Hunter was still shaken by the break-in when they arrived at Garrett’s house, and Garrett and his mate Dawn came out to greet them.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so scary,” Dawn said, running out to envelope Kelly in a hug.

Kelly looked only slightly awkward as she hugged Dawn back, smiling at Hunter over her shoulder.

Garrett came in front of the women and folded his arms as he lowered his voice to talk to Hunter. “So… you have any idea what broke the glass?”

Hunter made sure Dawn was still talking to Kelly, because he needed to keep whatever he said from here on quiet. “I think shifter. I’m not sure. There was blood left behind, but it might be gone by morning. Kelly didn’t want me to go out.”

Garrett gave Kelly a look of respect. “She was worried about you?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess she’s worried about a lot of things. But I’m worried we just lost a chance to figure this guy out.”

Garrett nodded. “I get that, but right now, it’s just important to spend time with your mate.”

Hunter’s jaw dropped. “With my—”

Garrett put a hand on his shoulder with a smile. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. Anyway, let me show you your room. I assume staying together is fine?”

Hunter was still kind of speechless at Garrett’s words but followed him into the house, the women trailing behind.

Garrett walked to the back of the house, the opposite side of where the master bedroom was, and opened a door, flicking on a light.

It was cozy. Warm. A king bed with a homemade quilt and rustic railings. A dresser and two nightstands.

An adjoining bathroom with a bath and a shower.

Hunter stayed with Garrett by the door as the women explored it, Dawn pointing out all the things they could use.

“Perfect for two, right?” Garrett said, slanting a sneaky look at Hunter, amber eyes glowing.

Hunter folded his arms with a little huff. “It’ll be fine.” He softened, realizing he was probably putting his friend out. “We’re really glad you had a place for us.”

Garrett just laughed, then leaned in to whisper in Hunter’s ear, next to his shoulder. “It’s pretty soundproof, too. If you get up to some mating, we won’t be able to hear on the other side of the house.”

Hunter tried not to gasp, his ears flaming. Now he knew how Grayson felt when he teased him about wolves doing doggy style.

Hunter was used to being the one teasing, not the one being teased, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

Then again, the animal inside him only heard that they would have peace and quiet with their mate. To do whatever they wanted with her.

Oh fuck, she really was his mate, wasn’t she? It explained all of the overprotectiveness, which reached a level that was abnormal even for chivalrous Hunter.

He couldn’t really make himself certain yet. After all, what did having a mate even feel like? Did it happen as fast as this?

It would make sense with how quickly he was getting involved, but perhaps something about her just brought out the worry in him.

Something like her being his mate.

He shook his head, banishing the thought for now because it had no relevance on the topic at hand.

Except, as his neck reddened, he remembered how she’d kissed him, how her hands had grasped at him, and how she’d said she wanted to continue later.

But maybe when all the excitement wore off and tiredness took its place, she’d change her mind.

That would be fine with him, even if his kitty might die of disappointment.

It didn’t even have to be much. Just touching her was heaven.

When Garrett and Dawn had left, Garrett with a wink and Dawn with a friendly wave, there was an odd tension in the room.

Kelly set her bag on the bed and looked over at him coyly, clearly not forgetting where they’d left off.

She was still in her soft flannel pajamas, revealed as she took off her coat and placed it on a nearby chair. They couldn’t have hidden more of her, yet he couldn’t have been more turned on by the thought of slowly revealing her, button by button.

She walked into the bathroom and began to mess with her hair as Hunter cleared his throat, wondering where this was going.

He walked into the bathroom and saw himself in the mirror over her shoulder. He was so much taller than her that he had no trouble seeing both of their faces, even when he was directly behind.

“I… Are you sure you’re okay? That was… not what anyone wants to wake up to.”

“No.” She agreed with a sigh. “But like I said, I’m just glad you were there.”

“Me, too. I’m just mad because you were sleeping so peacefully, and then the dang alarm went off. You can’t catch a break, can you?”

She laughed, and her brown eyes sparkled, despite the stress lines under them. “You have no idea.”

He walked forward, putting his arms around her and nuzzling his nose into her neck. He couldn’t help it. It didn’t have to lead anywhere…

She put a hand on his arm. “I was so scared. I couldn’t believe you weren’t frightened.”

He laughed into her shoulder, making her flinch. From pleasure or shock? “I was frightened.”

She pulled away from him and walked to the bed, pulling the covers back. As she got in, she gave him a disbelieving glance. “You didn’t look frightened at all. You just cocked your gun and went to take care of business.”

“Well, yeah. I’m not going to let a woman I care about get hurt.”

His words hung in the air between them, and she slowly blushed, averting her gaze.

He looked around for a blanket to spread on the ground again, but without looking up, she tapped the bed beside her, gesturing for him to get on.

He hesitated, cursing himself for doing so. He was still wearing his work jeans. “I’ll get you dirty.”

“That’s the idea,” she said with a smirk. “Just take your jeans off. You’re wearing underwear, right?”

Underwear that would do nothing to hide the state of his feelings for her.

“Yeah.”

She patted the bed again, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Get in.”

He slowly undid his belt and dropped his jeans, grateful he wore boxers instead of briefs. Then he quickly walked around and got under the covers before she could catch sight of anything untoward.

To his surprise, she cuddled in against him, resting a hand on his chest, her curls splayed on his shoulder.

He raised a hand to stroke it lightly through her hair, loving the feel as each lock bounced around his fingers.

“Tell me why you were frightened.”

He let out a long sigh, thinking back to the moment the alarm had gone off. He’d been watching her sleep. It had been such a content moment. And then the feeling had been destroyed, replaced by fury and then panic as he realized someone was in Kelly’s house.

Or trying to be.

His whole body tightened in response to just the memory of it.

“I was worried that if someone was in the house, they could sneak around me somehow and harm you. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to be everywhere at once and something would happen. Or that I wouldn’t be enough.”

She reached up to run a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “I think you’re enough. I think you’re the best man I’ve ever met.”

For some reason, hearing that from her lips, even though she barely knew him, was the most wonderful thing in the world.

He couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her, using his fingertip to gently tilt her chin up. Where her kiss had been insistent, his was calm and quiet, as he just enjoyed the feel of her body beside his and let the tension between them slowly build.

Her lips were plump, soft, and sumptuous, and he could have nibbled them all day if he didn’t want to keep her mouth locked to his.

Slowly, he slipped his tongue in, parting her lips as her mouth opened easily. He let out a groan at the feel of wet heat as her tongue moved forward to tangle with his.

They came closer as they kissed, bodies entwining, and they fit together in a way that was absolutely perfect.

Meanwhile, his hands ran over her body, checking that no harm had come to her, that she was safe and intact in his arms.

Precious.

He kissed her more deeply, stroking his tongue deep inside as her hand dug into his hair and pulled in a way that was erotic and painful at the same time.

He said nothing, just pulled back to kiss her deeply on her neck at the base of her shoulder, hoping to make her pull on his hair again.

She did, arching back as his mouth moved down her neck to her cleavage and the opening of the flannel. He used his deft tongue to undo the first button and then licked softly over the exposed, smooth, dark flesh.

She let out a little gasp and arched against him, more urgent this time.

He brought his hand up to undo the rest of the buttons, letting his mouth slowly wander down as she lay beneath him, letting him reveal her one button at a time.

When her shirt fell away, fully open, he looked at the most perfect pair of breasts he’d ever seen. Dusky nipples were hard with desire atop perfect, rounded globes he had to immediately hold in his hands.

He resisted the urge to bury his face in them and instead lowered his mouth to lick the first one. Gently then ravenously at first, letting his hands still squeeze her as she began to writhe and make little squeaking sounds.

He pulled back for a moment, watching her flustered face with a smile. Damn, his mate was perfect.

He moved to kiss and lick her other breast as both hands still cupped and squeezed. She began to move her legs together, holding them tightly, and he knew exactly what she wanted.

He slowly slid a hand beneath the waistband and felt for her soft cotton panties. They were already wet with moisture, and he stroked lightly over her sensitive flesh with them still on.

“Oh God, yes,” she said. “Don’t stop.”

He dipped inside the panties then, desperate to feel her wet skin. He stifled a groan as his finger found velvet, and he played in the folds before moving up to her stiff little clit.

She arched hard when he moved over it, and her fist moved up to her mouth so she could bite down. He reached up and grabbed her hand, then her other one, keeping them over her head as he began to stroke.

He could see every part of her at this moment, have total control as she writhed, helpless, and he played at her center, dipping into wet folds and swirling over her nub.

Her pretty dark skin flushed and glowed with exertion as she began to writhe harder, fighting against his arms as the pleasure became too much to take.

He removed his finger for a moment and raked his gaze over her, soft, curvaceous, nearly naked, and gasping, her whole body poised on the verge of release.

“Damn you. Don’t make me wait,” she grated out.

“Come, then,” he said, smiling as his hand came back to her center and pressed down.

She came over the edge immediately, and he released her hands so she could come up and wrap her arms around him, holding on for dear life as pleasure took over her world.

Her legs were trembling and thrashing, her nails digging into his back muscles, and he grinned against her cheek as she called out his name over and over.

“Hunter” had never sounded so good.

And he would be her hunter. He would hunt everything that ever endangered her. He would hunt them to the end of the world just to keep her safe.

When she was done coming, she flopped back on the bed, gasping. “It’s been so long. Oh God, that was amazing.”

He propped himself up on his side and let one finger lazily circle her breast, coming up to tease her nipple. “I’ve only barely begun.”

She took a deep breath and released it. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

He looked over her, her tousled curls and glowing skin that was shiny with sweat and arousal. “No, I think you’ve got a few more inside.”

She sighed, curling in against him so they were face to face on their sides. “Okay, maybe.” She moved her hips forward so she could be closer to him. “Maybe you’re right.”

He loved when she was shy like this, so he pulled her in even closer and threw a leg over hers, trapping her. Then he shoved his hand down between her legs, inside her panties once again.

This time he fingered her, moving in and out of her wet heat as his lips found her breast, suckling gently and teasing with his teeth.

She dug her hands in his hair, utterly trapped, murmuring obscenities as he continued to mercilessly bring her to the edge.

“Dammit, Hunter. Why does it—”

“Feel good?” he murmured against her nipple. “Because I’m good at it. And because I care.”

She arched back again, and he grazed his teeth softly over her breast, then blew on it, watching the nipple once again harden. His hand paused against her wet heat, and he let her take a few desperate breaths before starting again.

This time he was more voracious, moving in and out of her as she began to buck against his hand, clearly loving what he was doing to her.

He wanted badly to be inside her, but without protection, there was a risk of mating, and before she knew what he was, he couldn’t risk that.

So he simply continued to pleasure her, working her to the edge of release and then pausing, whispering in the dark, listening to her begging and whimpering before letting her go over and over again.

Feeling her thrash in his arms and scream his name was perfect, and he was glad Garrett had told him there was no need to worry about sound. He couldn’t imagine it being this good if they were quiet. He needed every moan, every muffled sound, and every scream.

When he was done and she appeared to be having trouble breathing, he finally withdrew his hand.

“How many was that?” she asked, gasping.

He smiled indulgently. “I don’t know. It’s hard to count when I’m in heaven.”

She gaped at him. “But you… It’s all been about me.”

He propped himself up, helping her pull her pajamas back on as she slowly recovered, her breathing returning to normal.

She’d been so wet for the last one, and it had been so strong he had no doubt that, for now, she was done.

She reluctantly helped button her shirt, then flopped back on the mattress with a groan. “You really know how to overdo things.”

“Impossible, remember?” He stroked a hand through her hair, then lay down on his back and pulled her in against his side so he could play with her hair.

Though he’d only pleased her, he was utterly full of contentment.

And to his chagrin, despite him fighting it, a low rumbling began to emerge from his chest.

She pushed up a bit so she could look down at him, her face both exhausted and a little amused. “It’s that sound again. What is that?”

He swallowed, and the purring stopped. “I guess my stomach rumbled. Probably hungry.”

She eyed him doubtfully. “Never heard a stomach like that.”

He flexed playfully. “Hey, it takes a great stomach to feed muscles like these.” He enjoyed her look of lust for a second before he laughed and pulled her in against him.

His heart was still beating so hard.

“You’re silly,” she said. “But I believe you if you say it’s nothing. Just want to make sure you’re okay.”

He was touched she was worried about him, but he knew she didn’t need to be. “I’m fine. More than fine now that I have you with me.”

“Oh God, I’m going to want to do that again, as soon as possible.” She buried her face in his side, burning with pure embarrassment.

He caught her chin, bringing her head up so she could rest on him, her cheek against his chest. “You couldn’t possibly be cuter. And as for doing that again, I was planning on it.”

She stroked her hand lightly over his abs, running down every line of them before coming back up. She pushed herself up to place a kiss on his nose before flopping over and facing away from him. “Good.”

Then she pulled the covers up over her with a giggle, struggling slightly as he came over to spoon her from behind.

“Nope, not getting away this time.”

“Okay.”

“Besides, I have a feeling you’ll sleep best in my arms.”

She was quiet then, and he almost wondered if he’d said something wrong.

But then she just nodded and snuggled in.

And then soon, she was sleeping peacefully, and all was right with the world.