“You knew it would end up like this.”

The satisfied alpha traced a path below my navel with his finger. Tiny bumps formed in the wake of his touch, rippling across my skin. I shuddered back and bit my lip.

“Like what?”

The alpha’s grin quickly fell from his face. “With you wrapped around my finger.”

A slight shiver carried through my skin. Looking away, I felt my cheeks turn hot. “Give me a break.”

I never thought I would be there. Not with him, naked in his bed, draped under his body. Guys like me never found their happy endings.

I found myself lost in the green of his eyes. They flashed like a forest touched by the rays of the sun. I wanted to stare at his amazing bone structure for days, but I needed to get one thing straight. I needed to make sure he was mine.

“Maybe you knew, but I didn’t.”

I held my breath and paused to look my best, but I was in that awful emotional spot where I couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.

I cocked my chin forward and kissed his handsome set of lips, but as soon as I pulled away, my smile faded. I wanted us to work, but I was losing myself in a man I didn’t even know. A complete stranger.

Hunter was someone who didn’t hesitate. If he saw something that he wanted, he’d reach out and take it. Somehow, that level of cockiness pulled me in.

I agreed to his terms.

When I released my lips from his neck, he scooped my body into his until I was propped up and straddled around his waist.

“You shouldn’t lie to me, pumpkin,” Hunter said. “I need you to tell me the truth. Admit this is exactly what you wanted.”

I rolled away from his tauntingly hot body. “I won’t admit to anything… daddy,” I said.

He grinned and tugged on my nipple as I grinned back again. “Mm, it gets me hard hearing you say that.”

I paused and glanced around his penthouse. He had everything he could have asked for and more. Why did he want to settle down? And why with me?

“What are we doing?” I asked, lowering my voice. “I mean, is this real? You and I?

He stared into my eyes, face severe. “I will never leave you, Matthew,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because I care about you more than I care about myself.”

He pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips behind my ears, whispering, “I’ll never hurt you.”

Bare skin against bare skin, our bodies touched, and I held onto this moment with everything that I had. He hovered over me, staring into my eyes like a wild beast. A fire inside his eyes forced me to stop smiling.

He’s not really your man, Matthew. When he gets all he needs from you, he’ll leave.

The smile on my face faded, but he gave me one last kiss and promised me the world. I let myself melt away in his embrace, pushing down the doubts, fears, and even the hope. Those were tomorrow’s parties. Right now, I was just going to enjoy this. Whatever it was.