hands in his silky hair and held on as he swirled his tongue around her hole before thrusting it inside. She had been hovering on the edge of an orgasm, and each thrust of his tongue drew it closer and closer. Mitch replaced his tongue with one of his thick fingers while he sucked her clit into his mouth. One flick of his tongue against her clit while his finger stroked deep inside her was all it took to set Tessa off. She screamed her orgasm as her cunt clenched against his finger.

When Tessa opened her eyes after she came down from her high, she expected to see fireworks or at least sparks. What she saw was even better. Mitch was hovering over her with a gorgeous grin on his face. Her juices glistened on his lips and chin, and without thinking, Tessa leaned up and licked his lips.

Mitch groaned with a pained look on his face. “You keep doing things like that and I’m going to come before I get inside of you. It’s going to be fast and hard, Tessa. I can’t wait, but I promise to take it slow next time.”

“I don’t care. I just want you in me.” Tessa slid her hand between their stomachs and wrapped it around his cock. She still hadn’t gotten a look at it, but from the feel of it in her hand, the man was huge. Her mouth watered at the thought of wrapping her lips around his length, and she vowed to do it, just not right then.

She guided the head of his cock to her hole and moved her hands. She placed them on Mitch’s firm butt and pulled him to her, letting him know she was ready. He didn’t need any further encouragement and thrust his hips, burying half his length in her.

Mitch gritted his teeth. “So tight. You feel so good wrapped around me.”

Tessa panted for breath. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same way, but she was at a loss for words when he pulled his hips back and surged back inside her, burying his full length in her channel. Mitch set up a steady rhythm, and she lifted her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust. She could feel her body preparing for another orgasm and wanted him to come with her this time.

“Tessa, do you accept me as your mate?” Mitch emphasized each word with a thrust of his hips. “There is no going back if you say yes.”

There was no way she could say no. It would have been the biggest mistake of her life if she had. “Yes, Mitch. I want to be with you. Make me yours.”

The words hadn’t had time to leave her mouth when he struck. Tessa saw a flash of fangs before he buried them in her neck. Her scream didn’t come from pain. It came from the pleasure coursing through her body as every muscle she had tensed. Her back bowed as her orgasm raced through her. Distantly, she heard Mitch shout and felt warm heat as he came deep inside her.

Tessa had no idea how much time had passed when she was finally able to open her eyes. She had a feeling she may have passed out because Mitch was no longer in the bed with her, and she never felt him get up. She saw a light coming from the bathroom and heard the water turn off then he was strolling toward her with the grace of a cat. Now that she knew he was part feline, Tessa was starting to see signs that she hadn’t noticed before.

He used the warm rag he was carrying to clean her up, and Tessa felt her cheeks heating. It was odd that the act had her blushing after he’d had his face buried there, but she couldn’t help it. The act was almost too intimate. She had never been taken care of like that before.

“You feeling okay, baby?” Mitch tossed the rag toward the bathroom before climbing in bed and pulling her in his arms.