~

 

“Stacey seems to think that we should give you a bed so that you don’t have to go home at night,” Donna offered back and watched as that smile reappeared.

“I think Stacey is a very smart child,” Malachi nodded. He really liked that idea.

“Stacey thinks I have a big bed — too big for one person…”

“A really, really smart child,” Malachi grinned as he pushed up to his feet.

Donna licked her dry lips, and her mate growled long and hard. She didn’t know if it was just her or not, but he sounded decidedly hungry.

“Now…” Donna grinned and giggled with nervous excitement. She couldn’t help herself, she felt like a teenager on her first date.

Malachi was walking toward her, and each step felt like her heart kicking at her ribs. She swallowed hard — tried to breathe normally, but that wasn’t working for her either.

So much anticipation in so few steps. Both of them felt it.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Malachi growled.

He was in front of her, standing there with his hands fisted at his sides like he couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted to do next.

Donna knew what she wanted him to do next. She just didn’t want to draw him a map.

“There was a question?” Donna couldn’t remember.

“I asked you if you wanted to be my mate,” Malachi was in a holding pattern. He knew what he wanted to do, but he needed her to agree to it.

“That wasn’t the question…” Donna giggled like a schoolgirl again.

“Then let me ask it — will you be mine?” Malachi growled long and hard.

It was taking every inch of willpower that he possessed to keep his beast in its cage, and his hands to himself.

“Is that the shifter equivalent of will you marry me?” Donna offered him a teasing look, and Malachi growled once more.

“Do you want me to get down on one knee?” Malachi demanded.

“Do you want to get down on one knee?” Donna chuckled.

“I’d much rather have you wound around my body — naked — as I love you like a mate should.” Malachi couldn’t help but growl at that image within his mind.

“Wow — that’s…” So bloody hot and tempting that I think I just melted on the stool.

“Tempting?” Malachi’s sexy grin was back, and his eyebrows were dancing in sinful ways that tempted her more than he would ever know.

“Some would say tempting,” Donna took a long moment to pretend to think about it, and Malachi growled once more.

“And what would you say?” Malachi demanded.

He was fit to burst — his hands were so tightly fisted that his fingernails pressed into his skin and he was sure that he could scent his own blood.

Mine…

“I’d say…” She had something of a sly, teasing, tempting smile upon her lips. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and humor — and she was stretching out the torture to epic proportions. “Yes.”

Donna said the word and was shocked that a heartbeat later Malachi had wrapped his arms around her, lifted her from the stool, and had started to stalk toward the bedroom with her wrapped around his body.

“Please tell me you’re sure,” Malachi growled.

“Well…” Donna teased again.

Malachi almost tripped over his own feet as he hesitated in his stride. She still had a teasing look on her face, and her eyes still flared with amusement.

“Seriously?” Malachi growled.

“No…”

“No?” Malachi frowned.

“Seriously — no. Am I sure — yes,” she chuckled, but that chuckle turned to a squeal when he booted open the bedroom door and spun her toward the bed.

“There are so many ways that I might just make you pay for that,” Malachi grinned.

“I hope so.” She chuckled.

Donna felt her world tip backward and then she felt the mattress behind her back. Her heart raced, her mind raced, and all she could think about was being naked with him.

“Don’t tease me,” Malachi growled.

“Because I might not like you when you’re angry?” Donna chuckled.

“Because I might just prove my point,” Malachi warned her.

“Now who is teasing who?” Donna chuckled, and that chuckle sounded decidedly dirty to his ears.

He liked that — he liked that a lot.

“Tell me you’re mine…” Malachi wanted to make certain.

“Needy — very needy,” Donna chuckled again.

“That’s it…” Malachi growled.

“What’s…?” She got no further as his soft lips came down on hers. Her heart made a concerted effort to reach him through her rib cage.

One moment; they were just kissing and the next they were hot and heavy. Malachi might have been a shifter, but the man had more hands than an octopus. Donna had to admit that she wasn’t much better — she was pulling and tugging at his clothes, but he was getting a lot further than she was.

“Stop slapping my hands away,” Donna chuckled, but she managed to get the words out even as she gasped for air.

“Stop putting your hands in the way — I’m trying to get you naked,” Malachi chuckled back.

“Oh, there’s a coincidence,” Donna offered back, but she gave something of a small shriek when he fisted her jeans and yanked them down her legs and off. “Geez, give a girl some warning.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Malachi growled and that growl was hungry, and it matched the look in his eyes.

Malachi reached for his shirt and yanked it over his head. It only took a few seconds more for him to have his jeans around his hips. When his eyes locked onto her face, he saw that there was a hungry look that mirrored his own.

In some small corner of her mind, she knew that she was gawking at him — a naked him — almost. Those big broad shoulders, those big muscled arms, and the chest and abdomen that was packed with ridges of hard muscle held her attention and wouldn’t let go. She gawked anyway.

When her gaze followed the natural ridge of muscles down over his hips to the dark hair that promised what she was looking for was close by, she licked her lips before swallowing hard.

Then she practically jumped with pleasant surprise when his long, thick, cock sprang free from the material as he thrust his jeans down his legs and kicked them off.

“Holy moly!” She announced with glee and Malachi’s amused chuckles followed.

“I’m going to make sure you’re ready for me, sweetheart,” Malachi could have drooled at the prospect.

He moved onto his hands and knees and crawled up her body. His thick, heavy cock hung low and pointed toward her channel like it was looking for a home.

“Better than; ready or not here I come…” She couldn’t say anymore because she was giggling like a schoolgirl.

“That’s not gonna happen,” Malachi chuckled.

When he leaned over her, caging her in with his hard body, neither one of them felt the need to chuckle anymore.