“Jack, no, you’re already doing so much for me!” She protests, but I silence her with a kiss.
“Come on, it’s time for your reward,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the exit.
“But I wasn’t good at anything today,” she objects. “I don’t deserve a reward!”
“Babe, you were brave enough to try, even when petrified. You did so good.” She practically glows from the inside out when my praise lands on her. We need to work on her being so hard on herself, but first, my girl deserves a treat and I want to get to know her better.
We stop by the packhouse, and I pick up a picnic basket before heading back to my place, where I make some lunch and grab a bottle of wine and a few other bites to eat.Emily is beaming as she watches me prepare for our first date, and it’s another stark reminder of how badly she has been treated in the past.
“It’s a bit of a trek to where we’re going, but I promise the view will be worth it.”
“Sounds great,” she says, her smile so genuine it guts me.
I grab the now-packed basket and a blanket with one hand and wrap my arm around Emily’s shoulder as we head to my favorite overlook—high enough to see most of the territory, but also hidden from sight. It's the perfect place for privacy and being one with nature.
Emily and I chat about how she has been settling into pack life here and the differences in Lunar Eclipse compared to Blood Moon.
She's so easygoing as we walk. She even teases me about putting warriors on her trail and I love seeing her sassy side coming out. And she never complains. Not about how far away it is or how low-key this date is. She laughs at my jokes, leans into every touch, and looks at me like I’m worth something. Like I’m enough.
Sarah never did that. She wanted fine dining and complained about everything in my life. Nothing was enough by her standards. I can’t believe how idiotic I was to think she could have been my fated mate. When I think of my mate now, it’s Emily I imagine in the role.
When we reach the lookout spot, I lay out the blanket, and Emily unpacks the picnic. She looks around, taking in the view of the forest floor, the rising mountains in the distance, and how the light reflects off the surface of the lake.
“This is so perfect,” she sighs contentedly.
“Yeah, it sure is,” I agree looking directly at my girl. She glances back over her shoulder and the smile that breaks out across her face when she realizes I'm not talking about the view is nothing short of breathtaking.
She cuddles into me as we eat, drink, and laugh together. And as I watch her biting into a large strawberry, my mind goes straight to other thoughts I have about her. I stare at her gorgeous pouty lips as they close over another berry, and I can’t hold in how much I want her a second longer.
I lunge for her, sending the last of the food flying. She squeals, but it quickly shifts into a moan as I press her back onto the blanket, trailing kisses down her shoulder and neck. She meets my passion with her own fervor, grasping and pulling me closer.
“Fuck, you are so hot,” I mutter between placing open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. Her hands find their way into my hair as she pulls me towardsher mouth, kissing me desperately. “Take off your clothes,” I order while moving back so I can watch.
Her obedience as she follows my commands without delay makes my cock impossibly hard. She undresses and kneels before me on the blanket. There’s something about having her bare before me while I’m still fully dressed that makes me want to ruin her and control her pleasure at the same time.
“So fucking sexy,” I mutter while trailing my hands lazily over her body. She shivers under my touch and her nipples harden to diamond peaks. With both of us kneeling in front of each other, I lower the waistband of my sweatpants enough to release my cock. I don’t even have to tell her what to do before she shuffles back and then hinges forward at the waist. Her lips close around me as she takes my cock into her hot, wet mouth. I thrust forward involuntarily, and she takes me deeper. Her whole body moving back and forth to suck me towards the back of her throat.
I groan, gripping her hair. Her mouth is amazing, but this isn’t working—I need to touch her. With my hand buried in her hair, holding her in place, I lower myself into a seated position. She continues to suck me, her mouth hot and eager, as I reach around to touch her. Her pussy is dripping with need and as soon as I make contact, she groans loudly around my cock. So beautifully responsive.
How could anyone not want this?
I slide two fingers in before removing them. With her own wetness, I rub circles around her clit. After only a few moments, Emily’s entire body shudders and she moans loudly, choking on my cock. Seeing her like this has me ready to explode.
“I’m so close, babe. You need to move unless you want my cum hitting the back of your throat.” Emily groans but makes no movement other than to hollow her cheeks and suck me harder until I explode in her mouth.
She eagerly swallows every last drop before releasing my cock from her perfect mouth. She uses her finger to scoop up a little that dribbled out the side of her mouth before sucking that clean, too.
Fuck me.
“Holy shit, that was amazing,” I say, pulling her onto my lap and wrapping my arms around her. I drop kisses on her tits and up along her neck before finding her swollen lips. She tastes salty and sweet and all mine.
“You okay?” I ask, tucking her hair behind her ear and noticing how the cogs in that overthinking brain have begun to turn. “Was that too much?”
She sniffs and gives me a watery smile. “I’m so glad I met you,” she whispers. “Everything with you is so different. So… good. Do you think it could be possible that we’re…” she trails off, but the hopefulness in her gaze sends a shiver of excitement through me. The notion that this could be the woman I spend the rest of my life with seems too good to be true.
“Emily, goddess, I hope so. Nothing would make me happier than if you were my mate,” I say earnestly while cupping her face. And I mean it. I think we were meant to meet each other. To heal each other. And I can't see myself ever letting her go even if she's not my fated mate. I want to choose her, fated or not.
“How long until your birthday?”
