Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Jesse . . . I get what you’re saying, but the inescapable fact is that fate paired you with a submissive female because, deep inside, it’s what you need. Submissives are built for the kind of relationship you want where one leads and the other follows. Dominants feels challenged by those types of relationships. We’d drive each other insane.”
He traced her hip bones with this thumbs. “I like control in a relationship, I admit that, but not the kind of control that means my female isn’t my equal. I want and need a female who’ll stand up and fight, demand to be considered and call me on my bullshit. That’s you, baby. So stop overthinking this and do what you should have done three years ago.”
“What’s that?”
“Admit that you belong to me.”
Harley swallowed. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking of me?”
“I do. I’m asking you to forsake your true mate. I’m asking you to step back into a world that let you down. I’m asking you to give me every part of you. And I’m asking you to accept every part of me—a lot of those parts are dark and broken.” When he said it aloud, he realized just what a shit deal she was getting.
“We all have parts that are dark and broken.”
He knew she was not only comforting him; she was warning him. He didn’t give a fuck how many dark or broken parts she had—he wanted her as she was.
“I can’t promise you I’ll be happy in a pack, Jesse. They’re a lot like prides and—”
“Yours wasn’t anything like a real pride, so how can you know that you won’t be happy here when it’s something you’ve never been part of before?”
She couldn’t deny that he made a good point. Hell, her “pride” hadn’t even had territory to call its own. There was an Alpha and a Beta but no enforcers. She sighed. “I need time to think.”
Think? He did not like the sound of that. “No thinking.”
“Jesse—”
“You’ve had three years to think. Plenty of time to come to terms with what I want from you.” He couldn’t, wouldn’t, wait any longer.
She growled, exasperated. He was too damn pushy—always forging ahead because he was so secure in his convictions. It didn’t bother her cat as much as it did Harley; the margay admired his perseverance and was drawn to his strength. She viewed him as a good potential mate—one she cared for.
“Jesse, feeling possessive and sexually attracted to me isn’t a reason to mate with me, and it’s definitely not a reason for me to accept you as a mate.”
“You know this is more than that,” he rumbled. “You’re more important to me than anything. Anything. I care about you. And I know you care for me, Harley, or you’d have walked away from this conversation long ago. Admit it, if you didn’t want to be here, you’d have slit my throat while I slept. In fact, no, you’d have done it while I was awake. But you didn’t, just like you didn’t object to staying in this lodge with me. You want to be right where you are.”
“Part of me does,” she admitted, because honesty deserved honesty.
“What about the other part?”
Even though he’d claimed to care for her . . . “It’s worried that you can’t be happy in a relationship with a female who won’t follow your lead.” He hadn’t said he loved her, but she didn’t put a lot of stock in that word. Her father used it all the time.
Jesse combed his fingers through her hair. “Baby, I like that you have your own mind. I like that you’re strong, smart, and willful. All I want is to make you feel safe, take care of you, and be your strength when you need it. Is that so bad?”
Something inside her melted. Her cat, a lover of indulgence, liked the idea of him caring for her when she needed it. “No, it’s not bad. But I’ll still buck every time you try to take over.”
“Of course you will. And I’d be lying if I said I won’t make you crazy—I’m bad at compromising and I like having my own way. I’ll push every hot button you have. But you’ve got to admit, it will make things interesting.” His hand slid up to span her neck. “Tell me you don’t want this.” He flexed his grip on her throat. “Tell me I’m not what you want. Say it and mean it.” She couldn’t; he could see it in her eyes. “Then kiss me, Harley.” She didn’t, and he growled, “Fucking kiss me.”
The order made her spine snap straight. “If you want a kiss, you’d better get it yourself.”
With a growl, Jesse palmed her ass and pulled her flush against him, but he didn’t kiss her hard. He sipped and licked at her mouth, tasting and savoring her. She tasted of everything he’d wanted since he was fourteen. Tasted like sin. Tasted like his. She inhaled sharply as he slipped his hand under her T-shirt and possessively palmed her breast. Her scent warmed and ripened with need, making his whole body tighten.