Sawyer counted the seconds until he pulled onto the gravel drive that marked the entry to his property. The wolf was pushing at him to hurry even more than his aching dick.

He’d taken quite a risk by giving her some time and space, not to mention offering her the information about the choice of her walking away from him. Had she chosen to leave, he’d have pined for her until she came to her senses or eternity if she rejected his claim.

He parked Penelope’s car behind his cabin and rushed around to her door before she could fully get out. He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. With her decision made, he wasn’t wasting any time. He wanted her naked and underneath him now.

“Sawyer!” she squealed. “I can walk.”

He growled in answer.

She smacked at his ass, laughing as she did. Clearly she had no problem with his taking control. He walked them straight through to his bed and dropped her on the mattress with a bounce. There’d be time to show her around later. Much later.

He followed her down, coming between her legs and clasping both her wrists in his hands. For a few long moments he stared down at her, memorizing everything about this moment before he leaned forward and kissed her with all the fierceness he’d been holding back.

She made a noise at the back of her throat, a needy sound that he greedily took from her. He lifted her shirt, only breaking the kiss long enough to get it over her head. Next, he removed her bra just as quickly.

Apparently she found it unfair that he too wasn’t undressed as he found her yanking at his shirt and removing it as well. For a moment he sat back and stared down at her there, in his bed. The first woman to ever be in her place. Her sweet scent filled the room, mingling with his. It made for a heady combination that would be seared into his brain.

And with every passing moment he felt a little bit more of his control slipping away. He could sense the wolf just under his skin, pushing him to take his mate now. Drive into her. Bite her. Come inside her. All in an attempt to turn her and make her one of them once and for all.

Sawyer felt his teeth lengthen just enough to pierce her skin. The pale and slender column of her neck framed by her silky dark locks beckoned him closer. And he heard the sound of her heart beating while watching the pulse at her neck. Raw power coursed through him—through them…

“Are you okay?” Penelope pushed to her elbows, worry etched across her face.

The hesitant tone of her voice snapped him out of his head and away from the animal instincts threatening to override him. “Never better,” he answered, while divesting her of the remainder of her clothes.

He raked his gaze across her now nude form and growled his pleasure. Smart, feisty and beautiful. A more lethal combo could not exist as far as he was concerned. Eager to touch her, he ran his hands from her ankles to her shoulder all while marveling at each curve of perfection. Fuck, what she did to him pretty much blew his mind.

From the moment he walked into the diner and caught his first glimpse of her he’d tried to deny his instant reaction. But as the moments turned into hours and he got to discover first hand what made her tick, he’d known nothing would be more important in his life than her. Had it not been for the shooting, he’d have forsaken his revenge for her.

As he ran his fingers lightly over the swell of her hips again, he admitted that she was well and under his skin and she wasn’t going anywhere. That she shivered under his touch only made his resolve to keep her forever even more solid.

For a moment he hesitated at the still red scar of her abdomen. Worry that he might hurt her made him linger.

“It’s barely even sore anymore,” she whispered as if reading his mind. “Whatever is in that bite of yours, it worked like magic. That’s one of the reasons I slipped out of the hospital so soon. I wasn’t going to be able to hide how quickly I healed from the doctor any longer.”

“Mmm hmm,” he hummed as he bent forward and pressed his lips to the ragged, but beautiful skin. He understood well the lingering affects of scars and what they could do to a psyche. However, in her case it served as a beautiful reminder of the quick decision he’d made to mark her.

He moved on, kissing his way to her generously rounded breasts and fully erect nipples that begged for attention. He eagerly laved one after the other until she writhed underneath him, moans falling from her lips.

With her pleasure building, his dick pressed against his jeans and begged for release. However, he wasn’t yet done tasting her so his own relief would have to wait a bit longer.

As he moved down her body again, every slide of skin against skin made his body erupt with heat that sent tremors quaking along his limbs until he was certain he would lose his mind any moment.

“Sawyer, you’re making me crazy.”

“Then I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

“Make love to me.”

“Soon, baby, soon.” He positioned himself over her, first pressing his weight down to hold her still and then moving further down until his shoulders settled between her now spread legs.

He inhaled hard, taking her delicious scent deep, feeding the hunger that consumed him. He nipped at the inside of her thighs until her hands threaded in his hair and tried to press him closer to her body.

He chuckled at the wildness making her restless and needy. The more she needed, the more he got to savor. “Damn, you smell good. I can’t wait to taste you.”

She mumbled something incoherent in response, making him smile even more. Mindless and on the edge of her first orgasm. Perfect.