Garrett ascended the steps slowly and halted just in front of the screen doors of his home. Mingling with the sound of the crickets chirping and the birds fluttering around in the trees overhead was the sound of the television turned on inside. There was something cooking and the aroma wafted through the small window above the sink to where he stood on the porch. Having swum in the lake just before coming home, he was drenched from head to toe. Despite all of this, everything going on around him, and everything that had transpired, there was only one woman on his mind still—Autumn.

Her scent was the most prominent above everything else around him. He took a deep breath in and out, turned the knob, and pushed the door open.

His beautiful mate had been on the way to the kitchen, dabbing at her damp hair with a towel. When she saw him, she dropped the towel and rushed to him.

“I didn’t hear you come up the steps,” she panted, wrapping her arms around him.

“I’m not wearing my boots,” he said.

She smiled, her eyes gleaming with hope. Then she kissed him. Long, roving caresses across his lips. He pulled her closer and felt her heartbeat speed up against his chest. He deepened the kiss, dipping his tongue into her mouth and tasting all of her.

She parted from the kiss. “You’re soaked.”

“I took a dive in the lake,” he said. “I didn’t want you to see me the way I was.”

She touched his face and frowned. “You were fighting, weren’t you?”

When he didn’t say anything, she lifted the wet shirt over his head. Together, they peeled away his clothing until everything but his briefs were in the foyer.

“That’s better,” she whispered, tracing the jagged lines of his most recent scars. “But what happened out there?”

His hand cupped her ass and he squeezed her there possessively. He leaned in to kiss the sensitive spot behind her ear. And just as he thought—just as he had hoped—his birthmark was still there. He pressed his lips softly against her ear.

“I’ll tell you about that later, sweetheart. Just know that everything is all right now. You don’t have to worry anymore.”

“Thank you.”

He threaded his fingers through her thick wet hair. “No, Autumn, thank you, for trusting me. Thank you for showing me that there’s hope. About our talk…”

“Yes?” She looked at him anxiously.

“After we had sex, something changed.”

“I know. I’ve been feeling really weird,” she said. “Well, not weird, but just…” Her face blushed. “…like I need you again. But we both knew that would happen.”

“Yes, we knew that would happen. But something else changed. You’re carrying my mark, Autumn. That means—”

“I know about that too.” She smiled. “I saw your birthmark this morning right before you left. I know I’m wearing your mark.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “So…what next?”

“We do what we planned to do. Stay together. Love each other.”

Autumn slid her arms around his next and lifted herself on her tiptoes. “I mean, what do we do about my need to fuck you again?”

He groaned. “Mmmm, you’re becoming a very naughty woman.”

“I like me this way.”

She stepped back and untied the oversized robe and let the thing fall to her feet. He licked his lips and drank in her beauty. He was secretly pleased that she barely had clothes to wear just yet. She was completely naked. Without further hesitation, he picked her up and hurried to his bedroom.

Garrett tossed her onto the bed and then flipped her over so he could see the plumpness of her ass. He covered her body, pinning her down. With his mouth, he found the column of her neck. When his teeth lightly grazed her there, she moaned. Pleasure rolled through him when he viewed his birthmark on her neck. Its presence brought out the possessive side of him. It brought out the inner beast in him. He pushed his thick erection against her ass.

“You’re beautiful, Autumn,” he said. “And you’re mine.”

He slid his hand up under her belly and propped her up so that she was on her hands and knees. Ass up. Face down. Exposed to him.

“Oh, God, Garrett,” she moaned. “I’ve been wanting this all day.”

“Patience,” he whispered, taking a deep breath in, smelling her sweet arousal.

When he glanced down at her sex, he almost lost control. Her pussy was plump and juicy. Already wet for the taking. He glided his hands over her ass, kneading it until she was pushing back, begging him to enter her. Instead of giving his dick, he pushed two digits inside of her. Her cries of pleasure were music to his ears. The thing he wanted to do to her and would do to her for the rest of his life should have been forbidden. The cinnamon and nutmeg smell of her enchanted him. He wanted to taste her. Placing one knee on the bed next to her, he lowered his head and kissed the highest curve of her ass, kissing his way downward until his tongue was buried deep in her pussy. He lapped at her in slow, but firm strokes, letting her warm honey coat his tongue. Her whole body was trembling against him. Her clit pulsed against his tongue. She arched deeper, grabbing and pulling at the sheets on his bed. He couldn’t help himself and growled into her pussy. She let go…waves of energy traveled across both of them.

While she was still shaking and high on a climax, he spread her legs wider and buried himself to the hilt. Over and over again he drove into her, intent on giving her as much pleasure as she could handle and then some.

“Mine,” he growled, climaxing long and hard.

“Yes, Garrett. I’m yours.”

That was all the confirmation he needed. He wasn’t going anywhere. This was his home. Autumn was his woman. His true mate. His everything.