She could hear crickets and the gentle rustling of trees in the breeze.The moon was visible over the tops of the trees behind the house.Her pulse was thrumming, and her mouth was dry.Her hands were literally aching to touch him.
Finally, she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned in the seat to face him.
He mimicked her, and she found herself staring at her mate.
Her freakingmate.
“I wanted to thank you,” she said.“For whatever it was you did that saved me from causing all kinds of problems on the bluffs, maybe hurting someone.”
“It didn’t feel like saving, actually.It felt like finding.Like we were both meant to be there tonight and find each other.Even if your magics hadn’t acted up like they did, I would have felt you and sought you out.”
His words stole the breath from her lungs.
She leaned over, her lips barely brushing his.
It was electric and warm.
He let out a low growl and returned the kiss with heat and hunger that made her magics twine together and roll under her skin.He laid his hand on the back of her neck, and electricity shot down her spine.If she could growl, she would.
Instead, she melted into him; into the softness of his lips, the heat of his skin, and the demanding kiss that made her heart pound and her skin tingle.
She pulled from the kiss as old fears crept into her mind.
Was this too much, too fast?
It surely felt right.
He released his soft grip on the back of her neck and stroked her jaw with his thumb.She shivered.“You belong with me, Kaeli.But I’m not trying to push you into something you don’t want.Whatever happens, whenever things happen, it’ll be right for us.I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re very sure of things,” she said.
“I’m very sure that you’re mine.”
It was such a simple statement, yet it released the tension in her body.She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and kissed him once more.Just a quick kiss, a bit of a promise that she also wasn’t going anywhere, and then she got out of the truck.
He grabbed her bag and took her hand, leading her up the walk to the front door.
“Welcome home,Nightling,” he said in a low voice.“All that I have is yours.”
ChapterSix
It was funny how a house that had always been home-like but not quitehomecould suddenly feel like home simply because of someone new.Kaeli made the place feel totally different just by being inside.
It was late, and he was nervous because he didn’t know where her head was at.Conversation in the truck had mostly revolved around superficial things.He probably only knew the bare minimum of her past, but he didn’t want to make any demands on knowing things she might not be ready to share.
He took her suitcase into his bedroom, the largest of the two and the only one with a bed.The other one was used for storage.
When he came back into the front room, she was right where he left her, like she didn’t know what to do with herself.
“I know it’s late, but I’m kinda starving.Can I make you something?”he asked.
“Sure.”
“I don’t cook much,” he said, moving to the fridge and opening the door.“There are some she-wolves who bring meals around to pack members, so I usually have a freezer full of things to reheat.Do you like mac and cheese?”
“I love it,” she said.
He pulled two packages of mac and cheese out and put them in the microwave.Then he grabbed sodas from the fridge and set them on the counter.He didn’t have a kitchen table because he never needed one, and he either watched TV while he ate or used the counter.
