The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)

Who You Belong To

Sixteen Years Later... 

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Ben asked huskily, voice still heavy with sleep--though the pulsing rod at her backside suggested part of him was very awake.

Eileen snuggled against him and gave a sigh of perfect contentment when he pulled her more firmly against his strong body. Just last week they had celebrated their sixteenth wedding anniversary, and still he never failed to make her feel protected, treasured, and safe.

Their wedding had been beautiful in its simplicity, and their wedding night had been beautiful in its intensity. Their entire courtship had served as years of foreplay, so by their wedding night, they had both been wild with passion, ready to devour each other. Still, Ben had taken his time with her, driving her to the brink of insanity with his words and caresses until they had both shuddered with need, until she had screamed at him to take her--and when he would not, she had begged  for him to claim her. Then and only then had Ben joined their bodies together, but it had felt like so much more than just the joining of two bodies seeking release. It had been as if their souls had woven together, welding them into one stronger, complete being. She remembered being shocked by the feeling, being lost to the sensation of his body stretching hers, owning hers, connecting them with an intimacy no other sexual partner had ever achieved. Even more than that though, Eileen remembered Ben. She could still see the way his eyes widened with wonder when he entered her, could still feel the way his whole body trembled as he tried to hold back, and could still hear the echo of his growl when he came in her the first time, bathing her with his hot, wet seed, claiming her with his desperate thrusts. He had held her in bewildered reverence for several long moments before starting all over again.  By the end of their second joining they had fallen asleep in a tangled pile, filled with soul-deep satisfaction. 

Throughout their marriage Ben continued to be a doting, loving Mate both in public and private. To Eileen's delight, he  took to dominating her in the bedroom with the ease of one naturally created to lead. 

She'd thought after the first year or so he might lose some of his need for her, but as their years together increased, so did Ben's passion for her. They rarely went a day without seeking each other's company, unable and unwilling to go longer than that without the comfort and pleasure they were able to give each other. 

And, just as he'd promised during their wedding ceremony, he held her in his arms every night, refusing to stay away from her for any reason. Had any woman ever been so blessed? 

"Sweetheart?" Ben murmured against her hair again, pulling her away from her musings. "What's keeping my good girl from her rest?" 

"We got access to our class rosters yesterday," she told him after a pause. 

"Oh? And why's that got you up so early on the first day of school? Is there a kid that's going to make you pull your hair out? Because I can take the edge off that frustration right--"

"Frank Leonas' kid is coming to high school," she blurted.

Ben's hand paused above her breast. She felt him shrug, and then her breast was being massaged by his massive hand in a way that was decidedly distracting--especially when he began to work her nipples between his fingers: tweaking, pulling, and brushing them with a  practiced touch that caused darts of pleasure to shoot through her core.  

Her breath caught, and she felt masculine pride and desire rising in him with equal force.  

"So?" he murmured against her ear, lips purposefully rasping over the sensitive tip. "Are you worried about the angry parent thing? I'll kick his ass for you, sweetheart. I can't challenge him officially yet, but as a member of his Circle, I can bash his face in if I don't agree with something he's doing."