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Her long blond hair brushed against the back of my hand, and I was sorely tempted to wrap it around my fist to tug her head farther back while I captured her mouth in a deep kiss. It was damn difficult to fight that urge, but I needed to make sure my pretty mate was okay before I kissed her senseless.
Dragging one of my hands up, I brushed my thumb across her cheek’s soft, pale skin. “Making you cry.”
She sniffled again, her nose wrinkling in a way that was somehow sexy and adorable at the same time. “I’m not crying.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded. “But those beautiful green eyes of yours have tears in them.”
Her expression softened as she smiled up at me. “Happy ones because you’re so sweet.”
“Nobody has ever accused me of being sweet before.”
Her eyes twinkled with joy. “I have a feeling I’m going to be saying it a lot.”
“Damn straight.” I finally gave myself permission to give in to the temptation that was her mouth. Bending my head, I pressed my lips against hers, my tongue sliding between them when she gasped. I’d only meant to get a quick taste before we returned to the party to say our goodbyes, but our kiss quickly spiraled out of control. Our tongues tangled together as I cradled her petite body against mine, her breasts pressing against my chest. Even through several layers of clothing, I felt the pebbled tips as she rubbed against me with a whimper.
We were both breathless when I lifted my head. Scanning the kitchen, I spotted a door in the back and started to tug her toward it. I only made it halfway there when she dug in her heels and protested, “We can’t just leave. It’s a surprise party for me.”
“There isn’t a single person out there who won’t understand why we snuck out the back,” I assured her, stroking my thumb against her palm. “The mated couples know what it’s like when you find each other, and anyone who hasn’t found their mate yet will be looking forward to the day when this happens to them.”
“They closed the entire restaurant for me, Rome.”
Her tone held a healthy dose of disbelief, as though she didn’t think she was important enough for her friends to go to such lengths to celebrate her birthday. Although there hadn’t been enough time for me to get to know my mate yet, I had no doubts that she was the kind of person who deserved everything the Timber Ridge pack had done for her tonight. And more.
If it took sticking around for her party to make her see that, then I’d suck it up and stay. For a little bit, anyway. “Okay, pretty baby. We can go back in there, but I want another kiss first.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, going up on her toes to press her lips against mine.
I loved that the hint of shyness I’d caught when she was talking about the mating process hadn’t stopped her from taking what she wanted from me. My sweet little mate didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss, and a groan rumbled up my chest when her tongue slid inside my mouth. Gripping her hips, I yanked her against me so she could feel the hard length of my cock as it pressed against her stomach. “If you want to enjoy the party your friends are throwing you, we better get out there now. Before I toss you over my shoulder and find somewhere I can fill your tight little pussy with my come before I sink my teeth in your shoulder to mark you as mine.”
My lips curved into a satisfied smirk when she shivered at my warning. Her eyes were foggy with desire, and the touch of regret in them when she pulled away from me soothed my ego. “We don’t have to stay long, but I would like to try some of the baked Alaska that Larken made. It’s one of my favorite desserts, but we don’t normally serve it because the recipe takes hours between baking the cake, making the ice cream and meringue, and freezing everything in multiple steps.”
“Is that the one they set on fire when it's served?”
She laced our fingers together and tugged me toward the door that led into the dining room. “Yup.”
“I’ve always wanted to try it.” My cock pressed against my zipper when she stared at my mouth as I licked my lips.
Everyone shouted out their congratulations on our mating as we walked into the dining room together. I stuck close to Thora as she introduced me to several of her friends as we made our way over to the table piled high with food.
“Ooh, they made some python ravioli in wild mushroom cream sauce with the loin that I roasted yesterday.” She rubbed her hands together, grabbed a plate, and scooped herself a big serving of the stuffed pasta.
“Eat up,” I murmured against her ear. “You’re going to need the energy later.”
Twisting around to grab another plate, she shoved it against my chest and muttered, “You will, too.”
Her sassiness made me chuckle, even while it intensified my need for her. But there was no denying she was right. Since I was meeting Ramsey and Aero here around dinnertime, I hadn’t eaten on my way into town. I’d heard amazing things about the food served at Timber Treasures and hadn’t wanted to spoil my appetite. Not that it was even possible since my wolf gave me a high metabolism.
“As you wish.” I winked and enjoyed my mate’s pretty pink blush as I piled food onto my plate.
I led her over to a table for two in the corner and pulled out her chair before setting my plate down. “Would you like something to drink?”
A tall guy who smelled like a polar bear came up behind me with two glasses of champagne grasped in his large hands. “Thought you might want these.”
He handed the glasses to me instead of offering one of them to Thora, which I appreciated. I’d touched my pretty mate enough that she carried the slightest hint of my scent, but it wasn’t enough to make me comfortable with her being close to an unmated male. I wasn’t sure anything ever would be.
Setting the drinks down on the table, I gave him a chin lift and muttered, “Thanks.”
“Thank you, Bexley,” Thora echoed my gratitude.
