Page 17 of Shielded By My Mate

“Well, that’s a start. What don’t you want?”

“I don’t want to be alone. I’m sick of my life being dictated to me. I’m sick of having to achieve goals that don’t mean anything to improve my parents’ image. I want love and laughter and happiness and friends and adventure.”

“We can do that,” Ansel says easily.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nods.

“What about you?” I ask. “What do you want?”

“You, Mira. Just you.”

I have the sudden, undeniable urge to kiss him. His face is only an inch from mine, and when I lick my lips, his deep brown eyes drop to my mouth. He groans, starting to pull back, but I grip his shirt to stop him.

Ansel’s eyes meet mine, confusion and desire swirling in their depths.

I decide to give in, to follow my heart for once.

I close the distance between us, my eyes drifting shut as my mouth meets his. His lips are warm and soft against mine, but for one suspended second, he doesn’t move.

Panic flutters through me.

Maybe I misread him. Maybe⁠—

A deep growl rumbles through Ansel’s chest as he kisses me back. His hand slides into my hair, cradling the back of my head as his mouth moves over mine. The kiss is gentle at first, almost cautious, as if he’s afraid I’ll change my mind.

I tighten my grip on his shirt and press closer, trying to show him that I won’t. I want this. I want him.

Ansel seems to understand my unspoken message because his control snaps.

He rolls us over, settling his big body above mine. The movement is so smooth that I barely feel the mattress shift beneath me. He braces his weight on one forearm, careful not to touch my wrists, and hooks his other hand beneath my uninjured leg so my ankle never twists.

Even now, with his breathing ragged, and his eyes burning, he’s thinking about me. My chest aches at the realization. No one has ever looked after me the way Ansel does. My parents made sure I had everything I needed, but only because anything less would have reflected badly on them. With Ansel, it’s different. He notices things and watches my face for the smallest hint of pain. He carries me before I can even think to ask. He takes care of me because he wants to, because I matter to him.

I slide my fingers into his thick hair and pull him back down. His mouth claims mine again, harder this time. Heat spreads through my entire body as his tongue brushes against the seam of my lips. I open for him, and another growl vibrates between us. The sound should scare me. Instead, it sends a shiver racing down my spine.

His palm cups my cheek, impossibly tender compared to the hunger in his kiss. I lose myself in him, in his warmth, his scent, the weight of his body surrounding mine. For the first time in my life, I don’t think about what I should do or what anyone expects of me.

I only think about Ansel.

He suddenly tears his mouth away, and a frustrated sound escapes me. I chase his lips, but he lifts his head out of reach.

“Why did you stop?” I whisper.

His eyes are almost black, and his chest rises and falls with every harsh breath. He looks as if stopping is the last thing he wants to do.

“We have to wait.”

“Wait for what?”

His gaze drops to my swollen lips. A muscle jumps in his jaw, and his hand flexes against my cheek. “Tomorrow night.”

My mind is too hazy to follow. “Why? What happens tomorrow night?”

“The full moon.”

“Oh.” I blink up at him. “Couldn’t we just⁠—”