Gen pulled up in front of 1010 to find Greyson had beat her there and was sitting on the bottom stair of the small porch of the trailer. In his fingers, he twirled a little white oxeye daisy flower, and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered on.
She parked on the weeds and gave him a little wave as she turned off her Mustang. Grey smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Uh oh. What had she done wrong? They’d had a great lunch date, made out in the alley, and he’d talked with her for half an hour at her car before they’d parted to drive back to Red Havoc territory. What had changed from thirty minutes ago to now?
She pulled her laundry out of the passenger’s seat and made her way across the ankle-high grass to him.
“Nothing’s wrong. I just…” Grey gave his attention to a pair of panthers walking the tree line side-by-side. His eyes were a muddy cross between blue and gold when he arced his gaze back to her. “I was offered a full-time manager position at Jessie’s a couple of weeks back. I put off the decision because it will have me working almost every night, and I have to run the moonshine deliveries. I didn’t have any reason to pile on more work before…but now things are different.”
Why different? she mouthed.
“Because we have to start rebuilding your savings for your cochlear implant, Gen. What Sean did? It was sooo fucked up. But you still deserve the surgery if you want it. All I want to do is spend every second with you that I can, but I’m gonna take the job and I’m gonna up our moonshine production so I can bring even more in. Fuck the lions. This has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with you. I’m sorry if it’s too soon to talk like this, but it’s how I feel. How my panther feels. I want to help you, take care of you, and keep you… It’s an instinct…and I need to start bringing in more income because, someday, I want you to hear my voice. Mine first. I know that’s selfish, but I don’t give a fuck. I want you to hear me when I tell you how pretty I think you look, how valuable you are. And how kind, sweet, and strong you are.”
Gen’s face crumpled and her eyes burned. His offer meant more than anything in the world to her. This was the moment she chose him. Ben was kicking her out, but she would simply have to find a way to stay here with Grey. With her Grey. She reached into her purse as a tear streaked down her cheek and handed him the other Bangaboarlander matches.
Without a single second of hesitation, Grey ripped the pages to tiny pieces and left them in a pile on the bottom stair. And then he stood, handed her the little white flower, and took the bag of folded laundry. He was trading her, giving her something small and meaningful in exchange for the burden of the weight. How symbolic. How very Greyson—giving her something beautiful but taking the weight from her to put it onto himself.
Her inner gorilla was utterly stunned, and smitten. And possessive. Greyson had Gen’s attention like no man had ever managed. He was a good-to-his-core man, and she wanted to keep him, too.
He led her into 1010. She didn’t flip the light switch on because she didn’t have a pleasant conversation with him on her mind. No, she wanted more. She wanted to touch him. Wanted him to touch her, because deep down she knew they would be bonded completely if he buried himself inside of her. And she was so worked up from earlier in the alley already, she just wanted that and more. She wanted to feel again.
Grey dropped the laundry bag on the floor near the hallway and then rounded on her like he knew her intentions. Like he could feel her stalking him. His eyes blazed gold as he strode for her, and then his lips were on hers, crashing like a tsunami wave. It would’ve hurt if she wasn’t ready and wanting a little pain right now. Grey felt heavy, so heavy. Dominant, mature shifter, and how was he not an alpha? His intense, raw, primal dominance rivaled any silverback she’d met. She fucking loved the way he grabbed the hair at the nape of her neck and arched her head back to kiss her throat. Hard suck, then a lick and, oh my God, she was gone. She clutched his shirt with a gasp, then ripped it. Fuck the fabric, she needed to touch his skin. His chest rattled under her touch. Growl or purr, it didn’t matter, he was so fucking sexy all riled up like this. He backed her toward a table by the door and shoved off a key bowl. It shattered on the floor, but Grey only smiled against her lips and bit her bottom one in a delicious tease.
Bossy boy, she loved him taking control. He ripped her shirt like she had his and tossed it on the floor, yanked her hands back to his pecs, and pressed her touch there as he kissed her. He gripped her hips hard and lifted her up to sit on the edge of the table. God, she wished she could hear the noise he was making right now. It rattled the air, vibrating against her skin and driving her mad.
Feeling bold, she eased out of the kiss and bit his neck, softly, teasing, but hard enough to say without words, “This is mine.”
Grey jerked her hips into his so hard the legs of the table stuttered a few inches across the floor under her. She bit down as she spread her legs wider, creating a cradle he could fit into because she needed to feel his erection against her right now. He rolled his hips, and she met him, reveling in the sensation of him between her legs. His kisses were harder now, more desperate. His control was slipping, and she felt like a goddess. She felt like a vixen. Like she was beautiful. Greyson popped the button of her jeans and ripped them down her legs, kissing her so hard her lips throbbed. His gold eyes flashed with hunger as he stared down between her legs, and the smile on his lips turned devilish as he slid his hand to her sex and pushed two fingers inside her.
She curled her toes and arched back, gasping at how good it felt. He stroked his fingers into her slowly, torturing her until she cupped his hand and encouraged him to go faster. Grey lifted her hand and bit her right by the thumb. Punishment, but his smile was still there. It was feral, sure, but it was there, and it counted. He knew how to play, but she’d been close, so he got punishment too. She gripped the back of his head and pulled him to her breast. He unsnapped her bra in the back and pulled it smoothly from her arms, then sucked hard on her nipple. Holy hell she’d never wanted a man more than him. He knew exactly what she liked, knew exactly how to toe the line of pleasure and pain. His hand was rough on her one breast, massaging it as he paid attention to the other with his mouth. And then he sank to his knees suddenly and shoved her knees wider. Before she could balk, his mouth was on her sex, and his tongue was buried deep inside of her. She lost her damn mind. Gen could feel the vibration of her helpless moan in her chest, but didn’t care what she sounded like right now. There was no more control as his head bobbed between her thighs, as he licked her until she shook, until her belly quivered and her legs went numb. Until he built the fire in her center so hot she threw her head back and let go completely. Orgasm shattered her, blasting through her body from where his tongue was thrusting into her upward. So intense, and she was gripping his hair in desperation. She could feel him growling against her sensitive clit as he sucked.
And then he was on her. He was up, shoving his jeans down his hips, then an arm around her back as he yanked her toward him. He wasn’t gentle, and she didn’t want him to be. Grey rammed into her, filling her. God, he was so big. Thick and long, and she had to remind herself to relax so she could take all of him. The second thrust, he pushed into her all the way. He entwined his fingers with hers and pulled her arm behind her back, pressed it against her spine to keep her completely at his mercy, and she fucking loved this. Loved him in control, loved him teaching her what he liked. Oh, outside of intimacy, he held doors for her, gave her tiny flowers, and carried her things. But in the bedroom, he liked to be boss. Sexy Greyson. He made a really good boss.
He bucked harder and harder, his powerful hips thrusting as he pulled her against him. Her boobs were smashed against his impossibly strong chest. His lips and teeth were all over her mouth and neck. She was coming again. Again, again, it was happening again. Greyson! Fuck, she wished she could hear. Wished she could hear to scream his name, and hear the sexy grunts in his throat as he pummeled her. Another orgasm took her, and with her free hand, she raked her nails down his back. He arched for her and slammed into her again, throbbing deep inside of her, filling her with bursts of warmth. His dick pulsed over and over, and then slower until he was spent. They moved together until both of their releases faded completely.
He turned gentle in a second. His lips went soft against hers like a quiet apology she didn’t need because she adored the way he’d taken her. It was the sexiest experience she’d ever been a part of. His hands went gentle as he released her arm from her back and stroked her cheek. Kiss, kiss, soft kiss, soft lips. Soft sucks on her jaw, her earlobe, her neck. Soft touches as he ran his fingertips between her breasts, down, down to her sex. He eased his shaft out of her and pushed his fingers back into her, massaging her slowly, bringing the fire back as his mouth moved against hers. Again? Three? He wanted three orgasms from her? Felt so good. Gen grabbed the wrist of his hand resting on her cheek to keep him there. She craved his gentle touch after the chaos of their love-making. With her other hand, she cupped his where he was fingering her, showed him the pace she needed. Grey smiled against her lips, then eased out of her and put her own hand against her sex, and now he was the one setting the pace as he made her touch herself. Sexy, sexy, sexy. He eased out of the kiss and stared down between her legs as he helped her take care of herself. Oh, he liked watching her touch herself. Four more strokes and the pressure released, and she was softly pulsing around her fingers.
Greyson released her hand and put both arms around her, hugged her close to his body. He didn’t leave to go clean up or try to get away from her. He just…held her for so long.
Gen’s chest ached where it was pressed against his. It ached but felt oddly good and warm.
And inside, her gorilla whispered something life-changing.
He’s mine. No matter what, he’s mine.