Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Camden’s words drifted to the forefront of her mind …
If he does offer you what you want, don’t panic. Think.
Bailey took in a fortifying breath, telling herself to calm her tits, striving to think through the riot of emotions in her system. Deke might not have done as Camden spoke of and verbally offered her what she wanted, but … Deke being in a mental space that had sparked imprinting to begin was a definite indication that he was prepared to do it.
Right?
Right.
Or maybe not.
She wasn’t sure. The imprinting process was too poorly understood. Just because they had the emotional potential to take things to a whole other level didn’t necessarily mean it was what he wanted.
Don’t backtrack. Don’t pull away. Don’t immediately assume it won’t work.
She should probably be annoyed that Camden had pretty much predicted how she’d react in such a scenario.
Her snake was having no such crisis. The serpent was completely relaxed, utterly content with the situation and finding Bailey weird for doubting that Deke would commit to them.
Really, the only way Bailey would know where his head was if she outright asked him. She cleared her throat and positioned herself on her side. “Okay. So. What do we do?”
Rolling to face her, he studied her expression. “Scared?” The question was whisper-soft.
“A little,” she admitted. “You want to find your true mate. You used to talk about it to people often.”
“I didn’t have you back then. Now I do.”
Hope whipped to life in her stomach. “You’re not upset about this?”
“Not even close.” He palmed her face, breezing his thumb over her lower lip. “Baby, I’m not the flight risk here. That’s you.” He searched her eyes, his focus so intent. “Do you love me?”
She sucked in a long breath. “Uh … well … I mean, it’s … I … Why are you smiling?”
“You love me,” he asserted, confident.
“What?”
“If you didn’t, you’d have just said no. That you’re all flustered means you do but you’re struggling to admit it.” He lightly flicked her bottom lip with his thumb. “Will it help if I tell you I love you first?”
She swallowed so hard it was audible. “Maybe.”
He nipped her chin. “I love the shit out of you, crazy though you make me. Now it’s your turn.”
Bailey nervously chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Iloveyou,” she blurted.
His smile widened. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get back to the imprinting situation. What do you want to do?” he asked, throwing her own question back at her.
“Bite you really hard.”
He chuckled even as his eyes heated. “In other words, I don’t have to convince you not to fight this?”
“No, but your cat is another matter. Is he flipping his lid right now?”
Deke shook his head. “Tate was wrong in what he thought. My cat didn’t withdraw because he was angry at not having his true mate.”
“Then why?”
“He was pissed at himself, because he’d started to resent the people close to him. So many were mated and moving onto the next stage of their lives while he was alone. He was even mad at his true mate for eluding him, irrational as that may be. And … he was mad at you.”
“Me?”
“He wanted you from the beginning, but you disregarded his strength and authority,” Deke explained. “That changed recently, though. And you let me in. Started to trust me. You even played with him. Little by little, you made him feel less lonely, less bitter. More settled. Until he felt part of something; felt important to someone.”
She swallowed. “My snake would get lonely sometimes. Then she’d haughtily decide she didn’t need anybody. But the loneliness would trickle back in eventually, because all she’d really done was push it aside. You made it go away, and you earned her trust.”
“So, to sum up, our animals are good with us imprinting. Also, we’re good with it. Yes?”
“Yup.”
Pure male satisfaction flooded Deke’s body. That, and a healthy dose of relief. He’d worried his skittish little mamba would flap on realizing they were wearing each other’s scent. He’d been braced for it, but she’d surprised him. His cat loved that he now wore her scent; was rolling around in it. “Then all that’s left to do now is celebrate it.”
Deke fisted her hair and brought his mouth crashing down on hers. He sank his tongue inside, seeking the taste of his mate. His mate. Their bond might not be alive and kicking yet, but she still belonged to him.
And she loved him.
It had been a hell of a shock upon waking to realize they were imprinting on each other, considering his cat’s issues and Bailey’s guardedness. But he hadn’t been shaken in a negative way. A bone-deep satisfaction had poured through him like warm syrup, filling every crevice, settling in good and proper, and making him face that he loved the goddamn bones of the woman now moaning into his mouth.